In collaboration with Harveys Furniture.
Are you a hoarder of little bits of string, ribbon and buttons? I am. I’ve teamed up with Harveys Furniture to bring you my quick and easy storage solution – a custom sized small storage box to store crafting bits and bobs on my craft desk. The whole project can be completed in less than half an hour.
You could even use these as gift boxes during the upcoming holiday season – why not fill them with a selection of home bakes or chocolates, or even a selection of crafting supplies for any avid crafters in your family.
Introducing… The Craft Desk, as it is currently known.
I picked this desk up around 16 years ago at the Harry Hay’s Auction in Lerwick, Shetland. It cost me a grand total of £10 and it has been a much used and loved addition to my household ever since.
It’s gone through various guises – office desk, study desk, craft desk, and, recently, the place where our daughter shoves all of her drawings and then hides the mess by closing the lid and hoping no one will notice desk.
Whatever it is, it’s ultimately a handmade vintage writing desk with drawers big enough to store all sorts of things. There’s the ‘Things that stick things to other things’ drawer, the ‘Paper’ drawer, the ‘Paint’ drawer, the ‘Sewing’ drawer, the ‘Letter writing paraphernalia’ drawer, the ‘Electronics’ drawer. You get my drift.
That bottom right hand drawer is just big enough to store all the 59 ml Crafter’s acrylic paints I bought when I was feeling creative and painted our staircase in a Fair Isle knitwear pattern (check it out, honestly, you’ll like it!). There’s over 70 of those paint bottles in that drawer with loads more room for brushes, etc.
The desk was in desperate need of sorting out.
Insert arty shot of my DIY origami wedding bouquet to break up the text. This was made from reclaimed fencing wire burnt in our village bonfire during the annual Bonfire Night, upcycled sheet music and old buttons. A rather effective result, no? It’s still going strong after all these years even though the kids/cat keep knocking it on the floor and binkling the edges of the flowers.
Recently Harveys Furniture, a UK company specialising in all things for the home, got in contact. The challenge: create a 2-3 minute long craft tutorial video highlighting the theme “Small Spaces, Big Ideas.” Oh, and you have one week to do it in. Be as creative as you want.
Grin!
My husband and I have recently branched out into making videos. We’ve made a few pretty awesome ones in the past, but we’re really trying to up our game in the video department, and to have free reign in creating a craft video tutorial – well, we had a whole lot of fun with this project. One idea led to another, and then the next thing you know we’ve made a really wacky craft video tutorial! Don’t just take my word for it. Watch our video below, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Given that our living room, where the craft desk is located, has a distinct distressed vintage/steampunk theme we thought we’d do the same with the video. Rest assured that my England born husband does not sound like he does in the video narration in real life – he was just getting into character, and I think it totally works.
If you liked our video please do subscribe to our YouTube Channel – we’ve loads more videos in the pipeline!
I made five of these little burlap/hessian storage boxes to organize all my little crafty bits and bobs in the space available under the shelves in the writing desk. When it comes to buttons and ribbons I am a hoarder. I never throw out the ribbons on boxes of chocolates (that red tin on the shelf is my button box!) and that meant that the sewing drawer was an absolute disorganized mess of bits. Now, everything’s in a box, easy to find, and our Cat’s Protection rescue cat, Izzy, has a new place to observe the world from and the kids have a cleared space for homework/crafting.
My new storage solution came in handy pretty quickly. Madame was heading to a birthday party and the fancy dress she was wearing didn’t fit her in the waist as close as she’d like, so I rummaged through my ribbon box and found two lengths of coordinating ribbon to make a tie in the back. Mum win!
HARVEYS FURNITURE SPACE SAVING COMPETITION
Harveys Furniture want to hear your creative space saving ideas. They believe that small spaces needn’t cramp your home style, so they want to hear what tips and suggestions you have to make the most of small spaces.
