I need some sort of storage idea for my sewing corner...any suggestions for something

[lucysmam]

to house my rapidly growing fabric stash & all the other gubbins I've accumulated over the past few months since I started sewing again?

I have to share the corner with my huge fish tank so don't have masses of space but could do with something other than the hodge podge selection of bags for life and plastic toy boxes I'm using atm

I use bags for life too! What about a nice vintage glass fronted cabinet? I always see those used as fabric storage....all folded up...looks lovely as you can see the fabrics.

Wicker baskets?
Ikea's Expedit shelving (although it's called something else now) is good for storage as you can put doors on the cubby holes, fit drawers and also put in wicker baskets.

Mrs maybe bags for life are the new thing.

I like the idea of a glass fronted cabinet, will have a look on ebay & see what I can see.

I'm saving for a big expedit (kallax is the new name I think) for the girls room, if I don't find something else then I could look at a smaller one for my corner. I don't think a big one would fit - it's where the downstairs toilet was so there's random pipes along one wall & a slopey ceiling

Custom shelving is often the best way to go with awkward spaces. By "custom" I don't necessarily mean made by a carpenter - you can put up shelves yourself and make them fit, say, wicker baskets from Ikea or they have a good range of plastic boxes if aesthetics isn't important.

Check local house clearance places for a cabinet. I've had some great bargains from my local one.

I don't know of any house clearance places locally, will have a google and see what comes up.

Diy is out...last time we drilled to put a shelf up, dp drilled a hole all the way through a wall instead of just long enough for a screw! & the shelf is wonky

I get my vintage furniture from larger charity shops and also ebay locally...as well as community furniture projects.

Google "Community furniture project" and the name of your town. Many local councils have these warehouse type shops where they sell second hand furniture very cheaply. If you have any benefits you get 20% off...that includes housing benefit but not working tax credit....so I don't get a discount but the prices are so cheap it's worth it and you're supporting a good scheme too.

The shelf is quirky not wonky

haha, quirky

We do have a council run place, it's quite a way away but my dad might take me for a mooch around. I'll ask this weekend when he comes round.

The British Heart Foundation has a couple of furniture shops around here - might be worth checking their website for locations near you.

Or check Emmaus My favourite house clearance/charity place has just been taken over by them.

IIrc, Owl you're in the same area as me (or it might be another Owl), I'll check out the BHF shop next time I'm in town, might find a gem in there.

No, that's another Owl. I'm daaaahn Saaaarf.

ah, no, it's not you then

Embrace the mess - I have a tiny corner at the end of the study for sewing. It is very cluttered too. I could move it to a spare bedroom but prefer to be nearer everyone tbh. DH works away and DD is an only child.

I keep my fabric in those 84l really useful boxes in a spare bedroom (I have five, dear me).

I am happy with the fabric in the boxes - you can see through them too and they come in under bed versions if you can fit anything under your bed. They are not too expensive, very sturdy and you could by one at a time. But I don't have room for another piece of furniture.

I am going down the shelf route with those cream plastic wicker baskets for all the small things you accumulate. I have bought the brackets and the wood and just need to get round to doing it.

I took a before photo the other day - will take an after one next week.

These are the baskets:

www.lakeland.co.uk/23881/Small-Faux-Rattan-Storage-Basket

This is my button storage we will ignore the two large tins worth that are not shown

Bloody hell, that looks organised. This is a bit like therapy

"my name is Lavender and I buy far too much sewing crap and have done for much too long"

My buttons are in the massive red tin - I have to tip them on the floor to find what I want.

I thought I had my fabric storage sorted but looking at the photo I clearly need to put more in the boxes upstairs.

My problem is all the bits and pieces, which is in boxes but I have to move three of them to find what I want. I can't afford any more space, the room is full, hence my shelf idea.

Don't laugh!, hopefully after Easter I will have lovely shelves with organised baskets.

Lucysmam, if you don't want to put shelves up you could use one of those cheap pine shelving units that you put together, last time I bought one it cost me £10. I sanded it and painted it and you would never know it was so cheap.

I have tried loads of things for fabric storage but have come up with large really useful boxes.
There is currently an offer in Rymans of a set of some good sized ones
You can see what is in there and how much you have,
They are stackable
no funny smells
Not too heavy
Reasonably strong so they wont buckle

I have those too Tangerine - upstairs, 5 too many of them - but for non fabric items I struggle. My threads are in the small compartmentalised ones too which work but I have far too much in the way of small crap stuff.

That is what I am struggling with, hence the shelf (ves) and baskets. Or maybe I will go for small really useful as my house is very old and very dusty and I might appreciate the lid.

What do you do with your small items (not 'smalls').

Your turn will come, like me, when you can have your very own sewing room! Previously known as the youngest child's bedroom. I love it so much it almost makes up for empty nest syndrome.

I have a spare spare room story, but, I don't like to lock myself away! Seriously!

I use an old pine bookcase and wicker baskets on their shelves.
It is fab being able to have my sewing machine up and ready at any time after years and years of hauling it out from under the stairs to repair boys trousers etc!

Lavendersun, I did point out that I was ignoring the two large tins of buttons on the floor (the two or three jars of buttons and the fabric stash in the loft and the supplementary stash...)

The photo was carefully taken :o

For the small stuff I have the mini Trofast shelves you can buy lids, needles can go in the tiny RU boxes and or into the drawers
There is also a long smallish really useful box which is great for scissors
For me it is storing magazine patterns that is a problem

That looks useful Tangerine but I have just forked out on some cast iron brackets and a piece of wood so I need boxes/baskets.

That was a tad sneaky Owl, warts and all and all that. Actually the photos I took made me get a grip, it is my space and I work on the left and play on the right.

If the other adult here had a 'hobby' corner that looked like that I probably wouldn't be majorly impressed. So an hour or two later it is much improved, fabrics upstairs in their boxes apart from 'current projects', landslide look gone. Everything in boxes/organisers and you can see the floor! Very proud .