craft corner Ready to focus more time on your dream hobby? If you’re retired (or about to be), or your schedule has otherwise opened up, it’s time to get to work on that project you always said you’d do, or learning that craft you’ve always been fascinated by. And, that means you need a comfortable place to practice it. Whether you’re interested in woodworking, scrapbooking, or sewing, a dedicated craft corner will help you hone your creativity, relax, and enjoy your “me” time. Start with these tips for creating a killer craft corner.

1. Choose Your Space Wisely

One thing that makes a big difference in enjoying your craft corner is where you place it. If it’s in a high-traffic area, you may become distracted as your spouse, kids, or grandkids come and go. You want your craft corner to be your place of solace, where you can relax and indulge in your passion without interruptions. Instead of setting up a corner in the living room, your craft corner might be better located in the basement, garage, extra bedroom, or attic. You might convert a previous home office space, or a large walk-in closet into a craft room. Don’t be afraid to get creative and look at repurposing spaces you rarely use.

2. Get Organized

The best craft corners are those that use the space wisely, to fit more tools of the trade into a compact area. Getting organized in your craft space all comes down to decreasing the time (and hassle) of cleaning up after a productive day — allowing you to spend more time on your craft, and less time searching for supplies and cleaning up. As you plan where to store your tools, materials, and other necessities, think less about the ease of taking these items out, more about what will make it easier to put those items away. The more convenient it is to put things back, the more likely you’ll keep your space neat and clean! A well-organized craft room uses shelves and bins appropriate for the tasks. A seamstress would need smaller containers for organizing her thread and needles than a woodworker would need for keeping her tools in order. You don’t have to necessarily go out and buy new storage containers. Look around your own house; mason jars, shoe boxes, or coffee containers make good options for storing craft basics. Consider creating a labeling system, so it’s easy to find things and put them back in their proper place. Other helpful organizational tools include bulletin boards, cupboards, drawers, multi-purpose storage stools, and more.

3. Invest in High-Quality Furniture

No matter what craft you’re focusing on, all artists and creatives need good quality furniture in their craft spaces. If your craft involves long periods of sitting down, such as for sewing or crocheting, then you need a high-quality chair to support your body while you work on your projects. Even if you stand or move around a lot in your craft corner, a comfortable chair or cozy couch makes a great addition to your personal haven, where you can take a breather and reflect on your progress, or brainstorm new ideas. Opt for high-quality products that will bring comfort and relaxation to the space to keep your creativity flowing.

4. Consider Your Lighting

Lighting — both natural and artificial — is important in your craft corner for two reasons. For one, natural lighting boosts your mood, making your craft corner a happy place where you can be at your most productive and energized. To get the mood-boosting benefits of sunlight, aim to position your craft space near a window to let in the most natural light. The second reason is that you need proper lighting to see what you’re doing when performing small, intricate tasks. Sunlight pouring through the windows can help, but it’s also wise to position high-quality artificial lighting wherever you’ll need it most. For maximum productivity, you might place several lamps around the room, or invest in a tabletop lamp with a flexible neck that you can adjust based on the task.

5. Don’t Forget About Décor

Though it may not seem like non-functional décor has a place in your craft corner, it most definitely does. On one hand, including aesthetically pleasing décor and furniture in the area can enhance your creativity, and may even serve as inspiration for some of your crafting. More importantly, there’s the effect on your mood while working. Hanging a landscape painting, placing photos of your family on your desk, or adding a few plants to the space can make your craft corner a much more enjoyable place to be. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time there, you want to create a space that lifts your spirits and brightens your day.