Nest & Nurture | Craft Corner Tour

 

I few weeks ago took a little Sunday trip to the West Bottoms here in Kansas City with my good friend Caley and Stella. We were on the hunt for some new (old) furniture for her home, and surprise, surprise, I ended up returning home with two new pieces. It’s like that phenomenon when you make a quick dash to the grocery store without having showered, and you run into someone you know but do not want to see braless. This happens to me all the time! So maybe it’s not the exactly the same, but that does happen far too many times than I’d like to admit. My gals and I went to the flea looking for something else, and I of naturally spotted two dream pieces I have been wanting but not exactly on the search for.  Oops. One of said items was a table for a craft area. The playroom we made for the kids in the loft was wonderful while it lasted, and so was the small craft area downstairs, but like most things with a ever-changing family dynamics, we outgrew both of these spaces pretty quick. Thus, I’ve been wanting to make a new space for creative pursuits for our family and somewhere where all of our crafting supplies and tools can live without having to take over the dining room table everyday. One day we’ll actually use that thing for supper! For now, has currently been converted into  my laundry folding station.

One evening I even tossed around the idea of turning one of the kid’s rooms into our craft/learning/home office space, but that never happened because the idea of three small children sleeping in the same room frightens me. I like sleep way too much for that arrangement. in my mind I saw a tallish piece, one that we could all comfortably sit around for art projects and homeschooling. When I saw this table with its rustic dusty blue iron base and raw wood top I knew it would be the perfect table for us in the loft where the kid’s toy area currently was. This beauty was being used for props in the antique store and was an incredibly good deal, as most secondhand furniture is. It anchors our craft area and is the piece that steals the show up here with it’s simple beauty.

With a bathroom nearby and painted wood floors underneath, this corner is the perfect space dedicated to making. I also love the built-in shelving in the wall; it’s wonderful way to store the crazy amount of art supplies we’ve accumulated over the years. The cute window in the back provides a nice amount to natural light, something that is very important for me when in creative mode. I am going to walk you through this space as if we were hanging out so you can get some ideas for a creative small space of your own! Sources will be linked as they apply, but if you have a question about something let me know. Here we go, come on in!

 

A single strand of BISTRO LIGHTS add whimsy and charm to this corner while also being a very practical light source in the evening hours when I am up writing or reading.

The HEXAGON SHELVING was made by a local KC family-run company and they are perfect for holding little things I want to keep out of reach. The ABC Penmanship print was found in the West Bottoms too and adds a bit of old-school nostalgia to this corner. I hung it up with a HANGER so no need for a frame.

This SMALL JUTE RUG adds warmth to this space and looks so beautiful against our WHITE WOOD PLANK FLOORS. I cannot get over the patina of this table. My dad saw it and said, “You gonna remove all that rust?!” Ha. No dad. We had the same conversation about my ripped jeans in high school. 😉

That little lamp was here when we moved but I took the shade off so it looks a bit more industrial. The library cart in the corner was used back in my teaching days in my classroom. I spray painted it ivory and it holds a majority of the kid’s books. The brown calendar was something I picked up at a convenient store in JAPAN believe it or not!

We like the ritual of lighting this HOMEMADE BEESWAX CANDLE when we homeschool up here. That miniature ENAMEL MOP BUCKET is from Stella’s doll drudgery set and it the perfect vessel for holding wood matches. Here is another way to BEAUTIFULLY STORE MATCHES if you’re looking for one.

I like using WASHI TAPE to hang papers, dried floral, and prints so I don’t end up making a thousand nail holes in our old plaster walls.

I found that sweet, little, wood shelf at the thrift store and it is a great holder for all of our stamp collection. The print was torn out of an old BEATRIX POTTER book I thrifted. It’s a picture of quirky Nutkin, my favorite.

The old factory stool is another relic from my teaching days. I put a WOOL SHEEPSKIN over it so it doesn’t make my bum too sore when I write. Now if this meal stool had a back it would be perfection…

I love this view of our craft corner because it shows off those gorgeous built-in’s that we are utilizing for art supply storage. Each and every one of those baskets was thrifted for pennies. They make the perfect homes for smaller things like crayons, stamps, wool, and paper. Our EASEL is a great place for Stella to practice her letters and the backside is a dry-erase! The IVORY METAL STOOLS are a bit on the short side, but we already had them from a smaller table that broke and they work well if the kids kneel or stand.

