Scrap Room Makeover

I have been starting the big make over of my scraproom at last! So much joy in a little can of paint and some pretty paper :-)

My scraproom, like a lot of others, is furnished from left overs and odd bits of furniture found free or cheaply - nothing matches, not much is gorgeous, but it all works for me, to create the work space and storage that I need. Scrap stuff all takes up so much space, doesn't it? I am quite spoilt, I suppose, because I have an actual room of my own, a left over from the time that I ran a craft business from home.

In my room I have an old oak desk that I found in a junkyard under about 12 layers of paint, another desk that looks to be a home made job. It's not very elegant but with 5 drawers down one side and good sturdy shelves at the back it's very useful. It just needs a new worktop and a lick of paint. It's a great desk for a scraproom, and it's next on my fix it list. Next to my oak desk sits an old tea trolley that I rescued off the street on bin day and revamped. It's particularly useful because it has two fold up flaps to give me extra workspace when I need it.

There is also a large bookcase, that houses all my papers and cardstock in 12x12 folders, some A4 folders that I keep all my off cuts and scraps in, colour coordinated, some Ikea drawers (they don't do them any more, mores the pity) and boxes for my ribbons, chippies, etc.

Last week I painted the little shelf unit that sits at the end of my desk and houses all my flowers, diecuts and stamps. I particularly like that little shelf unit because it started life when I found a length of pine in the rafters of our garage left behind by a previous tennant. So I "rescued" it and handed it to my father with a request for shelves. He cut it in half lengthways to make it narrower, and to give twice as much board, and duly made me a great little shelf unit. I have had it now for nearly 2 years, so it was definitely time to get the paint out.

When I was finished, I rearranged all my flowers and die cuts on it. I also covered an old round carboard box with some gorgeous paper and some handmade flowers, and decorated little wooden storage boxes that were originally for CDs. Perfect for glues and glimmer mists. I bought some A5 folders and added some zip lock inserts which I keep die cuts in. So handy to have them all right there, easy access! I keep all my acrylic stamp sheets in the A5 folders too, in plastic sleeves. I love being able to flip through them to see what to use.

I had a bit of "storage envy" when I first saw the lovely clip-it-up system. Out of my price range unfortunately, but I came up with an alternative. I sorted all my flattish embellishments into little zip lock bags and I have them in an old singer sewing drawer on my shelves, easy to get at and find just the right bits to use on a page. I find I use the bits way more now that they are just there, too.

In the oak drawers, I keep buttons and odd bits in compartmented plastic boxes, also very easy access. Hope you like the pictures of the start of my make over.

And here are a few other bits from my room. Still a long way to go, but this is a start I am happy with.

The lovely big word on top of my shelves came from some online scrapping friends when we met at last, at a retreat last year. Oh, and if you want to know what the pretty pps are, they are from Kaisercraft, the old Vagabond range. I love the crushed raspberry and eucalyptus colours, and the patterns are just perfect for my room, which is a little bit shabby chic style.


love, Heather "It's about love. You don't have to scrapbook to love but you have to love in order to scrapbook." June