And It’s Done! How I Created My Yarn Studio For Under $150

Yes, you read that right. I have a new, gorgeous yarn and craft studio and it was created for less than $150.

First, before and after photos:

Amazing, I know.

So here’s how it happened:

•$61 went toward flat white paint (which I researched and found to be the best for all the photos and videos I’ll be taking). Valspar brand.

TIP: Did you know you can use white soap or toothpaste to fill in holes in the wall? I couldn’t believe it myself when my sister told me to grab some soap for the walls, but it works. You just rub it into the holes and then paint over. You don’t even have to let it dry really. I was shocked.

Before soap and after soap:

•I bought many items at yard sales and thrift stores, which added up to the rest, with the total coming in just under $150 (paint included).

Without listing every single item, here’s a quick summary of some of the things purchased along with their pricing:

*Rug: $2
*Another rug: $3
*Shelf and rod supports: $2
*Modeling heads, shapes and body: $8
*Clamp lamp: $1
*”Halibut” baskets: $5
*2 cream blankets: $7.99 ea
*2 big pillows: $4.99 ea

Etc.

•We found a shocking amount of amazing stuff at the *ahem* dump transfer site. *cough 

I may or may not have dumpster dived. Dumpster dove? Hmm. This is getting far too embarrassing. 😀

No, but seriously, we have a transfer site locally where people put items they think someone else might want, but are too good to throw away. So you just go pick it up free! We’ve found blankets, sweaters, an office chair, the wicker chairs, my new rocking mini-me-sized cozy chair, baskets, craft paints, gallons of Valspar and Behr paints in the whites and cream colors we needed for the furniture, shelves, the table by my cozy chair, a trunk and tons more. All free, free, free!

We took it all home, plopped it into the yard, soaked it all in Dawn dishwashing liquid, scrubbed it with a brush and sprayed it with the hose.

And next to that area are the actual dumpsters and we usually scoured those and only actually reached in if we saw something amazing. Okay, okay, I leaned into one, but never actually got into the dumpster. I cannot say as much for other members of my family. 😉

It was quite hilarious really; we were going to the “dump” everyday there for awhile and we began to see and meet “the regulars.” And then it hit us, WE were the regulars too. If we had any pride, it is now GONE. 😀

When I say WE, I mean moi and my sister Dena, of Girl Next Door Decor, who basically designed and decorated the room herself. I stood there most of the time exclaiming, “It’s impossible to ever finish! Why are we even trying? It will never get done. There’s simply too much stuff. I have so much yarn… Which project should I make next? I’m hungry. It’s cold! We’re not done yet.”

And she would reply, “Just grab one thing and put it where it goes.” Sometimes even that would overwhelm me, but I kept plodding through. Needless to say, it DID indeed get finished. And I realized decorating and moving are most definitely NOT my specialties. I’ll stick to crafting/knitting/crocheting/dyeing/spinning.

Also my brother helped a bunch, by building a platform for my lounge area/couch thing and installing some shelves. He also took us to the dump most days and allowed us to use his tools.

Other family members pitched in as well and really now that it’s over, I can look back on the experience with fondness. 😀

•Other Tidbits

The long cubby which everyone loves, was actually already in the room, if you can believe it. We just painted it with some “oops” Valspar paint we bought for $2.50 and some dump paint.

The other two cubbies which are stacked on top of each other, I already had. They were black and the cloth cubes were turquoise. All was painted with Igloo white paint from the dump.

So there you have it. How to create a yarn studio for under $150!

My sis has created a page with her take on the whole project, and you can see that here.  Also, you can see more photos of the room on my facebook page here. Remember to like my page if you want to keep more up to date with what’s happening! I try to post several times a day there.

So now that the room is done,  this means I’m going to be shifting more now into yarn dyeing, new color creation, running sales, limited edition colors, etc. It’s GO time for me. And I love it. I am so excited to get my hands into my work and create gorgeous yarn and roving and other fibery goodness for you. Perfect time of year for it too…it’s definitely fall here already, in North Pole and the holidays feel just around the corner. The leaves are yellow and falling, it’s in the 50’s and 60’s outside, the rain is pouring… 😀 Hmmm… fall colorways, anyone?

So I hope you enjoyed these photos and tips on how I created my yarn studio for under $150… I’d like to know your thoughts!

What do you think? What would your ideal studio look like? What tips do you have for yarn organization?