Urban Chic Studio Shelves?

I am not a carpenter!


Not by any stretch of the imagination.

But I needed sturdy shelves on a budget.

This was my solution...a customizable fit with lots of options.

I purchased pre-cut, sanded, bull nosed particle-board shelves from a national home improvement store. They were a bit more expensive than plywood but I would have had to cut, sand and fill the plywood ones...which made the price difference worth it for me.

Then from the plumbing department of that same store I purchased metal pipe and the screw- in caps for them. The pipes are inexpensive and come in many widths and lengths.The width doesn't really matter just make sure that the cap is the right fit.



I went with thicker ones because I generally over-kill everything...I also knew there might be heavy items on the shelves...like art books.



Once you get everything home you can finish the shelves how you like...prime, paint, seal...decoupage...cover with fabric...pretty much anything you can think of. Me, being impatient...I didn't finish them. I went right into assembly.



And they are still unfinished to this day...I am embarrassed to tell you how many years ago I actually made them!

So for the assembly...a drill is helpful. Mark your holes, drill a small pilot hole, attach the cap, thread the pipe and attach the top cap...very simple. I don't recommend making it taller than table height unless you can anchor it to the wall.

As another option, I added some heavy duty casters to the bottom so I could wheel it around.

Over all they have been really useful. Through years as I have reorganized my studio I have cut them down...removed or added shelves...narrowed them and they still continue to work!

How to Store your Photo Props!

I really enjoy using props in my work photos...

but being a recovering pack-rat...it was hard to edit and store all of the items I was quickly accumulating.

I found this unit in a national office supply store and it has worked perfectly!

It wasn't expensive, is very sturdy and has adjustable drawer heights. I like the clean lines and as you may have read in my previous posts...for me, out of sight is out of mind...so the open mesh drawers help me remember what I have.

An added bonus is the sturdy table top surface it provides...great for baskets with more props or even my light box.

There are small plaques on the front of the shelves where you can attach labels...but I haven't gotten quite that organized yet!

Work in progress, right?!

Orphan Beads Bin

I often have a variety of left over beads in small quantities.
Pretty beads...interesting beads.

I find that having a small bin or in my case a small drawer right next to my work table is the perfect place to collect all of those treasures.

I love rummaging through my loose bead drawer when I am I need of that one odd focal bead.
They are all sparkly and colorful!

It is a great place to collect beads for smaller projects like earring too.

At one point I tried to separate them into size categories but that was too much work.
Now I just toss them all together and when I need something small I know to dig down to the bottom for sunken treasures!

Studio Help - Cut Ribbon Storage

I LOVE Ribbon!

Almost as much as I love fabric...but cut ribbon pieces can be a nightmare to store and manage!

I use the cut ribbon pieces for so many things...packaging an order, grouping supplies, labeling items, protecting items in transport, pulling my hair back in my office when I don't have anything else around! It is a smart way to utilize surplus ribbon...too pretty to discard and sometimes at the art store they will even sell a full bag of assorted cut ribbon lengths for $1 to get rid of extra inventory.

A few years ago while surfing online for clever ideas on how to store ribbon...I stumbled on a really useful idea. I don't remember where I found it - so I apologise in advance for that!

Just know it wasn't my idea to begin with...but I did tweak it a bit!

What they did was use a wire hanger (like you get from the dry cleaners) and loop the the lengths of ribbon through the wire like the picture above. The strands of ribbon slide together and hang so that you can always see what you have available!

I think the best part is that you can easily remove or add new lengths one at a time without disturbing the others! No more tangles, creased ribbon...or forgetting what you have.

I hung the hangers on a hook on the back of my door.

Now my newest twist was to buy a multi level hanger...typically used for several pair of pants. This way I was able to have five rungs to hang from in a smaller amount of space! The hanger is coated so it protects more delicate ribbons. I recommend that if you have ribbon that creases easily...loop it very loosely and don't pull it taught.

It is pretty and functional...I actually moved it from behind the door to a wall hook near my desk because I love seeing my colorful ribbons!