Artist Tips - Craft Room Secrets
- Sarah Ickes
- Mar 8
- 5 min read
I've been meaning to write this post for some time now, and felt that National Crafting Month was the perfect motivation I needed to finally share a few of my artist tips with you all! While I realize that some of these pointers may not be new, or groundbreaking, I still hope that you're able to pick up on a few tricks that it'll make your craft room work better for you. Because I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates having to find where I stuck all the supplies, as I try to complete a project within a few minutes of my day.
Also, if you click on the highlighted words throughout this post, it will send you to the product links of the items shown in the following images. Please understand that I have no affiliation with any of the companies, the links are not sponsored, and all of my opinions are my own.
Without further ado, here we go!
Magnetic Organization Saves Space...
I do not have a lot of magnetic containers, or organizers, but what I do have are the ones that work best for me. Having a metal cabinet in my workspace allows for the option of using this magnetic cup holder that ended up working out great where I have it. The holder can take all sizes of water bottles, and has a strong enough magnet so I don't have to worry about it falling and making a mess.
Another item in the same product line I use is the magnetic paper towel holder, of which I currently have two of, at the time of this post. There is one near the large sink, and the one in the following image, that I turned into a vinyl roll dispenser instead. Since I use a die-cutting machine for many projects, it is cheaper to purchase transfer tape in a bulk roll from an online retailer. Having it conveniently placed where I can easily reach up, pull it out and cut off the section needed, saves time and helps to keep my desk organized!
While you can see a couple containers magnetized to the cabinet, in the top left-hand corner of the above image, I don't often use them. I find them to be too small for the supplies that I buy, however, a pencil holder that could attach would be more my speed. It all comes down to what projects you do and the style that fits your habits best.
Reuse Wooden Handles and Craft Sticks...
For simple coats of paint, applying stain to wood, or sealing in a painted art piece, I sometimes use foam brushes to keep my fine art ones from getting destroyed. Once done with whatever I'm doing that day, I pull the end off and save the wooden handles before throwing the brush end into the trash. This way, the handle can be recycled as a stirrer for paint, a wooden dowel for another piece, or underneath works about to be poured with resin. The possibilities are endless!
I do the same thing with craft sticks. Having used one end to stir together white and red into a pink color, don't toss it in the bin! The other end of the stick is still clean and can be saved for another project. This way, you're reducing waste and its cheaper on your wallet as well.
Rolling Carts Move Things Faster...
To keep things roll'n in my craft room, I have my vinyl rolls separated by type in containers on my rolling cart. I like the fact that the wheels allow me to move it wherever it needs to go, and it opens up more space for whenever a larger project is up next.
The pawprint containers, I had on hand, ended up fitting perfectly on each shelf of my cart. But the cooler thing was when I found out that by placing drying artwork on top of their lids, I can double their purpose! Finding ways to maximize space is like a fun challenge for me at times; and it's also a reminder of how valuable Tetris skills are, when they can be applied to every day life.
Peel the Paint After it Dries...
When I was in high school, I had an art teacher tell us about a student who poured water with clay sediment down a sink drain, and the school had to pay for a plumber to fix the pipes where the sediment hardened. That story stuck with me, though I wouldn't have done that in the first place, it's something I tend to watch for whenever I'm cleaning my tools. Which is where this next tip comes into play.
Instead of washing all that paint down the drain, or continuously throwing out disposable sheets of pallet paper, I actually use the lids from storage food containers as my pallets. The slickness of the plastic makes it ideal for pealing off the dried leftover paint so it can go into the garbage without making a mess. This method also cuts down on the time needed for cleaning, as the surface is renewed in a matter of seconds, ready for more paint to be applied once again.
Side Note: Sometimes the thinner remnants of paint are a little more difficult to remove. In those cases, I find that a toothbrush helps in getting the most stuck-on paint flecks off; though it's not normally an issue after soaking them for a spell in water.
(Pardon my clumsiness in the following video as I attempt to pull off the dried paint with one hand and hold the phone in the other. There is no audio with this video.)
So the next time you find mismatching lids to containers in your kitchen cupboard, try repurposing them for your crafting projects instead of chucking them in the trash!
Keep it Contained in a Collapsible Sink...
As I was talking about in the previous tip, having a constant flow of paint going down the drain is not a good idea. And to avoid any possible staining to the bottom of your sink, due to leftover residue, I've found that a collapsible sink, aka a camping sink, comes in handy!
I hardly ever fully open mine, since most of the time I use it to clean out brushes, but I like the fact that if I have larger containers or taller items to wash, it can also do the job. When its not in use to clean out my tools, I store my paint brush cleaner and any of my "paint pallets" inside for the next time.
When I'm done with the water, I simply turn the drain to open in the bottom, and all of the liquid escapes down the drain of the actual sink underneath. What's left behind in the collapsible version is the extra paint that is easily wiped out with a paper towel.
This last tip is one of my favorites; although it comes in at a tie with the container lids I use as my pallets. Before I bought the portable sink for cleaning my art tools, I thought of it as one of those unnecessary inventions, or a gimmick, the companies were selling. But it soon turned out that it truly did make clean up a lot easier for me and I'm sorry I didn't buy it earlier.
I hope you've enjoyed these five artist tips I've now shared with you all, and that one of them will inspire you to make your crafting life a little easier to manage. If you're anything like me, I'm constantly finding my space to be cluttered after finishing some of my latest projects. So as I am in the middle of doing a massive deep cleaning and organizing...who knows? Perhaps I'll discover some more tips and write a follow up post in the near future!
Thanks for reading through this latest installment of my Craft Room Secrets blog series and I look forward to spreading some more inspirations again with you all real soon. Have a crafty week, and remember to schedule in time today for a little creative therapy! #craftingtips #artisttricks #craftroomorganization #springcleaning #paintbrush #artist #craftingmonth
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