Ashlee's Craft Room

Come behind the scenes at My So Called Crafty Life for a #CraftRoomTour and see Ashlee's craft room in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

My favorite thing about my space is my vintage touches I have everywhere from my old tin dollhouse that doubles as book storage to my many trinkets, to my hoards of vintage linens. My room also is the sunniest in the house, so there is always lots of good light to work in.

Tell us about your space

It is about a ten by ten room, but I don't have to share it with anyone, so there is plenty of room for all my stuff. My closet is a bit of a disaster, but the rest of my room is a little better organized. I can do anything in here from sewing and pattern making to general projects, pretty much anything. If it requires power tools then I go out to my husbands workshop to work, but that is pretty seldom.

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

My craft room is my favorite room in my house. It is full of everything that makes me happy. I keep all of my gorgeous vintage fabrics and linens on my open shelf, so I can see them every day. I like the whimsical little touches of things that are special to me, like my favorite stuffed animals from when I was little, and the black and white portrait my mom did of my angel kitty Roux. I also have a small tv which I always have tuned into pandora that plays my favorite tunes while I'm working.

How do you keep organized?

It's organized chaos really. My closet, I can't even talk about. It's where everything I am not sure what to do with at the moment goes. I use planters, dishes, tins, baskets, and lots of boxes to keep all of my small supplies. My vintage linens and fabrics are sometimes neatly folded on my shelf, the rest of my fabrics are in my dresser. I do have several rubbermaid containers in my closet that hold fabric and holiday craft supplies. Vintage suitcases hold ribbons and trims, wallpaper scraps, and old frames. I use an old drink caddy with vintage cups to hold my paint brushes, pens, pencils, and tools. It works for me.

Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?

I like to collect lots of things, and luckily for me I have learned to use these things i love like planters and suitcases to hold supplies that I use. I am obsessed with tins and use them to hold everything from buttons to patterns. Another thing I find to be very useful are those photo boxes you can get at the craft store. I also really love the large storage boxes with the magnetic flap lids. I was able to fit tons of paints into just two of them. Also shelving is very helpful!

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

My favorite possession in my room is my kitty Roux's portrait. He passed away last year, and was my little shadow. He spent lots of time in my craft room with me sitting in my lap or in the sunbeams on the floor, and now his presence is still there watching over me and our favorite spot in the house. A lot of things in my room I made or altered. I painted my dresser. The dream catcher on the wall is mine, and the bottlecap table is one of my projects as well.

How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?

I keep my ideas on note pads and keep the sheets in my planner. I also have a note file on my phone that I keep ideas and to do's in.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Everywhere really. Sometimes I will find an object in a store or at the flea market and instantly know what I want to do with it. Sometimes things will just pop into my head in the middle of the night. I do get a lot of inspiration from my old magazines, and some of my other favorite artists. Pinterest is another great source of inspiration. Beautiful magazines like Reloved, Mollie Makes, or any of the Stampington publications are also fantastic!

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

I think I would make it bigger. I would add a nice standing pattern table. I would have a lot more shelving, an endless supply of vintage linens, and a couch or small bed to nap on. I would love to have a vintage camper as a craft office but I don't think it would be big enough in reality. For now, my space is perfect for me and I love working in it every day!

Whose craft room would you love to explore? Send us a message!