10 Quick & Easy Craft Room Organization Ideas on a Budget

If you’re trying to organize your craft room on a tight budget, then this post is for you. Here are 10 tips for getting things organized when you’re kinda broke. 

So you’re definitely a creative person and you’ve got this space, right? And this space just happens to be overflowing with paint and ribbon and paper and beads. If you’re looking for craft room organization ideas on a budget, I’ve got lots of tips for you! 

I’m sure you’ve always dreamed of having the perfect studio, one where each and every piece of furniture matches and while we’re at it, all of your organization is awesome. Let’s not forget the $500 rug you fell head over heels for.

By the way, this post may contain affiliate links. which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links. For more information, see my full disclosures here.  

On a related note, I was actually just looking at rugs and my jaw hit the floor as I noticed some of the absolutely ridiculous prices. Seriously? You know I just bought two $20 area rugs from Home Depot? They aren’t exactly the trendiest ones I’ve ever seen, but they get the job done.

And then you wake up and you find yourself back in reality and the unfortunate reality is that you can’t afford to shop at Pottery Barn and The Container Store. For that matter, you can’t afford to shop anywhere.

Some of the most amazing spaces I’ve ever seen were created for practically nothing. They were put together by DIY mamas like us who had a strong desire, but limited funds. How did they do it? Here are my 10 tips for organizing your creative space on a tight budget. Check them out on the next page.

Have you been struggling with the idea of organizing your craft room on a tight budget?

Craft Room Organization Ideas on a Budget

1. Give yourself a starting point.

Make sure you have a plan and a budget. There’s no sense in wasting your time looking at things you can’t afford. You should have at least a general idea of what you’re looking to accomplish and how much you can spend.

Sit down for a few minutes and brainstorm. Create an inspiration board on Pinterest. Keep in mind how you work as you’re planning your organization. Are you more inspired when you can see exactly what you have or are you paralyzed by too much stuff?

2. Have you ever heard the acronym SPACE?

Sort, purge, assign, containerize, equalize. Notice that containerizing your stuff isn’t anywhere near the top of the list? Yep, there’s a reason for that. You need to take a very hard look at exactly what you have and how much you have before you look for containers.

It’s doesn’t matter how awesome the containers you buy are if the categories you’re putting things into make absolutely no sense to you based on the way you work.

3. Shop your kitchen. 

I can’t even tell you how many amazing containers I’ve found in my kitchen. Serving trays* and dessert dishes for embellishments, colanders for chipboard letters, spice spinners with glass jars, muffin tins*, cake pans, glass bowls, and the list goes on.

After you’ve finished looking through your kitchen, your next stop is the garage. Think mason jars* for ribbon, peg board* for your tools, and painted terra cotta pots for pens and pencils.

4. The dollar store. 

Not even kidding. Every time I go in there, I find any number of adorable little containers that would be absolutely perfect for my studio.

Luckily, I’ve managed to have enough good sense not to bring anything else home with me lately, but if you’re looking for cheap storage, check out your local dollar store for ideas and inspiration.

5. Have you considered your local thrift store?

The odds of you finding craft-specific storage is probably slim, but bonus points to you if you do. Look around and see what you can find, though. Maybe you’ll get super lucky and score a vintage card catalog.

Wouldn’t that be awesome? I’ve seriously been looking for one for years now and if I ever find one at the right price, it’ll definitely be mine. Ditto with yard sales and flea markets.

6. Ask friends and family for their left-overs.  

When all else fails, ask your friends and family if they have any hand-me-downs. Remember the old wooden cassette holders from way back? A lot of people are using them to store inks these days. You could also use an old dresser to store fabric or paper packs in.

7. Have you checked your local hardware store?

I’ll bet you could recreate a lot of awesome and incredibly expensive storage this way. We were at Harbor Freight one day and I found the cutest little revolving tiered rack for $20. Along those same lines, fishing tackle boxes* and hardware organizers* are great for beads.

8. Keep an open mind.

Remember a coat or two of paint can go a long way in taking those $10 shelves from drab to fab. Keep a few gallons of paint around that match your space. All it takes is a little imagination.

A table and hutch that was part of someone’s old dining room set would look amazing whitewashed. Google a tutorial and go for it. What do you have to lose?

9. Bust out a hammer and a saw and do it yourself.

Looking for something, but can’t find it? Spend some time on Pinterest, make a few notes, and then start building. We have a lot of DIY organization in my creative space. Not handy, but want to be? Find a tutorial online. Into the end result, but not the process?

Recruit your husband or your dad. My dad made me an awesome ribbon organizer. He’s also in the process of building me an organizer for my markers. If you or someone close to you is good with this kind of thing, the possibilities are endless.

10. Take your time, buy things on sale, and use coupons.

I’ve been collecting organization for my studio for years now. If I’m out and about and find something awesome, I get it. Your creative space will forever be a work in progress. You can’t rush perfection.

More Ideas for How To Organize Your Craft Room: 

• The Biggest Mistakes I Made When Organizing My Creative Space
• 10 Tips For Organizing Your Creative Space On A Tight Budget
  
• How I Organize All The Small Things In My Creative Space
  
• 5 Reasons We Struggle To Keep Our Creative Spaces Organized
  
• The #1 Reason You’ll Never Get Your Creative Space Organized
• 7 Steps to Help You Organize Your Craft Room

And of course, don’t forget to join us in the 52 Weeks Facebook group where we chat about how to get your craft room organized once and for all!