ProMarker Storage

Welcome back!

Before we begin, I need to inform you that this project is NOT my original idea. This was an idea I saw on Karen Church's blog. She makes so many different things out of Foamboard!! When I saw the ProMarker storage she had made I instantly knew I wanted one just like it.

When it came to actually making it, I found I needed different measurements as my shelves are different to Karen's. I have the Billy bookcases from IKEA and had a shelf already set up for where theses were going to go. I did some measuring and some calculating, and Himself got used as my personal 'maths checker' to check that I was going to cut at the right sizes. I knew I only had one shot at this as I had a very limited amount of foamboard left over from some display boards I was making a few months ago.

So here's how I did it:

To make ONE storage rack measuring 13"H x 4½"W x 6"D cut the following pieces:

Side panels (Cut 2): 13" x 6"
Shelves (Cut 5): 4½" x 5½"
Top (Cut 1): 4½" x 6"
Back (Cut 1): 13" x 4½"

I found cutting these items was easiest with a quiltering grid ruler and a sharp craft knife. You also need a pencil for marking up.

(I also cut a little trim for the bottom, but didn't use it in the end!)

Mark up where your shelves will go on your two side panels. I spaced them about 2½" apart. I also offset the back to be ½" lower than the front so that the ProMarkers don't fall off the shelves. Leave a ½" gap at the back of the shelves so you can fit a back panel. I marked up my shelf groove using a piece of foam board to make sure how they would fit. You also need to mark up at the top of each panel so that the top piece can be fitted later. Make sure BEFORE YOU CUT, that the side panels MIRROR each other.

Now, here's the messy bit! Using scissors, craftknife, ruler, spoon, chisel or embossing tool cut and dig out the grooves for each shelf, stopping a ½" away from the back edge. It makes a bit of a mess, but it's well worth the effort! Make sure that you LEAVE THE OUTER SKIN of the foamboard intact! Don't forget to also 'dig out' for the top piece to be fitted.

Once each shelf  and the top slot is dug out it will look like this:

 See, I've put this piece upside down by mistake, but by a happy accident it lets you see what I mean by the 'top slot'!

 Now, add in your shelves. Karen said she used a Hot Glue gun, but that it something I don't possess so I just used my Tombow wet glue. It worked a treat with no problems or issues!

Next, I took the Back Panel and marked up on 3 sides the thickness of a piece of foamboard (about ¼"). Dig out the 3 marked sides using your preferred tool as you did for the shelves.

Now put all the external pieces together! First make sure the shelves are firmly glued into position on both side panels. Next glue in the top panel and follow it with the back panel. This is what the rear of the unit looks like once it's all glued.

 And here is the front elevation, with some markers in situ.

Here's the two I made sitting nicely inside the shelf area I had allocated for them. They leave enough space for my Stampin' Up! markers too. Now all I need to do is finish 'labelling' the colours on the end of the markers to make it easier to see which colour I'm pulling out!

I'm very pleased with the result, even though I was initially worried about my maths. Maths is definitely NOT my strong point at all and I was worried that I would mess up completely. Karen's measurements are quite a bit different because she had a different sized space for them to occupy and also because she made her storage for her Copic pens. In the end I think my maths wasn't too bad and I'm very happy with the result!

Feel free to make your own as long as you credit Karen with the original idea. I know a lot of people out there are looking for suitable storage for their markers and this is an ideal solution!! Let me know if you do make one ... I'd love to see pictures and know how you got on with the construction!!

See you soon!

WOYWW 11th April '12

Good morning! I can't believe it's Wednesday already, again. These seem to come by so quick now! My friends tell me it's a sign that I'm getting older.... one even told me that "Life is like a loo roll, the closer you get to the end the faster round it goes!". My days are numbered, I fear!!

Anyway, if you're here to see what's on my Workdesk... I'm afraid you might be a little disappointed. My workdesk hasn't seen any crafting in a week! There is a good reason though as you will see in a minute. First, lets have a reminder of my little space....

Hmmmm, yes, the less said about it the better. It's cramped, cluttered, got waaaaay too untidy waaaaay too quickly. There's not enough storage and the printer keeps getting in the way. OK, this photo doesn't really show it at it's best does it? Let's get a better picture instead.... how about this one?

Oooh! That's a bit better! It's clean, tidy and uncluttered. It's had a fresh coat of paint too (although none of the pictures I took really did the colour any justice.) The only problem is.... there's no craft stuff!! Himself and I will be using it purely as a computer desk from now on. My shelves in the alcove now store my filing instead of buckets of stamps etc.

So nice and clean and pretty! So, do you want to see where I'm working now?

Here's a sneaky peek...

Ooh I'm in a naughty teasing mood! Sorry.... here's a few more photo's.

This is the sight that now greets me when I walk in the door.

The anticipation of being able to sit here and craft is nearly killing me! I haven't been able to do any crafting yet because Himself and I only finished it very very late last night... or maybe I should say very very early this morning!

As lovely as the desk is, it's the shelves that really make me happy! I can have ALL my craft stuff accessible and I've still got some room to grow! Yay! These shelves fill up the whole of one wall, and I couldn't actually take a photo of them in one go...

The left side.... and....

The right hand side!!

As you can see there are still a few things I want to do in this room. We need another office chair for the 'computer' desk. A few items that have ended up on TOP of the shelves (thank you to Himself as I can't reach up there!) I shall have to ask him to get them down for me so I can find an alternative home for them. I also want to build/find some storage for my ProMarkers as they're currently dumped in that expanding blue bin on the shelves. I have another shelf to put up in the little alcove above the buttons, I need to build/find some way of storing my ribbon reels AND I need to make some curtains. I have some fabric in my stash I just need to sit down and do it. What's the betting that there's still no curtains/blinds in 6 months time?

So what do you think of the room? I was thinking about experimenting with a little video so I can show you around personally. I've never done that sort of thing before... shall I give it a go?

Fancy seeing some desks where *real* crafting has happened in the past week? Head over to Julia's blog and have a look at some other people's creations!