Inexpensive Decorative Craft Supply Organizers for Easy Retrieval

Here is a listing of all the containers, and organizers, I have used over the years to protect my craft-supplies investment; insuring my ability to create, at a moments notice, by home-crafting an assortment of gifts, for almost any occasion. You can decorate any of these organizers, which can be picked up at most yard sales, for next-to-nothing, or from neighborhood dollar stores, to keep your supplies out, and within reach. My favorite unconventional organizers have actually come from local hardware stores, when the most unexpected items are offered, on sale.

Decorative Repurposed Recyclables

Plastic (or metal) ice cube trays, or rusted muffin tins, have individual container-cubbies, perfect for sorting beads or shells as pictured in Better Homes & Gardens online. Try recycling terra-cotta flower pots, or non-soiled egg cartons, by colorfully spray painting them. Allow to dry before filling with your assortment of craft supplies.

Recycling tin cans and glass jars, which can be decorated in a number of crafty ways (after sterilizing) are an attractive way to organize pens, scissors, hole-punches, brushes, and glue sticks. Cover cans with prepasted wallpaper scraps, cut to size, wet down, and firmly applied to dry securely. See the colorful ideas in Scrapbooks etc.

Inexpensive Plastic Organizers

Organize all your supplies together, with a large extending-handle, rolling plastic, tool organizer from OSH (Orchard Supply & Hardware Stores). Pick up one of these roll-around organizers, on sale for about $20.00. I have found these inexpensive rolling "tool" organizers work better for me, than the expensive, designated-craft organizers, which cost anywhere from $75.00 to $200.00, and are just too heavy to carry around!

For organizing smaller craft-supply stashes, try repurposing a fishing-tackle box, as shown in Scrapbooks etc. Other inexpensive, dollar-store items such as small, plastic organizers can be used for sorting beads, pearls, or small shells. Plastic pencil cases work well for organizing art pens, scissors, exacto knives, burnishing tools, brushes, or other long art-crating tools.

Open-handled plastic, cleaning carryalls (used for toting household cleaning supplies from room-to-room) work great for organizing colored art pens, paint brushes, assorted scissors, rulers, or longer rubber-stamp border stamps. The open-lidless design provides for longer items to be organized together, upright will prevent your expensive art pens from drying out, and allows for ease-of-travel to current projects.

I use a cleaning carryall to keep supplies at my fingertips, for quick color selections, without having to dig through piles of dried-out pens. The handy grab-and-go feature assures you won't miss another opportunity to begin, or complete, any inspired art, craft, or gifting project, without spending a fortune.