Home Office Space Ideas for Crafters

I find that having a desk is essential, especially one that is wide enough to hold all my many art projects.

You can experiment with various types of surfaces from vinyl, wood or plastic. I prefer to use desk with a plastic easy wipe surface since I am using all types of art supplies. I used to have a wooden desk but it would get marks on it that showed up pretty bad.

Once you find a desk big enough for your projects the next thing is to find a place in the room that is going to be adequate for your concentration. Avoid being in front of a television or by a window facing a busy street. These things will cause to much distraction.

Also you want your desk to not feel cramped or too narrow. Have plenty of leg room and get a comfortable chair if you plan on sitting for long hours at a time. Your desk is your home-base and is where all the magic happens so make sure it is user friendly.

Having your own space is important to keep your productivity high, you do not want to skimp on your office, make it a place that you can get things done.

Photo: pixabay

Having enough storage space can be a challenge and one of the things that us crafters seem to not have enough of. I could use a walk-in closet for all my art supplies.

I think I will ask my husband if he would not mind building me one. LOL In the mean time I use several storage boxes and a wall shelf to store my things.

You can find organizers and containers online at auction sites like eBay and you can also go to the thrift stores in your area to try and find discount storage bins.

It is best to pick a storage unit that has wheels on it that way you can move it around easily. Sometimes you will need to get creative and use items that have originally been used for something else.

Like I had a bookshelf in the den that was not being used and I decided to change it into a place that I could put my embellishments for my paper crafts and it has worked out beautifully. Just remember that anything can be turned into a storage bin just be open to those ideas to save money.

Photo: pixabay

Your computer or laptop is probably an obvious component that you will need in your home office.

Some other things include having:

1.scanner
2. printer
3. copy machine
4. video camera
5. digital camera
6. storage bins
7. print toner cartridges
8. smart phone
9. Bluetooth
10. Shredder

You will find that you will need many other things that you had not realized before. Make a list of things as you come across them like you may decide you need a letter opener or a box cutter.

Most of times its only after you are ready to start a project that you remember you need staplers or rubber bands. So I like to keep a recurring list that I add items to as I think of them and then I order in bulk to make sure I do not run out of anything. You will come up with your own methods eventually for your office supplies.

Photo: pixabay

Another great tool is the fax machine because it will come in handy when your working on projects for clients that do not live in your local area.

I don't know how many times these little machines have helped me out at the last minute.

Especially if you need to make changes or something. Here are a few fax machines you may want to try:

1. Brother FAX-575 Personal Fax, Phone, and Copier

2. HP 2140 Professional Quality Plain-Paper Fax and Copier

3. Brother IntelliFax 2820 Laser Fax Machine and Copier

4. Brother IntelliFax-4100E High Speed Business-Class Laser Fax

5. HP 640 Inkjet Fax Machine

6. Brother Black Compact Inkjet All-in-One with Fax and Wireless Networking

7. Brother IntelliFAX 775 Plain Paper Fax/Phone/Copier

8. Brother High-Speed Laser IntelliFax 2920

9. Sharp UX-B750 Inkjet Fax

10. Canon L170 Laser Fax Printer

All of these brands can be found online and you will probably do better getting the bigger machines instead of the all in one, because of the cost of the ink cartridges which do not last very long.

Photo: pixabay

The best thing about starting your craft business at home is that you will save on overhead.

It is expensive to set up a brick and mortar office and can really make it impossible to get started on a shoestring.

Setting up a office in your house will make it easier for you to get started, market and find clients without the extra expense.

Ideally if you have an extra room with a door you will feel more like a professional at home worker.

Even still it does not matter because you can always designate a seperate area somewhere to use. As long as you can be productive that is all that counts.