Jo Packham, author of Organizing Your Craft Space, has written numerous crafting books.  After years of focusing on how to do crafts, she decided it was time to write a book about organizing and making the most of your craft space.  Her book looks at multiple crafts including stained glass/mosaics, rubber stamping/stencling, scrapbooking/paper crafts, beading, yarn crafts/needlework and quilting.

My favorive aspect of the book was that Packham interviewed crafters and used images of their spaces as examples. The book is packed with color photos of spaces with organizing ideas and is easy to read.  I found the spaces featured were full of antiques and flea market finds.  While I could appreciate the repurposing of some items (for example a cake stand being used to hold keys by the door), the items did not always suit my minimalist style.  The concepts of using clear containers, whether antique glass jars or tupperware, with emphasis on labeling the containers were reiterated throughout the book.

What I did not like about the book; the recommendation by a few interviwed crafters to “purchase items (baskets/containers) you may see at an antique store or flea market even if you do not have a purpose for it yet.”  I am avidly opposed to purchasing any containers without knowing what it will be used for and where it will live.  If you absolutely love an item but don’t  know where it will live in your craft space, take measurements of it and go home to assess your storage space and what you may need to containerize.

I would recommend that anyone who does any crafts take a look at this resource to see how items in your home may be re-purposed.