On New Year's Day I spent hours purging--closets, cabinets, shelves. I still need to do more, and my studio, especially, is in desperate need of sorting and organizing.

The Winter 2012 issue of our sister publication, Studios magazine, caught my eye with the eclectic cabinets shown on the cover (below) which hold a colorful array of craft supplies. Perhaps some of the ideas presented here will inspire you to dig in and do some organizing of your own!

Debee Ruiz stores her ribbon and sewing notions in two pieces of stacked furniture that she found at a thrift store, then painted white and added mismatched knobs (featured in the Winter 2012 issue of Studios magazine):

Tight on space? Hang a metal board on the wall, then attach magnetic spice jars to hold your beads, findings, and the like. Find this and other creative organizational ideas on the Creating Keepsakes blog:

I love this idea for turning a cereal box into a stylish magazine holder. I'm anxious to make a few of these to hold a portion of my beading and knitting magazines! Find step-by-step photos on the Sew Many Ways blog:

It's easy to find an array of bead caddies, containers, and organizers at your favorite bead or craft store or from online retailers (the one shown here is from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads).

A few of my favorites: Rings & Things, FusionBeads.com, Shipwreck Beads, Beadaholique.com, Fire Mountain Gems and Beads, Bead Storage Solutions, and JewelrySupply.com.

After you clean up and clear out your craft space, consider donating your extra beads to one of these remarkable causes:

Daddy and Me Magnetics

I was first introduced to this family's story through Brenda at the Venetian Bead Shop:

"My wife and I are adoptive parents of 11 special-needs children. Most of our kids came from broken homes, abusive situations, and filth, and some of them will be scarred by that for their entire lives, but we are doing everything we can to make them as productive as possible. We have set up a small home business that these kids can work in for the rest of their lives because many won't be able to function in a real job situation. All of them can do this job; they work a few hours a week, they are responsible for keeping their areas clean and organized, for keeping track of what materials they use and how many pieces they produce, and it helps them with money management. We are always looking for beading supplies and seek donations of outdated or seconded items. We have a small Etsy shop where we sell jewelry made by the kids (www.daddyandmemagnetics.etsy.com). The profits of our business go entirely to the children's needs (clothes, shoes, special needs) and each child gets a special bonus when one of their pieces sells.  I promise you it is a worthy cause to help out these awesome kids--each and every one is a true blessing from God!"

--Rich, Risë, and 11 little Wamplers

You can contact Rich at daddyandmemagnetics@gmail.com.

Beads of Courage

Beads of Courage is a nation-wide program which helps children and families coping with serious illnesses. Children participating in the program are given a set of beads that spell out their first name, then colorful beads, each representing a different treatment milestone, are given to the child throughout their treatment. These colorful beads are symbols of their courage that commemorate each milestone they have achieved during their treatment.

As stated on the Beads of Courage web site: "Ongoing evaluation of the Beads of Courage program indicates that the program helps to decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, helps children find meaning in illness, and restore sense of self in children coping with serious illness. The program also provides something tangible the child can use to tell about their experience during treatment and after."

Find out more about the programs at www.beadsofcourage.org, or click HERE for details on what types of beads they are looking for, as well as a downloadable form to send in with your donation.

Cynthia Kimura, President of Artbeads.com, has a special place in her heart for the YWCA of Tacoma. A few years ago, she volunteered to teach some of the clients at this non-profit domestic violence shelter how to make their own jewelry out of beads. "For those women who lost everything, making something beautiful was really rewarding. They were so happy and excited to be able to create something beautiful. That was an amazing experience!" Since then, Cynthia has taught some of the staff members at the shelter so they are able to offer these "bead parties" to the women.

This particular YWCA touches the lives of over 12,000 women and children annually, offering them a safe place to call home in addition to a variety of tools to help them create lives free of violence and full of hope. Cynthia and the staff at Artbeads.com continue to do their part by donating beads, supplies, and finished pieces of jewelry to auction off at fundraisers throughout the year.

If you are interested in donating beads to the shelter, contact CEO Miriam Barnett at MBarnett@ywcapiercecounty.org, or (253) 272-4181, ext. 223.

Please leave comments below if you have any tips for organizing your crafty space!

Happy crafting,

Debbie Blair, Managing Editor