Stop sifting through bits, bobbins, and patterns, these sewing room storage ideas will help you stay organized and ready when inspiration strikes.

Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts shares that “organizing your sewing space is different from other spaces in your home, because it’s a place where you’re creative and you’re using a different part of your brain. You may be very highly organized in other parts of your life, but a sewing space where you can just let go and be artistic can be harder to keep in check.”

If sewing is your hobby of choice (or even your side hustle), chances are you’ve got a room full of supplies you might be struggling to organize.

Read on for these creative sewing room storage ideas and more!

Start By Decluttering Sewing Room

As with any organizational undertaking, the first step is to do a deep decluttering.

Brown runs a yearly decluttering challenge with her followers every January, where she divides the task into many smaller categories, such as fabric, tools, paper, and then takes stock of what’s on-hand to determine what isn’t useful anymore.

“The interesting thing about decluttering a sewing room is that our skills and needs change with time,” she says. “Just because 10 years ago you used a particular tool doesn’t mean it’s still useful to you, so be prepared to cull out the old things that you don’t use anymore.”

While you’re in an organizing mind-set, read up on our guide to keeping your sewing kit organized.

Donate Excess Fabric

Make the most of a solid decluttering session by “donating unwanted items using your local Buy Nothing group, and for fabric scrap donation, look for a place that recycles textiles in your community,” says Maggie Kennedy of Composed Living.

Store Like Items Together

Once you have determined what you will keep, it’s time to sort and store.

“Think: thread with thread, straight pins with straight pins, fabric shears with other sewing tools.”

Remember, labels are your friend! As are storage vessels you can see through.

Grab some jars or reusable baggies for smaller items that are prone to getting lost, like buttons (you want to be able to quickly find ones that match), zippers, or thimbles. A pegboard can be useful for keeping items organized and in reach. It’s also nice to have a bulletin board to display instructions, to-do lists, and inspirational photos for your next project.

A couple of binders are also great to have for keeping patterns and fabric samples neatly filed and stashed away.

“I truly believe that if you can’t see it, you’re never gonna use it,” says Brown. “But there are people for whom having everything front and center is actually a distraction for them. It’s really agitating and they need more calm. If that’s the case, I recommend storage that is still easy to visualize when you need something. It can be behind a door, but you gotta be able to see it when you open it up.”

Create Unique Sewing Room Storage

If you don’t have a dedicated sewing room, there are ways to get crafty around the house without too much clutter.

Kennedy recommends:

• Repurposing a bookcase for sewing storage by adding baskets
• Tucking away items in a rolling cart
• Using an over-the-door organizer (she suggests the Container Store’s Elfa line)

Does your artistic side extend beyond sewing? Check out our guide to craft storage on our blog.

Store By Color

Once you’ve stored by category, you can take it to the next level by sorting by color. That way you can easily evaluate your options when beginning a new design. Plus, you will save time finding all the thread and other notions you’ll need once the creative juices start flowing.

Active Project Storage Areas

A sewing space is unique in that the room can be overwhelmed by in-progress endeavors that make it difficult to maintain a tidy space. Since large sewing projects tend to grow as you go, Brown recommends having a plan in mind for storing your work before you even begin.

“For example, if you’re working on a quilt,” she says, “you can actually hang it on a hanger and put it in your closet as opposed to leaving it out in a place that can get damaged.”

If you have multiple active projects, keep supplies separate so as not to lose any small parts or mix things up. “We love using baskets labeled by project to contain all the pieces together,” says Kennedy. “For any smaller parts or items that need to be kept together within a project, we love reusable zipper bags.”

Has your sewing become so prolific your closet is bursting at the seams? We’ve got clothing organization tips for you here.

With your sewing space organized, you have the room—and the tools—to create with more freedom than ever before. Enjoy!