Storage Solutions to Keep You Organized and Your Creativity Flowing
Does your sewing room look more like a fabric jungle than a neat, organized space? Well the good news is, you’re not alone! I’ve been there—struggling with piles of fabric, tools scattered everywhere, and no real system in place. But after some trial and error of my own over the last several years, I’ve finally found 11 storage solutions that have seriously helped bring order to my sewing chaos.
From a rolling cart I snagged at Costco to a simple pegboard that keeps my tools within easy reach, these solutions have made a world of difference.
Whether you're drowning in fabric scraps, trying to keep your notions organized, or just want to display your finished quilts in style, these organizational systems will help you get your space in shape in no time. Let’s dive in!
Fabric Storage
If you’re like me, you have lots of smaller cuts of fabric to store in your sewing room. Whether it be fat quarters, half yards or 2-3 yard cuts of fabric, I’ve never quite been able to get a good handle on my fabric storage *until now.
I’ve been using clear bins for the last several years that were great visually to see and stacked on top of each other on my existing closet shelf but inevitably fabric would get stacked on top or it was too difficult to actually see everything that was in there (as evidenced by this photo of my closet from a year ago).
I bought some storage drawers last year on Amazon, thinking that I could at least organize all my solid fabrics in them; however, I quickly realized that the drawer depth (4 inches) was too shallow for the larger cuts to fit.
I’ve been in an in-between, just dealing with having to shove the larger cuts into the drawers at times but I think I have finally found a solution.
I’ll credit my mom with this find from Costco, a set of four drawers on wheels that are semi-opaque and have drawers with a 5.5 inch depth that allow for larger cuts of solids to fit much more easily. PLUS it’s SO incredibly easy to put together in under 10 minutes.
To easily fold the various sizes of fabric cuts, I cut a piece of cardboard to a 5.5 inch by 7.5 inch rectangle and use that to fold the fabric cuts in a consistent manner.
The fabric is stored on its end so each color can be viewed from above to easily select. For my solids specifically, I’ve also added a label to each fabric with the color name to easily reference when pulling fabric.
So what am I doing with all the clear totes? I am re-purposing them to use for scraps as I’ve outgrown my scrap storage solution (re-using old produce bags) for now.
Now it will be easier to just grab a bin of scraps that I can easily see which color family the scraps belong to and bring the bin with me to my working space.
The final look after organizing! Tap to the right to see the before and after photos side-by-side...
Tool Storage
I’m a pretty minimal tool and gadget person but even so I reached a point where I was unable to locate specific tools when I needed them thanks to my various storage solutions - bags, small storage bins, random drawers, (window sills!), etc.
I finally caved last year and purchased this peg board to house all my tools in my cutting room.
This relatively small peg board set up allows me to store all my scissors, rotary cutters, rulers, glues, specialty tools all within reach while I’m cutting, trimming and pressing.
In addition to the peg board, for longarming tools this rolling cart has been a game changer.
Small items such as needles, bobbins, my Sewtites magnets and pins are all contained on the top shelf using plastic drawer organizers (see Sewing Cabinet Storage for specifics). Thread and other slightly larger items are kept in the bottom two shelves.
I added a Command Strip Key Rail to the side of the cart to keep scissors, my measuring tape and lint roller more easily accessible as well.
This cart is often discounted (especially after the New Year!) so keep your eye out for sales to get a great deal.
Sewing Cabinet Storage
Does your sewing cabinet look more like a junk drawer? These plastic drawer organizers have been a HUGE help in containing all of the small notions and sewing tools I keep in my sewing cabinet.
As I mentioned earlier, I also use them on my longarming cart to organize bobbins, needles and other small notions.
They come in a pack with 25 in various sizes and have grips on the bottom to keep them from shifting in the drawers. The clear plastic also helps to easily see what is in each organizer at a quick glance.
Thread Storage
Last year I purchased this thread rack from JoAnn at a deep discount. It comes with a stand to place it on a table top surface, however I wanted to mount it onto my wall next to my sewing machine. The easy solution was to use Command Picture Hanging Strips!
I used these strips, one on each side to attach and secure the rack to my wall.
Now I can easily access all my thread without having to leave my sewing table and I have much more real estate available on my sewing table for actual sewing.
Notion Storage
In addition to thread storage, notion storage was a much needed solution in my sewing room after years of storing different notions in random bags, tool boxes, etc.
At QuiltCon I was able to score a porcelain pin cushion by Rashida Coleman Hale (one of my favorite fabric designers!) that stores all my pins and clips. They are a pretty hot item whenever Rashida drops a new collection so you have to keep an eye out when she drops a collection but the wait is worth it!
My sewing table is a little slick against the ceramic so to keep it secure on my table, I added a Command Picture Hanging Strip to the bottom.
I also use the same set up to secure the Stash ‘n’ Store on my sewing table that houses my cleaning/oiling supplies, seam ripper, stilettos/awls, and marking tools.
Between these two organizers, I have all my main sewing tools at my fingertips while sewing.
Fabric Swatch Storage
My local quilt shop carries almost all of the Kona Cotton Solids so often it is my go-to solid collection for my quilts.
I needed a way to be able to see colors next to each other to “audition” them before purchasing as I’m not one who can visualize two colors next to each other while on separate pages and often the lighting is not great in the quilt shop.
My solution was to cut them up using a ruler and an old rotary blade into individual color cards. I then added magnetic tape to the back of each color and mounted them on these flat cookie sheets!
I display them on a small section of my wall next to my fabric closet by using simple nails.
I also added Command Picture Hanging Strips to the bottom of the sheets to keep them flush and straight against the wall.
The best part is, they will stick to anything magnetic so I often display them on the metal bars of my computer desk while working through patterns to have as easy references of my color palette.
Quilt Top, Backings and Finished Quilt Storage
At the beginning of my quilting era, I didn’t have much of a problem finding space to store finished quilt tops or quilts since most of my quilts were made as gifts and very rarely sat finished in my home.
I still make quite a few of my quilts as gifts however, my collection of personal quilts has grown as I’ve started designing my own patterns.
Seasonal quilts and wall hangings are stored in my closet on old pants hangers as they rotate throughout the year. Since these are old hangers I don't use in my closet anymore I don't have a link to these specifically, but here are some similar hangers I found on Amazon at under $2 each.
In addition to finished wall hangings, I store quilt backings on sturdy plastic hangers in my closet as well. These hangers are sturdy and help to keep those larger cuts of fabric (3+ yards) off the shelf and organized so I can actually see what I have available...before buying new fabric.
I also have two wall-mounted rod iron quilt ladders, one in my cutting room and one in my sewing room to display finished quilts or to stage before longarming.
And a moment of honesty here, I also store many of my quilts on the guest bed in my cutting room. After all, that’s what beds are meant for, right? 😀
2025 is the year you get organized
Or maybe just a little more organized 😉 If you’re struggling to be productive in your sewing space, choose one of these areas to focus on and you will thank yourself next year at this time.
All of these storage items took some time to gather in my space and everyone’s space is different, requiring different solutions but I hope some of these ideas sparked your interest and can help fuel your creativity this year. After all, isn't that what sewing is all about?
To recap, here are the ten storage solutions I shared in this post, let me know which is your favorite!
Stash n Store Notion Storage
Wooden Pants Hangers for Small Quilt Storage
Happy organizing, friend!
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