How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by StiqPuppet Productions on Nov 02, 2008
.....Puppetlady wanted some ideas on organizing your puppet studio/space and I love to find creative ways to store and organize stuff.  I have provided some pictures of my studio and will highlight areas that organize weird items......here are the pictures......
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1st pic....In the first picture you can see that I store my roles of foam so that light doens't get to get and start truning it yellow.  I also store my foam sheets flat on the top shelf and other small tools, workshop presentation materials, fabrics....I use dollar store storage containers as you can see to organize them all.  In the closet as well I also use large paper tubes (carpet roles, large paper roles, ect....cut down into a smaller and larger size glued together) to organize my metal rods and dowels and other stick materials that I use for puppet making.  I also store many of my patterns that I make in my closet....I punch a hole at one end of the pattern with a whole puncher and I got one of those metal rings that you can open and close and put the patterns on that and I have a hook high up and hang them from there.  This is really good for long pieces and it keeps them flat up and out of the way.
On the side wall you can see Ikea child storage units.  These are the best find for a good price to organize.  This is were all my puppet making materials are stored and each area is labeled.  I try not to exceed the containers ability so this keeps things from getting out of hand.  I have everything from an eye ball container, to feathers, to noses each container has a purpose for the puppet maker.  the long middle one stores all types of fur and my Antron fleece.....this one is pretty stuffed. 

2nd pic....This one pretty much explains itself.....the sewing machine and table, spools of thread on the wall rack...a specialty build iron board attached to my sewing table....under the sewing ledge is a place to store my PVC puppet making racks (you can see them all white) for when I need them.....and above is my storage rack for the puppets I practice with on a regular basis.  (I have another one in another part of my house with more puppets...I want to add another rack to my room below this one to put more up in this room).

3rd pic....... This is my main workbench that I can work at either standing or sitting on my stool.  I have a place for common tools to be easily accessible with a couple of magnetic knife holders on the wall.  I store tape with a stand alone paper towel holder you can see on my bench.  I got at Micheal's a rotating holder for all my smalls tools and cutters and pencils ect.....it was a bit pricey but I used a 40% coupon which brought it down to a very reasonable amount.  You can see part of my bookshelf that fits just under this table and holds puppet related DVD's and books.  As you can see I have rulers on the wall for using I used a Ikea kitchen large utensil hanger to hang them.  I had to use a drill to make the hole large to hang them but I love that they are out of the way but easy to grab when I need them.  Some smaller workshop puppets that I made I store on an old candle chandler hanging from the ceiling with dowels glued in each hole.  Again out of the way and a nice way to display your smaller work. 

4th pic......this one is pretty easily explained as well.....I have a table with adjustable legs to make it able to adjust so that I can stand to do my work...or use a stool if need be.  I covered half of the table with plastic since this is my gluing area.....I then can rip the plastic off and replace it when it gets to ugly looking.  I have a couple of Deremel tools one for small drilling and the other set up for sculpting foam or cutting stuff if need be.  I then have my band saw for cutting plastics/wood whatever need to be cut out, even foam shapes ect..... Under the table you can see part of a white storage container for scrap booking paper storage I use it for storing tubing, small pattern pieces, wire, clips ect.....and a dresser for fleece for my workshops and scraps of Antron fleece.  I still have left over storage for stuff that I may need to add.  For the puppets on the wall I used another candle holder with 4 holders but this one hangs on the wall. 

Not shown is an airbrush station but is located in the laundry room because it is a little messy and it is something I don't use all the time.  It is simply a table with a back splash around it and a airbrush set up. 

Well there you have it many ideas on storage for you space I hope others will share there's.  I love to organize and find creative ways to make it work.  I find when creating if you have everything at your finger tips then it makes the process easier and flowing.  That was my main focus with this room is to make things flow and enjoyable as I build. 

Daryl H
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by Billy D. Fuller on Nov 02, 2008
Daryl
How much would you charge to help me get that organized................... I would love a area like that. My little 12' x12' building is full. My Bedroom is now part office,bedroom,and storage work area.
You could be Martha Stewerts right hand man.

Billy D.
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by StiqPuppet Productions on Nov 02, 2008
Thanks Billy. I am Martha's long lost brother, Micheal Stewart. 

Daryl H
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by dutch puppet on Nov 02, 2008
Hi there Daryl,

Nice workingspace you have there. I'm jealous of all the supplies you have. Guess that's something that growths over time... I just noticed my box with materials is also getting fuller. Bought six meters of nice covermaterial...

Greetings from Holland,
Dutch Puppet
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by lovable puppet pals on Nov 02, 2008
Wow!  I love it!  If only I had a room for puppet building!  Right now, I've got a table set up in my living room!  LOL
Sara
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by puppetlady on Nov 02, 2008
Sweet workshop Stiqman!  I'm printing these photos out! 
Is that a tiny little iron resting near your ironing board?  Very cool, looks like it can do good detail work. I like the magnetic strip for tools.  My tool drawer is a mess!  This is perfect!  Do you know where I can get a magnetic strip like that?  Putting plastic down in the glue area is a good idea too.  I end up getting glue on my self healing cutting board because it is near my glue gun.
This workspace not only looks functional but attractive as well.  Eye candy!  I'll post pictures of my workspace too AFTER I clean it up a little better.
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by puppetlady on Nov 02, 2008
Another question for all:
How many puppets is too many?  I'm at a point where I either need to sell or give away puppets or find a new way to store them.  (I like Stiqman's wall rack. perhaps wall racks.)  Right now I have 16 and I don't even puppeteer!  My house is very playful in colour and feel so I can decorate with them, but if I put them in public areas than kids play with them (which is OK for some puppets and with some kids and not OK with others.) Any ideas?
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by tsu on Nov 02, 2008
Hah, stiqman, you've got everything there! I've got only a little top left after an old cupboard that I put on the carpet to cut the foam on. :D
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by StiqPuppet Productions on Nov 02, 2008
Thanks everyone, I feel like I pretty much have a full functioning room for my puppet needs at this time. 

Puppetlady....I got the magnetic strips on a board from a kitchen store....these are actually made to hold knifes in a kitchen but I use them in my studio.  It is a tiny iron that I got at a quilting shop it meets my needs for the little work that I need to do with puppets as well as small clothing.  The puppet holder for the big ones is a PVC pipes and a thinner board and 45 degrees PVC elbows they are really easy to make.  The only expensive things was the circle cutter for the drill.  But once you purchase it, it will last you a life time. 

I hear you about a mess if you saw the same studio this morning you would think that a bomb went off in it.  I just finished a week ago two large puppets so I just leave things where I put them especially on the finale crunch of time.....however it is back to the pictures now in about 20 minutes.

You are asking puppet people how many are to many?  We are a little bias on this. LOL

I would say if you have the storage to store them out of the way safely go crazy.  If you feel they are clogging up areas of your work place or to dangerous due to animals or kids to be around then you need to build an organizer up and out of the way.  I have about 13 in my collection however I am getting ready to build for a show of mine which will add more to the collection very quickly.

Thanks
Daryl H
Re: How to organize your puppet studio/area...... Posted by miguel on Nov 02, 2008
hi, there! nice work puppetshop place.

I just work in my livingroom, and my storage box is small. Ans the puppets I made are inside in a loandry box, and others inside my closet. I don't have saw machine, i do it by hand. Good to have that space to work, and the time and materials and tools that this kind of art needs. Anyway I do it.

Congratulation again, nice!

Miguel!
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