To celebrate ‘Small Spaces, Big Ideas’, they’re giving away a Cargo Hartham Dining Table and four matching chairs – perfect for dinner parties! Simply pop on over to their website and enter! No purchase is necessary.
For more home inspiration you can find Harveys Furniture on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Search the hashtag #HarveysBigIdeas to see what other folk have been up to!
In the meantime, here’s the written instructions for our craft tutorial, just in case you fancy making your own!
DIY Small Storage Box Craft Tutorial
Ingredients
- 0.5 metre hessian fabric aka burlap
- 1 ruler
- 1 fabric scissors
- 100 metres extra strong thread
- pins
- sewing machine
- embellishments if desired
- fabric glue if using embellishments
- 5 inch square heavy card optional (for the base)
- 0.25 metres cotton fabric optional (for the base card)
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Instructions
- Cut your fabric into a six inch wide strip.
- Measure and cut out a 6 x 6 inch square base.
- Cut four sides 6 inches wide by 5 inches deep.
- Cut two handles 6 inches long by 1.5 inches wide.
- Fold over the top edge of each of the sides with a quarter inch fold and straight stitch into place. Zig zag over the bottom edge of the fold to keep the fabric from fraying.
- Pin two of the sides to opposite side of the base, right sides together and straight stitch leaving a 1/4 inch gap from either end.
- Pin the seams inwards towards the centre of the base and straight stitch them in place. Zig zag along the bottom edge of the seam. This provides reinforcement for the base and prevents fraying.
- Repeat with the other two sides.
- Pin each of the box corners together, taking care to line up the upper outside edges of the box. Straight stitch in place.
- Turn the box right side out and pin along the outside edge of the corners for reinforcement. Straight stitch.
- Make your handles by folding each side over 1/4 inch and straight stitching in place.
- Pin the handles to the opposite sides of the box and stitch into place.
- Embellish as desired. Fabric glue could be used to stick on any decorations.
- If you want extra reinforcement, cover a 5 inch square piece of heavy card with some cotton fabric (use the fabric glue to fix it in place) and place in the bottom of the box.
Disclosure: this is a paid post. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe (and craft!) stories.
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Have you made this craft?
Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagram and Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!
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Beth @ BethinaBox.com
Oh, this is an absolutely awesome idea! I’m bookmarking this for future reference. You never know when you are going to need to DIY something like this!
P.S. Your desk is amazing too! 🙂
Megan
Great post. I thought your cat who was in the pictures was pretty.
Laura
Your hessian boxes look fab and Izzy looks comfy now she has that desk to sit on!
Holly Kay
It’s amazing you keep using this vintage desk. I liked the storage boxes, they are so cute.
Blair Villanueva
Thanks for sharing this diy. But i couldn’t help admiring your wooden chest, so vintage i love it!
Gonzalo Casas de las Penas
Loved the youtube timelapse! My sister does the same kind of little timelapses except with the portrait she does of people! She posts it on Instagram and people seem to really love them!
Littlebandme
I won’t lie… i clicked on this because of the kittie haha.
I absolutely love those little bags/boxes
You are SO talented
Nayna Kanabar
I love craft projects and this one looks so good. Great to keep these boxes in drawers for keeping every thing neat and tidy.
Rhian Westbury
I think having a craft area is such a good idea and I can’t believe you only paid £10 for the cabinet x
Leah Lander-Shafik
I love that you got this for a tenner! It looks so good! the drawers are just a brilliant addition. I would like to say I would try to make these but I know I wouldn’t do it. However it’s worth knowing and going back to if I do change my mind x
LaaLaa
£10, it really pays to visit auctions, it’s a beautiful craft desk. Your video was amazing lol, very entertaining, you and your husband did an amazing job. Your craft boxes are so good! Very handy with a sewing machine!
Lyndsey O'Halloran
I love these! Something like this would fit really well in my house
Ravi Roshan Jaiswal
Hi Elizabeth,
You have done very well and I praise your making idea of small storage boxes. This is gorgeous in look too. This is suitable for organizing the things nicely. Seems like you’re perfect in creative work.
