Much less expensive than The Martha's way... (Photo found on Pinterest.)
I was flipping through the most recent issue of The Martha’s magazine this week when I came to an ad for her Home Depot Craft Space Collection. I sat there staring at awe at further evidence of The Martha’s plans for global domination. I mean, after all, kitchen and dining tables sufficed for home crafters for centuries and now we’re being told that we’ve been doing it all wrong and we should be doing it The Martha’s way.
Of course, that’s The Martha’s M.O., isn’t it? Show the world how much better her way is, then convince us to join in the fun. I’m telling you, we’re not far off from a time when The Martha rules us all.
This craft storage is insane, yo. It’s beautiful (but of course) and it’s functional, but I’m wondering about who has space for all these pieces of furniture. But perhaps that’s not the point, eh? Because we all totally neeeeeeeed spool and bobbin storage, right? And rubber stamp and punch storage, yes? And a gift wrap hutch?
I think if I were a serious, hardcore crafter or artist, this sort of organizational excellence would make sense, but I’m also pretty sure I’d find far less expensive ways to get there than a $400 cabinet or even a $50 wall unit. Goodness knows that Pinterest is just chock-full of easy and inexpensive ideas. But for me, a person who doesn’t sew (I lack talent in that arena) and who loathes scrapbooking (very Village of Yawn for me), I think I’m going to stick with my usual fancy schmancy organizing tactics involving shoeboxes and plastic bins.
I found this on Pinterest too. Less expensive than The Martha's way, but probably still more effort than I'm going to put into it.
That said, I must confess, I am somewhat enamored by the idea of having a perfectly organized gift wrap station. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that, but I believe in honesty here at Jen on the Edge, so I’ll share my shame with the world.I will acknowledge that the notion of having a whole hutch/table set up where I could quickly and efficiently wrap gifts appeals to me a great deal, especially at Christmas time when I have stacks of goodies on the guest room bed and I’m trying to wrap neatly on a mattress without throwing out my back.
For years, I’ve attempted to come up with the perfect system of organizing paper, ribbons, gift tags, tape, and more, but it has eluded me. We inevitably end up with several rolls of paper lying on the bed, along with smaller scraps of paper that I can’t bear to throw away because I know I can use them to wrap something. And then I’ll attempt to sort the ribbons into a not-very-tangled mess in a basket and put the gift tags into another container and so forth. But yet things will get inevitably become disorganized before too long.
Oh wait, perhaps that’s why The Martha is advocating that I do things her way… Because things stay tidy in Martha-land that way.
Okay, yes, now I get it.
But I’m still not buying the damn hutch.
What do you think? If money and space were no object, would you buy the organizing furniture? Back in reality, how do you deal with the wrapping paper issue?
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Given unlimited space and money like The Martha, why not?
The “Home Decorators” catalog has a line of Martha craft storage too (maybe the same one?) and it looks wonderful. I actually do have tubs of stamps, ribbon, material, beads, clay, etc., all thanks to having a crafty daughter. But I would never spend that much money on storage because . . . . I don’t have that much extra cash.
Mixed thoughts on this line.
First the snarky: Favorite line – this from the stamp storage thingy. (*** is my emphasis) “Whether used for rubber stamps, punches or vials of glitter, our storage unit is a practical ***and necessary*** station to add to your home.”
The thing is, I looked at it first because I thought I could use a stamp storage thing. And I can. But not one that’s a huge bulky piece of furniture.
A few things I like:
The bobbin storage is great. I may actually want that for my sewing studio.
The fold-out craft table would be awesome for a small space, esp. in an apartment or rental. If you love crafting, I think it’s a great idea.
As for wrapping – I had a wrapping station. I so rarely used it that it became defunct. Wrapping lives in a long rubbermaid container.
My general reaction: Eh. I’m sure a nicely-designed room full of this stuff would be enticing but…eh. I guess I’ll keep on keepin’ on with my folding banquet table, assorted plastic bins, and copy paper boxes until that blessed day when I win the lottery. Which I don’t play. Which could be a problem.
This here is an awesomely cheap way of storing ribbon. And look at this clever idea for a rolling gift-wrap station!
I heart Pinterest.
I’m big on tissue, so I don’t have a lot of wrapping paper. I do recycle paper and ribbons. What I have is in a cardboard box suitable in size; as my stash grows or shrinks I change boxes, when I think of it.
I am so NO clickesy on those links! Not until I get dimensions for my craft room finalized. No, not kidding. I shall have a space in the basement for the quilting/crafting to commence. It’s a keep the marriage piece thing, because quilting is not a put-it-away every night type endeavor and leaving it out in the dining room drives my husband batty, and me insane when the cats have at it.
That being said, both my mom and I could totally use many of that stuff. My mom? Oy vey. You wanna talk scrap/stamp crazy! She has an entire room nearly floor to ceiling with supplies. I won’t complain though – she does all the scrapbooks for the kids so I don’t have to. My problem is the buckets of fabric that ought to be out so I know what I have and actually use it. The one line I wouldn’t use? The gift wrap stuff. That’s one area (the only?) I seem to have mastered.
My mother solved the wrapping station by setting up a card table in her bedroom. When she was ready to wrap, she laid out the materials on her bed and did the actual wrapping on the card table. It worked pretty well!
I’ve moved several times and am very pleased with my gift wrap storage solution: one “shirt box” holds folded wrapping paper and scraps worth holding onto, a short rolling cart with see-through plastic drawers holds various ribbons, and a R-maid rolled gift wrap bin holds the rolled papers. It has now survived 3 cross-country moves, so you know it can handle life in my garage!
If I had no worries about money or space (and no conscience about using both for crafting furniture), I would be shopping at this store: http://theoriginalscrapbox.com/
Oh, my… my papers, stamps, papers, papers, papers, and more would have luxury condo space in one of those babies!
But I don’t have limitless funds or space. I use bookshelves and stacking (not so great) and Rubbermaid bins (which, by the way, are awesome for organizing fat quarters… I want to learn to quilt!) and someday I shall blog about my friend’s awesome craft room makeover from old kitchen cabinets. The BEST stamp storage ever! I loved it so much I took pictures. When I blog it, I will also share them on Pinterest. They are that awesome.
I’ve never been a fan of The Martha. Something about her always strikes me as fake — the smile, the trying-so-hard-to-be-crafty, the “need” to spend money. However, the story of her picking dandelion greens for her prison salads is legend at my house. So there’s that.
Now how come I have never checked you out? Everybody at the derf thing in Ithaca was talking about you and now I can see
Oh, Martha, Martha, Martha.
I have 2 spots for wrapping supplies–one is overflow, which I’ve done an excellent job of culling over the years–all the old bags, bows and ribbons are SLOWLY getting used up. My dream is to have all the wrapping stuff in one closet. At the pace I’m moving, that may happen 6 years from now.
As far as spending a lot on storage, I’ve never understood that at all. Aside from bookshelves, why bother?
My favorite of our houses had a whole room for crafts, sewing, wrapping, etc. right behind the kitchen and next to the laundry room. It was heaven. Cabinets above and below, counters around 3 walls. How I miss that.
Now I have enough cabinets in the laundry room for gift wrap storage. Ribbons in boxes, boxes nested, paper on shelf. I wrap on the washing machine unless it is the holidays, then I bring out my card table. I stand the long tubes in a flat bottom shopping bag – they stan up pretty well, and have the boxes of ribbons and bows near. It works.
If I had space and money? I’s recreate the room I had.
I would have to have lots of disposable space and money. It’s not ever likely to be high enough on my list that it will happen.