Polly’s Kitschy Scrap & Craft Room

I’ve moved twice since I began scrapbooking in 1996.  I’ve gone from scrapbooking out of a storage tote that had to be unpacked each time, to setting up shop on my dining room table.  At last I’m happily settled in my very own space and I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve surrounded myself with my kitschy, inspirational collectibles and organizational tools.

My ribbon supply has grown leaps and bounds so when I saw a ribbon dress form used to organize ribbon, I did an online search and had one delivered immediately.  I can now see my whole ribbon addiction…..oops, I mean supply, at one glance.  It’s fun to snip off pieces as I’m working on projects.  It’s definitely a timesaver.

For teeny embellishments, like brads and beads, the perfect solution was a couple of spice racks.  I can eliminate a lot of packaging by combining all of those tiny embellishments into the clear jars.  This way of organizing has saved me a lot of much needed space in my drawers and allowed me to see what I have.

I’m a lover of buttons on my projects, so they needed to be organized into a container where I could see what I had on hand.  I found a large square glass jar which I love. It has a nice-sized silver lid and I like that too as I use it as a pedestal to place a project or collectible.

I began using silk flowers in crafting over ten years ago.  I have not changed my way of organizing those as my method has worked well for me.  I have a large rectangular-shaped basket with two separate sections inside.  I’ve accumulated quite a supply of flowers and this basket holds them perfectly.  I love the bright splash of color it adds to the room and I just love the ease of plucking a flower off as needed. I store my 12” x 12” paper in the drawers beneath the flower basket.  There’s five total and they store a lot of product.

One of my favorite projects is mini albums.  I recently found a bathroom towel rack at a yard sale which I’ve repurposed for my albums.  I spray painted it black and now it’s placed prominently behind my desk on the wall.  I used metal rings to hang the albums.  There are two shelves which hold projects and collectibles.  I love rearranging my space often and these shelves make it fun!

Rickrack holds a special place in my heart.  I love the fun colors and it just makes me smile.  I organize all of my loose pieces in a large clear vase.  The rickrack still on cards fits perfectly into a bright orange holder I found at a yard sale.

Sometimes I find an item at a yard sale, like this vintage collectible rack, and instead of using it for what it was intended, I use it to store supplies.  Like I mentioned earlier, I rearrange my space often and this wall rack is changed out regularly. Sometimes it holds a special vignette of the season, sometimes random collectibles and sometimes scrapbooking supplies.

I have two bookcases in my space which hold lots of supplies and lots of keepsakes as well.  When I find fun items at yard sales, my mind is always thinking of a way I might use it to store supplies.  I love vintage-looking needlepoint and this fun bill holder houses some rub-ons and journal pads.  It’s super kitschy which is why I love it!

I’m so inspired in my scrap room. Everywhere I look is something that makes me smile and makes me happy.  I’ve always got the bug to create something; if I don’t have a lot of time, it might be a tag or card.  If I have lots of time to create, I will make a layout, mini album or home décor project.  My supplies are super easy to locate now that I have fine-tuned my scrap area and it’s a pleasure to spend time in my little crafty oasis!