Watching your video tutorial of making the storage box was awesome. Finally, I have saved it to try later. Including this video in this post, you made easy to understand better of making the storage box. Sounds like you’re expert doing such work. This is really hilarious and I’m so excited about it.
Couldn’t hold myself to share it on my social media account. Since I liked it. I’m sure people love to make it.
Thanks for sharing.
– Ravi. 🙂
Ana
Loved your video! The storage box gives a neat look and everything looks so organized!
CourtneyLynne
Omg just love these!!!! I need more storage in my house so I might just have to make these
nicole
It all seems very organized and nice!
Elizabeth
Thanks Nicole, I try! 🙂
Divya @ Eat. Teach. Blog.
Oh my gosh, this whole desk is adorable. Very well done!
Elizabeth
Thank you! 🙂
Molly Kumar
These look so easy to make and would also make a great gift box too. i also love the origami wedding Bouquet as I’m obsessed with Origami.
Elizabeth
Thanks Molly – I thought the origami was a rather effective technique for a budget wedding bouquet! Plus, you get to keep it forever!
Sheri @ A Busy Bees Life
The desk looks great. I love when I see how crafty people make something that looked somewhat blah so much better in creative ways. I am not crafty so I envy anyone who can do lots of DIY tasks.
Elizabeth
Thanks Sheri 🙂 I bet you’re craftier than you think you are – everyone has their own skill set – give it a go! 🙂
Gurki | My Blogging Adventures
Love it. I need this so bad. I am a hoarder of small little things especially because of my crafts.
Elizabeth
What kind of crafts do you make? These little storage boxes are perfect for organizing little bits and bobs 🙂
Janine Good
How ingenious! Those storage bins look lovely on the desk. Your cat is also quite adorable!
Elizabeth
Aw thanks Janine 🙂
Aish Padihari
Love the pics. They look so rustic and classic. And thanks for the tips. Having two boys, I need a lot of storage.
Elizabeth
Thanks Aish 🙂
Valerie
I think I’m going to need the furniture and the bins. Those are too cute.
Elizabeth
Thanks Valerie 🙂
Julie Maloney
Leave it to me to giggle with joy seeing your cat up there. I have a few friends who are really into crafts that this would be great for, I’ll pass it along!
Elizabeth
I know, cats, eh?! They just perch ANYWHERE! 🙂
Devina
Not very craftsy but I LOVE this desk! It’s gorgeous and to get it for such a steal! The bouquet it so unique as well!
Elizabeth
Thanks Devina – I do love my craft desk!
Rachel
I love this and I absolutely adore the arty shot of your DIY origami wedding bouquet, just stunning x
Elizabeth
Thanks Rachel! 🙂
Stella
I like the storage boxes idea. That is a fab tip.
Elizabeth
Thanks Stella!
Lucy Parissi
Not sure what I love more – your amazing vintage desk, your house decor or that nifty storage box. It all looks totally amazing. As for your videos they are getting more awesome by the day! Hugely impressed.
Elizabeth
Aw thanks Lucy! We really do enjoy making these videos as creative as we can!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
Love this video! These storage boxes are a great idea and I love their rustic look.
Elizabeth
Thanks Jemma 🙂 I do like the rustic look (it helps all the stuff the kids have broken fit in nicely with the ‘theme’!)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Oh my god Elizabeth, I am totally in awe of you these days! I love everything about that video. You and your husband make a great video team 😀
Elizabeth
Aw shucks Becca, thank you! 😀
Angela Milnes
This craft storage desk is so lovely. I love how practical it is the old fashion nature of the desk. The containers are great too.
Elizabeth
Thanks Angela – I’m quite pleased with my crafting desk too. 🙂
Nikki
I love the little handmade bouquet. It is really effective!
Elizabeth
Thanks Nikki 🙂