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How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room

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When we lived in our 2-bedroom condo, I had very little space for crafting. My so-called “craft room” was in the living room with my sewing machine sitting on top of a cheap card table. So when we moved into our single-family home, I knew a craft room was in order (but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money!).

How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room - Thrift Diving

Because I love thrift stores, it only made sense to buy everything second-hand.

So here are a few tips to help you pull together your own affordable thrifted craft room!

 

How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room

Here are some craft room ideas that won’t cost very much money.

TIP #1 – Paint Everything the Same Color.

The thing about second-hand is that everything is usually mismatched–different color woods, different styles…I guess that’s true for any room that gets all second-hand thrifted furniture. The best way to unify everything is to paint it the same color, or at least, complementary colors. Who cares if you have different styles of furniture?

If you’re new to painting furniture, be sure to check out this post: What’s the Best Paint for Furniture? You generally won’t have to sand or prime the furniture because furniture paints work well without sanding or priming.

 

TIP #2 – Plan What You Need Before You Start Shopping

Whenever you’re planning a room makeover, including a craft room makeover, you’ve got to plan properly. So I created this Room Makeover Journal printable for you to download so you can start planning your craft room makeover!

Just enter your name and email to download the printable:

 

 

How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room - Download this Room Makeover Journal packet - Thrift Diving

 

If you want to get super crafty, you can even use scrapbook paper to create DIY journal notebooks to help plan and organize your craft room makeover.

 

How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room - Create this Room Makeover Journal notebook - Thrift Diving

 

TIP #3 – Look For Cheap Wall Shelving

The point is to get things off your desk and on those walls. I found this wall shelf for only $5.00!! It ended up working out perfectly. If you can’t seem to find any shelves, look for crates that you could turn on their sites and mount to the wall to act as shelving. Or, even use dresser drawers from old dressers you’ve found at the thrift store!

 

How to Pull Together a Thrifted Craft Room - Pretty turquoise craft room. - Thrift Diving

 

Here’s what it looked like when I bought it:

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Hang wall shelving to keep items off your desk. - Thrift Diving

 

It’s a great place to store old cans with craft supplies in them:

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Hang wall shelving to keep items off your desk and use aluminum cans for storage. - Thrift Diving

TIP #4 – Make Your Own Crafting Desk (Or Buy One Thrifted)

I am in LOVE with my vintage Anco Bilt drafting table that I found at the thrift store for only $30! It was truly a steal. I decided to keep it rustic and natural because, well, it is more valuable that way. But if you’re crafting on a desk, you’re going to be dropping pins, scissors, etc., and you may just scratch any desk you decide to use if it’s painted. I like the rustic look more. Any nicks and dings only add to its character :).

On eBay these drafting tables have sold for about $300, so finding mine for $30 was a steal!

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Use a vintage drafting table. - Thrift Diving

 

BONUS TIP: Position your crafting desk perpendicular to the wall because it creates a nice little alcove-ish area for you to call your own, especially if you’re sharing the room with your spouse! Cap it off with a bookshelf on the end and stack crafting books on it. I bought this one from a yard sale for $10!

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Place a crafting table perpendicular to the wall. - Thrift Diving

 

You can also find two similar-sized file cabinets and lay a door, old countertop, or a large piece of wood on top to create a really affordable crafting desk.

This desk only cost me $15! Check salvage shops for old doors or an old countertop piece.

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Place a door on two file cabinets to create a crafting desk. - Thrift Diving

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Place a door on two file cabinets to create a crafting desk. Paint it for a unified look. - Thrift Diving

TIP #5 – Buy Extra Lamps (Or DIY Your Own!)

Craft rooms need lots of light, so look for an old thrifted lamp, or make an awesome DIY pendant lamp to hang over your drafting desk. I made mine out of my broken Crate & Barrel wire fruit basket! You won’t believe the cool light art that it creates on the ceiling when I turn it on!!! I love it!

(For the full tutorial on how to create your own DIY pendant lamp like the one I did, here are the video tutorial instructions.)

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Create lighting for the craft room. - Thrift Diving

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Create pendent lighting for the craft room. - Thrift Diving

 

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Create DIY pendent lighting for the craft room. - Thrift Diving

 

TIP #6 – Keep Your Sewing Machine Out of the Limelight

If you have kids, I guarantee they’ll grab your thread……your needles……and, oh, your leg press that allows you to even raise and lower the sewing machine. HA! Better to keep it under wraps when it’s not in use. Try to find an affordable sewing cabinet from the thrift store, or check Craigslist.

I got this one from the thrift store for a mere $40! I haven’t refinished it yet….

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Find a sewing cabinet to store your sewing machine. - Thrift Diving

 

TIP #7 – Go For the Uncommon

Yes, my friends….that right there is a vintage shoe shine caddy. Find uncommon ways to store your craft supplies! I got this one from the thrift store for about $6.00.

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Store craft supplies in uncommon ways. - Thrift Diving

As a crafter, you will never have enough markers, pens, pencils–you name it. Use a bunch of cans on your desk, some of which you can easily find at the thrift store. Some of them will be food cans. And some, snack cans! The more, the merrier! 🙂

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Store craft supplies in tin cans. - Thrift Diving

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Store craft supplies in pretty vases. - Thrift Diving

 

TIP #8 – Don’t Expect It to Be Perfect!

Even if you get part of your crafting room done, you may still have areas that still look like a tornado hit. Or maybe you didn’t get the curtains done. Or this….or that….

