Claire's Craft Studio

We go behind the scenes at Claireabellemakes to tour Claire's adorble new craft studio in Cambridge.

My favourite things about the space are the natural light, cosy decor and a space for my cat to join me!

Tell us about your space

Previously the spare room, the space has now been converted into my craft room which I use to run my business and Etsy store Claireabellemakes. Here I make jewellery, wall art and crocheted items and it is where I spend time writing my blog posts.

What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?

I decided on a pastel colour scheme and only added items I totally love, seeing as I spend most of my time in this room! I added motivational wall art, an arm chair to relax in and lots of storage for all my crafty supplies. I changed the curtains and soft furnishings to match my colour scheme and included a big desk to spread out on!

How do you keep organized?

I have a big shelving system for all my yarn, fabrics and craft supplies. I try very hard to put supplies back where they came from once I've completed a project. Projects that are in progress are kept in wicker baskets and cotton bags to keep them away from dust and kitty paws! I like to have hooks, bins and baskets for keeping supplies in order.

Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?

Have items that you use regularly close to hand - my pegboard has been a brilliant way to keep cords and stationery items nearby. Clear containers and bins are great so you can see what is in them and make sure to label closed boxes and pots. I wind embroidery threads around pegs to stop tangling and keep yarn in a separate section which is organised by weight and colour.

Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?

I have a crochet blanket on display and use it regularly to stay cosy. It was my first big crochet project so has sentimental value. It's full of flaws but it's great and reminds me how much I've learnt. I like to have the cat close by when I'm crafting (although not with yarn!).

How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?

I have multiple notebooks for my ideas, one for Etsy store, one for the blog DIY ideas and one for a giant list of things I want to make. I love curating Pinterest boards too.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I like to look to my fellow crafters so read many blogs and always look to my craft book collection and Pinterest. Quite often I also take a walk around my city which I find really inspiring.

If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it the dream space?

I'd love to have a bigger space, perhaps even enough space to make it a workshop room too! So I guess my three wishes would be to make it bigger, to have a little more money to run workshops in it and to have more fluffy friends to keep me company (crazy cat lady alert!).