This month, Michaels asked me and the other Michaels Makers to organize an area in our homes. Our office/craft area has long been a neglected work in progress, so first I decluttered the room, then added finishing touches that solved problems in the space.

I have been needing a dedicated office space. Not a bedroom floor, not a kitchen table, not a couch where I can get sucked into Netflix. An office where I can shut the door and have stuff not get moved around.

Here’s the room when we first moved in. It’s a small, narrow room only the width of a crib. But there are two gorgeous windows which let lots of light in, as well as a french door so I can see the kids make sure no one is killing each other.

Since it is a smaller room, I had to make the most of the space. I decluttered unused supplies and things that didn’t need to be in here; I got 2 bags out!

While I had a few options for the space, I wanted a desk smack dab between those windows to take advantage of all that glorious sunlight.

I found the desk and chair second hand at two separate garage sales, hung a pegboard from Home Depot, but could not find the right piece of thrifted furniture for our printer and my Cricut! My husband works part time as a realtor and between the two of us moving the printer around the house, we had papers and machines on the floor.

Here’s what it looks like now, looking from the opposite side:

I found this beautiful turquoise cart at Michaels.

Note: this cart is no longer available, but I found a similar one, if not the same, here (affiliate link): http://amzn.to/2jRLJEh 

The printer goes on the top, my Cricut is on the next shelf, and paint is on the bottom. I’m probably going to have to move that paint because I’m pretty sure with 5 kids, it is a “creative” mess waiting to happen. The cart rolls so we can move it from room to room. And it’s sturdy!

I found the tissue paper flower kits at Michaels, they add a much needed PUNCH of color to the room. I have a few more packs to add in around the rest of the room.

Many of this I had on hand. The vintage clipboards feature prints from one of my favorite artists. The mounting hardware, hooks, and baskets (spray painted with chrome paint) were from Home Depot. The white, metal hanging file folder is from IKEA. The washi tape holder is two pegboard hooks holding up a rod.

Most of our art supplies are in the dining room and for kid use, but these are my fancy grownup things. 🙂 I grabbed extra mason jars and filled them with paint brushes, Prismacolor colored pencils, tubes of watercolor paint, markers, camera lenses, and an Instax instant mini printer + film.

Another previous issue with my storage: I could not find a spot for all the teeny tiny things! Tacks, nails, jumpdrives, 3M strips, stamps… now they all have their own little drawer. Like the matching cart, this organizer is also from Michaels.

Instead of using the mounting holes on the back with a screw or nail in the wall, I used pegboard hooks to hang this and the white file organizer.

I’m really happy with how the space turned out and am excited to show you the rest of the room. That is, once I finish the nursery. It’s hard to finish things in here because usually when I get time away to work on it, the baby is sleeping! In here, haha!

Edit: A few readers have asked how it is working in here when she’s sleeping. When she was younger, it was great. But now she hears my voice or the slightest bit of key tapping and is ready for party time. She’s such a happy, alert, sweet baby! These days I’ll either squeeze in work while she’s playing on the floor or when she is nearby in our bedroom. Or I’ll hand her off to Doug. 🙂 

Inspired to organize your own space? Michaels has tons of products and storage supplies that can be used to decorate and inspire creativity in any room of your house or office.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can always take a look at some of the fun storage projects on Michaels.com. Or visit the other 49 makers’ ideas on The Glue String for tips on designing, organizing and decorating their favorite places.

What area of your home could use some organizing?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Michaels Stores. I am one of their “Michaels Makers” project creators and was provided with store credit to purchase products to craft this post. All ideas and opinions are my own, and I only recommend products I use or would purchase.