Just keep working towards creating your dream craft room and you’ll be surprised how it all comes together!

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Pretty turquoise craft room. - Thrift Diving

Just get some things that you really love in your craft room (like my pretty little DIY card catalog that I love, love, love–found at the thrift store for $18!). The more you love it, the more you’ll want to create.

 

What If You Don’t Have Space for a Craft Room?

Yep, not everyone has a dedicated room for crafting. In that case, here’s what I would recommend:

  • Use your dining room table. Who actually eats there, anyhow?? If you can, get a buffet in your dining room and use it to store your craft materials. Those things hold a lot!
  • Clear out a closet. I’m sure you’ve seen the closets-turned-crafting-space. It’s an option…..
  • Craft at a friend’s house. If you have a friend that has more space than you, set up regular dates to craft over at their house instead.

 

Tips for pulling together a craft room - Pretty turquoise craft room with thrifted furniture. - Thrift Diving

 

So tell me…Do you have any great tips for pulling together a thrifted craft room? Leave a comment below to share!

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58 Comments

  1. Heather Doute says:

    Thank you so much for this. Its hard not to get discouraged when you see craft room reveals for professionally designed rooms that cost more than my tiny bungalow. I like to see how us normal crafters on budgets who don’t have corporate sponsors and thousands of dollars in free supplies live. You have renewed my spirit as I sit surrounded in stuff Im yet again rearranging.

  2. Darlene Pitts says:

    Hi Serena, I have been looking for some time for some ideas, to Redo my Sewing/Crafting area . Last year we had a Very Bad Storm and my Sewing/Craft area for hit very bad, there was over 2000 gallons of water down there. I was DEVASTATED but like all of us Crafters be pick up and begin again, for me it is a new beginning and I am loving it, yes I am still cleaning up because of my work schedule it has taken me sometime. Friends ,Co Workers, Thrift Stores and salvaging what I could my Sewing Craft area is beginning to come alive again, it will take time to get it where I want it but I am so happy to have it 50 percent together. Thanks for your ideas and blog.

    1. Hey there, Darlene! Oh wow, that’s a LOT of water! Hopefully, you were able to get it all cleaned up with very little lasting damage, such as mold. Good luck getting it all set up! Send pics when you do get the craft area set up! 🙂

  3. Serena
    Your craft room looks good I enjoy seeing what you have done The before and after photos are great
    You are an inspiration
    I have a craft room When it is orderly I enjoy being in there But it gets to be a storage room as well All my doing!!
    I need to take time which I have and sort out and organize My Stuff
    Never know when I might need it?
    All Your Projects are Fabulous and You are Very Talented

  4. Sharon C. says:

    Thanks for being honest about the fact that your craft room is still under construction. It seems that I’ll never get done with my redo, because when I start to make progress, something gets in the way. For the longest time, having had cancer twice got in the way. I don’t have the stamina I had, even though I was lucky to have the cancer detected early. But I’ll get there eventually.
    I thought your makeover was inspired and looks great! I’m currently

    1. Hi Sharon! I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but it sounds like you’re going to be okay, which is great!! I never did fully complete my crafting room. I’ve since gone on to do a home office/crafting area down in my basement. You may have missed it, but I just posted it last weekend. I think you’ll like it! I took the drafting table out of there and put it down in the basement and shoved a lot of my mostly used crafting supplies in my painted jewelry box! You can see everything HERE:

      https://thriftdiving.com/thrifty-basement-home-office-makeover/

      I know what it’s like to not be able to get a room done! That’s why I started my 30-day room makeover challenges with my readers because I was tired of getting distracted. LOL 🙂 You should consider joining the next one, probably in March! You can sign up here:

      https://thriftdiving.com/challengesignup

      Thanks for stopping by!!! Hope to see you around more often! Good luck with getting your strength back! You’ll get there, I’m sure of it!

      Serena

  5. Okay, you caught me…lurking. I love reading your posts and look forward to the DIY and before and afters. I found you through Keeping Up With Mrs. Smith. She did one of the room challenges.

    I do not know how you manage to do what you do with three small boys. When my boys were small (I have two boys, three years apart) it was so consuming.

    Anyway, love your style of decorating, all your handy tips, and your go-to attitude.

    As for this room, I especially like the card catalog set up at the door with the pretty ‘blooms’ above. What a fresh view while you’re sitting at your crafting desk.

    You’re going to love your Silhouette when you find time to set it up. If you have any left over contact paper you could recover the box it came in and use it as a makeshift cover till the boys are older. Just a thought.

    My hat is off to you.

    1. Thank you so much, Alys!!! Glad you found me through Leilani’s sight! I love her blog, too :). DIY’ing is tough with kids. But thankfully, when they’re doing something they love (electronics or playing with the neighbor), I’m usually able to squeeze some time in! I’m glad you like my craft room! I still haven’t finished the curtains. EEK! It’s been a long time. I’ve been focusing on all the other rooms that in much worse state, so once I get them done, I’ll back-track to the craft room. LOL. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I sure how you subscribe and stay in touch!!! 🙂

  6. Hello, just found your blog by accident today and love it! And then I saw that you have the exact same drafting table that I just picked up on the curb last week!! Total score for both of us! I have sanded mine down and was planning to refinish (not paint) it, was wondering what you did with yours? Did you refinish or just leave as is? Mine is in great condition after sanding but was thinking it would look amazing re-stained. I usually embrace the rustic look but thought this might be fabulous all polished up. I am keeping it for myself, not reselling or anything. What do you think?

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