Looks like you are really getting things set up nicely and organized!

Hmmmm - maybe I should move a trailer on to my property! You really have things looking good!! I bet it feels good to have everything in one place all organized.

Looking great.  I bought a label machine from Office Depot or Staples (can't remember) for the small stuff. One of the best purchases I've made. Handy for everything.   For big containers, I used the stick on mailing pouches and printed labels on colored paper to insert in them.  The in between ones were the hardest, LOL.  Finally just printed on colored paper and stuck them inside the drawers/containers.

I wanted to update this thread as I've recently rearranged my workspace area. It's not all that different from my old one, which I posted previously in the thread here:
http://puppetsandstuff.com/community/index.php/topic,6217.msg55649.html#msg55649

I thought I'd add some more info though, along with the pics.


IMG_7492 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

As you can see, not much has changed in terms of layout, I've gotten rid of the set of drawers on the left (see my original pics earlier in thread) and instead used the drawers as scrap bins.


IMG_7489 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

I have four sets of plastic tubs that make up the left-hand side 'desk' area, and as explained previously used the 'lid' from a puppetry bench - it's just MDF - as the desktop. As I get rid of old stuff - mostly fabrics - I'll use the tubs for storage of shadow puppets and the top right tub is currently full of shadow puppet bodies I've been cutting out. In between the tubs and the desk are a couple of shadow puppet screens and a stereo which I'm planning on getting rid of. On the makeshift desktop are two drawers-come-scraps-bins, one for fabrics, one for plastics/cardboard. To the right of those is a box of old shadow puppets that I'm hoping to get rid of/sell off.


IMG_7488 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

The main desk is surprisingly being unused at the moment - more on that in a second - but on the left I have a file for patterns/prototype pieces of shadow puppets; some 'inspirational' pics and prototype shadow puppets on the wall; a tin for pencils, etc; some packets of joints and my business cards; a desk lamp made out of polypropylene; and some plastic containers that are for beads/reels of cotton/brads. Underneath the desk is another plastic tub of stuff and a bag of fabrics; a powerpoint extension. My stool is there too... it's covered in a plastic bag so the cat doesn't claw it to death as he is want to do.
You may also notice a long piece of balsa wood: I was hemming 3 metres (several yards) of fabric and was using the balsa wood as a ruler to keep my hem straight.


IMG_7485 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

However, there came a problem with my previous set-up and that is the two white desks do not fit comfortably together. The desk against the wall has a cupboard on the right and if pushed right up against the other desk, can't open. There's a small gap between the two desks and it annoyed me because it's wasted room. So I did something about it: I took apart the 'puppetry bench', which is conveniently built for such purposes... but kept a small section of it. The bench was designed to have shelving, so I have half of the bench tucked into the corner. It's hard to reach the bottom, but the mid and top shelves are storage for whatever. I have a box of stuff to sort through, and on top I have some snacks and a small shadow puppet screen.


IMG_7483 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

The right-hand desk has been the largest change. Before it was mainly a dumping ground for projects I've been working on or things I'd planned on using but never got around to it. Well, I've removed everything from there and made a better use of the space. The bottom shelf houses a range of items I use for 'School of Puppetry' purposes or other smaller items I plan on using sometime soon. On the right of that shelf is one of those drawers, within it are all my hardware tools (drill, hammer, etc) and electronics (hot glue gun, etc).

The shelf above that has items for shadow puppet rods (wire, dowel, etc), and a box with glues and paint cans. To the right of that I usually house my sewing machine, but it's being borrowed at the moment and so I've temporarily stored teas and cordials there

On the top of the desk is where it gets more interesting.


IMG_7484 by puppetsinmelb, on Flickr

When my new shadow puppet materials turned up - lots of sheets of polypropylene - I found they are very floppy and really need a flat desk space to be stored. So the brown paper is actually the polypropylene packaging. As it turns out, it also is ideal for any photographs/filming that I'll do for patterns/tutorials/etc. I find that any photo on the white desks comes out looking grey and unprofessional, the brown paper makes it look 10 times better. This is why I am temporarily using this desktop as my main workspace: and you can see I'm currently working on a marionette tutorial. The odd-looking embroidery hoop is a makeshift stand because I'm attempting to learn tambour embroidery:
http://embroideryaddict.blogspot.com.au/2008/08/chain-stich-in-tambour-work.html
It requires both hands to make the embroidery, so a stand is necessary.

The whole area is as neat as it can get... however if one were to walk into my bedroom, one would be smacked in the face with the stuff I've removed from the workspace I can barely walk around in there...

Another idea I saw on Pinterest (love that site) - use skirt hangers to hang fabrics (not for huge amounts).  I also bought some pants hangers (the kind that hold 3 or 4 pairs on different levels) and put my ribbon spools on them. 

You have everything so tidy. I have such a mess most of the time.

I just got back from Container store.  Was having a hard time choosing between clear bins or solid. I like to see in the bin to find things faster, but it looks messy and annoys my husband.  I have mismatch of plastic bin colors that look messy too.  So I decided on the clear bins on metal sheves but I will make a curtain around the shelf sort of like a flat clothes bag with a beautiful quilt so my husband and I can both be happy. I can unhook it when I work and it can be art when I am not.

A teacher friend of mine used holiday wrapping paper to cover her cardboard storage boxes for seasonal items. She put a high shelf around the room and they were so pretty.  She didn't need labels because she could tell from the wrap the season.  The kids loved it.  It made me think about how much happiness or anguish we get from the things we have to stare at all day. I want to stare at things that lift my spirit.

I get a lot of storage ideas from the magazine "where women create." Now, obviously it is geared towards women, but there are a lot of great ideas. I will take pictures of my studio (once I tidy it.) I converted my living room room to my work area so it is out in the open. I wanted to use something other than those big plastic bins. So I use a lot of antique things for storage. Pictures to come.

@Snail - I use red/green plastic containers for all my Christmas storage, orange for fall, etc.  When I get ready to pull out seasonal decor, it is so easy to find. 

I went to an estate sale today and purchased some more organizers and a great metal shelf/cart.

I love the Container Store.  I recently went there and purchased containers to organize my refrigerator and freezer.  It's amazing how much easier it is to see what is there when it is organized.

I finally got some pictures of my workroom(s). I have 2, one for cutting and gluing foam, the other for everything else (and other projects as well.
The first four are the sewing/fabric cutting/finishing area.
The unit with red, yellow, and blue bins are where I store eyes.  It has bins on both sides. The clear plastic units have a variety of items; yarn, boas, etc. The large units on the right are filled with puppets that I have cut out, but not sewn.
The units on the wall with the sewing machines have thread, velcro, and other items used in sewing.
The last two are the foam room. The two wire shelf units under the glue box/table are the Elfa ones mentioned earlier. I found them at a garage sale for $5 each. Also got the wire cubes at garage sales.

I am not finished organizing, but it is getting there.  I have black plastic on the windows, great for when I am working with blacklight materials (and a 4' blacklight mounted on the wall). Hopefully some curtains one of these days. 

The biggest problem I have had is that I start with a particular type of storage unit, and when I want to add another one, I find it is no longer made.  This happened with the big units. I started with clear ones (2 bins per unit). Then I could no longer get those, and had to go with the gray ones. The next time I wanted to add I had to buy them in 4 bin units.  Now (6 weeks after I bought another one) I found the clear ones, this time with 2 bins and a drawer.  Makes things a little difficult to organize.

Love your ideas