Creating your own craft studio

Today we're very pleased to have a guest post from Norwegian Log on the subject of craft studio garden offices.

A bright and light garden craft room can provide space and inspiration for a myriad of creative projects. Here’s some crafty design tips to consider …

Build zones into your layout

Get creative before you even start your projects by segregating areas of your log cabin for different tasks. This will help you stay organised and reduce clutter in those areas where you want to create. Consider having dedicated areas for storage, cleaning up and crafting. For example, why not add plumbing for a kitchenette and sink, and laminate flooring for easy cleaning. If more than one member of your family is going to be crafting at the same time, consider side boards with dedicated space for each person. A mood board is a fun way to share ideas – and your floor-to-ceiling views are sure to trigger off grand designs!

Contain your crafting

With good crafting, comes a good deal of ingredients – and if you want to have space to shape, mould and forge, you’ll also need room for your tools. Draws with compartments allow you to stash small items such as sewing thread, scissors, glues and buttons in one place, while storage trolleys on wheels mean you can take your kit to wherever you’re working. A pegboard with hooks and pins maximises vertical space, while separate baskets for ‘works in progress’ mean you can pick up projects quickly after a break. Think about ladder shelves for storage jars or hanging racks for fabric, paper and ribbon.

Have a light bulb moment

Good natural light is crucial for creating. Think about including a combination of daylight magnifying lamps, light boxes and floor lamps to illuminate close work. Ceiling level track lights can light up large areas, with light switches recessed into work tops for easy access. During the day, our log cabins are flooded with natural light, but we also offer integrated glass blinds for privacy and glare reduction on sunny days.

Furnish your creativity

Measure the dimensions of your space so you can get the right sized furniture to fit. Before buying your table consider whether you prefer to sit or stand to work, and whether a wheeled chair or static stool will be best. Corner desks or drop-leaf tables are great space savers if you want to add an easel or other large objects to your cabin, but a centralised workspace will allow the whole family to muck in. Add cabinets underneath your table to maximise storage, or add casters so you can move it around.

Top Five Crafts to do at Home

1. Marbling Endless designs can be swirled on to paper, and you don’t have to have specialist materials to do it. Follow this tutorial for making inks and oils from household ingredients: https://artfulparent.com/marbling-with-oil/

2. Stenciling Whether it’s a book, lamp, cupboard or wall, stenciling is easy and effective. Always prepare the surface well before you start and secure your template to stop it slipping. Here’s a lovely way to decorate plant pots: https://diycandy.com/how-to-stencil-a-clay-pot/

3. Decoupage Layering cut-out pictures on to hard surfaces is a great way to personalise objects around your home. Try this lovely watercolour mason jar: https://craftsbyamanda.com/watercolor-luminaries/

4. Upcycling Tired household items can be given a new lease of life with a little thought to repurposing – think colander light fittings and tea-cup plant pots. Try these whisk tea-light holders: https://designintuition.co/awesome-diy-inspiration-hanging-whisk-tea-light-candle-holder-votive/

5. Quilling Create unique designs in paper by rolling strips into different shapes. You can use your own paper and create a quilling tool from a cotton bud tip or cocktail stick stuck into cork! Check out this beautiful quill vase: https://www.instructables.com/id/Paper-Quilled-Teardrop-Vase/

Read here how Norwegian Log customer Francoise Read expanded her craft business with a contemporary log cabin studio. 

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.