Holiday Craft Storage Tips

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Erin Miller

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It’s officially the holiday season, which means crafts are in full swing! The holidays are here and if your craft area looks anything like mine, there’s ribbon and tinsel everywhere and the house always smells faintly of hot glue. One way to make sure all your holiday craft and DIY presents arrive looking like they were made with love and care is by keeping your craft area neat and tidy. Read on for some ideas on how to store and organize everything from leftover glitter – hint: only use it outside or suffer the consequence of having random glitter flecks on you for the next two months – to cardboard elf patterns.

Storing Craft Items While Completing a Project

Invest in a good, sturdy organizer for storing craft materials that could be best described as daily used items. Materials such as scissors, a measuring tape, pin cushions, crochet needles, embroidery hoops and thread are all items that craft projects may require and therefore should be easy to access.

Craft stores sell specialty organizers and online stores such as Etsy or EBay offer vintage and moderately priced models. An old toolbox or plastic storage bin can work just as well however. A pegboard mounted to the wall is an excellent way to store crafting tools while keeping them handy and accessible.

The workspace itself often get buried in craft materials during a project, but using desk storage such as magazine holders for sheets of foam or construction paper or a pencil holder for markers and glue sticks can keep everything organized and clean. Instead of investing in expensive desk accessories, consider raiding your kitchen first for small storage containers or cleaning out food jars after a meal for instant, affordable storage.

Storing Leftover Craft Materials

Plastic totes are one of the best ways to store leftover craft materials. They come in several different sizes and some even fit under a bed. The problem with storing materials this way is often a lack of organization in the bin. It’s hard to find a previously purchased bundle of yarn in a tote overflowing with everything from fabric glue to cotton balls. Store like materials with other like materials whenever possible and be sure to include tissue paper between any material that could cause damage to the rest and stack according to weight – i.e. store delicate silk or cardboard material on top of heavy, glitter velvet with a piece of white tissue paper in-between.

Speaking of glitter, try to only use it outdoors when possible to prevent it from sticking to everything in sight. Place a sheet of paper underneath the area to catch any extra and then use the sheet as a funnel to pour it back in the jar afterwards. It helps to wear disposable gloves when working with glitter as well to prevent it from adhering to your hands. Place the glitter tube into a plastic storage bag when finished using only one hand and then use the other hand to seal it.

It’s a good idea to toss in a few moth balls with craft items if the items will be in storage for a while, especially so if those items will be stored in a self-storage unit. Both temperature-controlled and regular storage units are susceptible to some amounts of moisture and craft items are usually fabric-based which appeal to moths. As always, double-check with your self-storage provider before storing any aerosol cans, paint or chemicals.

Storing Projects Until the Holidays

Oh, what to do with those crafts you’ve created with love – and perhaps some sweat and tears, too – until you can gift them to their recipients. Ornament boxes are usually empty during the holiday season and can provide the perfect, separated spots for keeping holiday gifts protected and safe until present day. Garment bags are best for keeping any handmade clothing or crocheted gifts clean until they can be wrapped.

For more ideas on where to stash those handmade gifts, check out this post on sneaky holiday gift hiding spots.