Convertable Craft Corner

Living in a small 1 1/2 story house means that we have to be creative with our use of space. I have always wanted a craft room, rather than taking over the dining room every time I want to sew something. I also need a space to work on my Masters degree, which was also taking over the dining room table. But we don't have the space for a home office and a craft room for me.

Jeff spent last winter refinishing our attic to make a nice cozy space for a family room and home studio. But there was still an awkward little corner just to the side of the stairs. The ceiling is slanted so it is too short to stand up. And the floor space is too small for a couch or full sized desk. I have struggled with how to use this space in a workable way. So, during Leif's nap, I decided to take back some unused space and created a craft corner.


I put an old second hand sewing desk in the corner. (The old sewing machine that was inside did not work, so I removed it.) I found the chair in an alley a few blocks away and cleaned it up.


Then I mounted some little mantel shelves that I have had for 6 or 7 years. I have moved with these in a box twice but never put them on a wall. Finally, I found the perfect place for them. (They are also the perfect size for the little boxes Rachel gave me from Costa Rica which are holding office supplies like paper clips and rubber bands. The little Thai shoes were a gift for Leif from Laura and Corey. The photograph is my favorite picture of my Granny, Great Aunts Martha Jean and Joan when they were little girls.)


The desk is also the perfect size for my little old PowerBook. It is nice to have a more permanent place for the computer rather than dragging it all over the house.

And the third use for this little space is a sewing table. With just a few moves, the desk opens and I double my work space. (I am trying to figure out a way to put my sewing machine into the desk, so it flips out the way the old one did.)


There is also just enough space for a little helper.


(That's also a little sneak peek at Leif's Halloween costume. I'll post more pictures soon.)