More GLASS JAR STORAGE up here too! I found these at Walmart and Hobby Lobby (during a 50% off glass sale!) for cheap. They are not as well made as the vintage ones, so make sure to keep that in mind if filling them with anything hot. I love that you can see the contents inside so I filled them with our colorful art supplies.

We have a fun little STAMP COLLECTION that the kids enjoy using when we send pen-pal letters.

Several of you have asked about our schooling situation, and it’s a bit untraditional. We do Waldorf schooling both at school and home. We love the WHOLE FAMILY RHYTHMS for some of our home-based crafts.

I love the look of raw, untreated wood in (mostly) white spaces because it gives a sense of character and coziness while maintaining simplicity and minimalism. If you are wanting to simplify a space but are afraid it will look and feel too empty and cold, try adding more raw natural elements to warm things up. Dried flowers, wood elements, and natural fibers do the trick. MORE IDEAS ABOUT WARMING UP YOUR WHITE HOME HERE.

Almost all of my vases and jars have been found various places secondhand. Our PAINT BRUSHES look pretty cute propped up in there alongside the feather my friend gave me. I usually buy my jute string at the hardware store and my CHINESE IRON SCISSORS are great to craft with.

That bright green succulent in a basket adds a bit of life to this space sitting next several books and that jar of pencils. I am always gaining glimmers of inspiration from Shel and our HOMESONG BOOK CLUB.

I moved my FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGE up here as a reminder of what’s good and true. That SALMON & LOX CARD makes me happy, and so does Stella’s art work. We hope to fill these walls with all of the kids’ creations.

Here are a few more of our favorite craft items: PORTABLE PLANT PRESSROVING WOOL,  COLORED MODELING BEESWAX, and MORE.

That BASKET is filled with seasonal books, right now they are KID BOOKS ALL ABOUT SPRING. The vintage wood crate is great for holding our larger books and watercolor paper. The ABICUS helps with counting and early math.

Here’s a final view of this corner with the bistro lights off and the natural light pouring in. I hope you enjoyed the tour! Let me know what questions you have. xx Amanda

Here more ideas on how to NEST and NURTURE your home. 

  • anna - so glad to finally see this awesome space! thanks for sharing and i love to see how your creativity is expressed throughout your home! here’s a random question – do your jute rugs have those gummy dirty spots where the jute is fused (i assume this is why its there)?ReplyCancel

  • anna - so glad to get the scoop on this awesome space! i love to see the objects you find and how you use them – a creative process in and of itself! here’s a random question – do your jute rugs have those gummy dirty spots where i assume the fibers are fused? yours look like they don’t but mine from ikea do ;(ReplyCancel

    • anna - sorry for the double post! thought the first didn’t work – oops!ReplyCancel

  • Jennie - It looks lovely! What a calming and organized space in which to create.

    Squirrel Nutkin is my favorite too … what a wacky little guy! I also always liked Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb the “two bad mice.” I wonder what this says about me? 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Kali - Nothing better than a lovely spot to get creative. And organized art supplies. Nothing better than organized art supplies! 🙂 I think I’d better go clean out my office!ReplyCancel

  • Ashley - I love this little space! You always have such creative ways of storing and displaying items. It’s great inspiration! 😉ReplyCancel

  • Eda - it was worth waiting for this post 🙂 love your little creative nook! having a corner, where you can store all the supplies AND create art is so cool, lucky you! xo, edaReplyCancel

  • Olga - Super cute space! I love every detail! The scripture quote is my favorite.
    Love,
    OlgaReplyCancel

  • Melinda Peterson - So beautiful. You don’t happen to have that scripture in PDF form do you? I love it.ReplyCancel

  • Elizabeth - I am in love with your space! Thank you so much for the tour and inspiration! My little one is only 13 months old, but I am already envisioning a beautifully curated art space such as this!ReplyCancel

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