Having a Dedicated Work Space Makes All the Difference

Have you ever had an idea for a craft project stuck in your head? Something you know you have to make? I get ideas like this all the time. It can be frustrating to have an intense desire to make something and watch the day slip away leaving you with no time to sit down and get started. 

This used to happen to me quite a bit, especially with three kids and a busy household to run, until I made one important change. Now I find time to sew or craft nearly every day. The change is simple and you can it, too.

What does it take to find time to craft every day? A dedicated workspace.

It may sound like a small thing, and you may doubt that having a dedicated workspace will really make all that much difference in your day, but it does. This workspace doesn't have to large or fancy or particularly beautiful. It just needs to be yours. It can be a tray that you leave undisturbed in your dining room, or a folding table and a stool in a corner of your basement. For me it is my husband's Ikea desk from his college days pushed against a wall in our bedroom.

How does a dedicated workspace lead to crafting when you have no free time? You can leave your project out.

Crafting is messy no matter what craft you do. Beads, embroidery floss, fabric scraps, balls of polymer clay, bits of paper – these things have a way of spreading out. And it's a good thing to have to corral them somewhat from time to time, but only somewhat. By leaving out your pile of fabric yet to be cut, or floss colors yet to be stitched, or clay yet to be kneaded, you can maximize your time and save your energy.

Let's imagine it's the end of the day, the kids are settling down to watch a favorite show or you've just finished dinner after a tiring day at work. You have 20 minutes to fill right at this moment.

Could you craft for 20 minutes? 

Probably not if sewing right now means you have to get your sewing machine out of a closet, or making a bracelet means pulling out bins and rummaging for the right supplies.

But if your project from last night was still out then you know what? The answer is yes. You could craft for 20 minutes, even after a busy day, and get that idea that's been brewing started. You could even craft for 10 minutes if that's all you have.

Instead of spending those minutes on Facebook you could make some french knots on the hoop you're working on or get that quilt block pieced. Facebook is tricky because it's easy to access. It's always there, set up on your phone, and ready to use. Make crafting just as easy.

Treat yourself to a dedicated workspace, no matter how humble, and watch what happens. All of the sudden you'll have time to turn those great ideas into something you can hold and that's going to feel awesome.