By Julie on January 7th, 2024 This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
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Do you know what will keep you from your sewing and embroidery projects? A very unpleasant sewing environment. When you have a cluttered and poorly designed sewing room, it’s hardly a place you want to be. So what is the best sewing room decor to make your space feel welcoming and productive?
In this post, I’ll share some of my own sewing room decor tips. These strategies helped me to convert a small room in our basement into (what my kids call) my “happy space.”
What are the best tips for improving your sewing room decor?
Get organized
A pleasant sewing room environment begins with good organization. Easier said than done, right?
My sewing room decor improved once I took stock of what I wanted to see and what I didn’t want to see and then finding the means to make that happen. For example, for a long time I had a small laundry basket sitting out which is where I dumped half finished projects. It was located in a fairly prominent position in my sewing room, so it was the first thing I saw every time I walked into the room. Being reminded of the projects I didn’t finish (and probably never will finish) was a total buzzkill. So, I designated a new spot for these unfinished items. They now reside in a bin that sits on top of a high shelf, so I’m no longer faced with it on a daily basis. I’ve also cleared off the surface on which this laundry basket rested. Win-win.
Other products, I do like to see. Having a visible spot for frequently used tools such as scissors, seam rippers, disappearing ink pens, scraps of stabilizer, etc makes me more efficient.
I think that a pegboard is a great solution for keeping these frequently needed items visible. Peg boards are fairly inexpensive and you can get a multitude of hooks and baskets that clip right on to serve your various needs. I use small bins and hooks for tools. I also hang my useful scraps of stabilizer and interfacing in ziplock bags (with a hole punched in the side) from hooks plugged into my pegboard.
Another organization hack I’ve discovered is to store large rolls of stabilizer on rolls mounted on my wall using craft paper dispensers. Buying in large rolls helps you save money on stabilizer. And, mounting it on the wall makes it easy to find.
I know everyone doesn’t have the luxury of having a dedicated space for sewing and embroidery. But, if you do, why not paint it a color that makes you smile? My sewing room is in our basement and if it were not painted a bright orange color, it might feel like a dungeon.
Not everyone likes the orange walls though. In fact, my dad told me that the color “made him want to puke.” But guess what? I spend a heck of a lot more time down there than he does and the orange really makes me happy.
Get a comfortable chair
In the days leading up to Christmas a few years back, my sister spent hours in her sewing room sitting in a cheap chair. And, unfortunately, she paid the price throughout the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. That chair gave her a pain in her back and neck so severe that she vowed never to use that chair again. A comfortable sewing chair doesn’t have to be expensive! But it will surely make a difference in your comfort and sewing room decor.
Integrate ample work surfaces
Yes, I know, you may be working with limited space. But it’s no fun cutting out fabric on the floor. There are many creative ways to add work space without encroaching on your overall square footage. For example, you can have a table on wheels that rolls under another table. While this may require some leg height adjustments to make this work, it’s a fairly easy hack. Another option is to install a table that folds down from the wall.
Use your thread as sewing room decor
Call me crazy, but I love the look of all my thread spools on thread racks and ledges mounted on the wall. It’s colorful and fun. Plus, it keeps all my thread visible and easy to find. Yes I do know that by storing your thread in a rack or on shelves allows it to collect dust. And, dusty thread is not great for your sewing and embroidery machines. But I can’t resist. It looks too good. Plus, I feel that if I stored my throat in a plastic container I would never put it away. And, I do always wipe it off before putting it on my machine. Check out some other clever ways to store your sewing and embroidery thread.
Hang up art you like
Hey – if it’s your sewing room, you can pick out whatever art you want. I put pictures on my sewing room wall that don’t require buy-in from my spouse. For example, my framed needlepoint duck that I made as a kid is one of my favorite pieces of art in that room. Big props to my mom for framing it for me!
The floor in our basement is tile which is perfectly appropriate except that it can get quite cold, especially in the winter. Having a throw rug in my sewing room takes a bit of the sting out of walking around in bare feet. Plus a colorful rug lightens up the space and introduces some fun color.
Another advantage of having a throw rug on the floor of your sewing room is that you can pick it up to shake out all the pins. You can’t do that in a carpeted room!
Integrate entertainment
I have to admit, I’m a lot more inclined to spend some time in my basement sewing room if I can watch the latest Dateline or Bachelorette episode while I work. In fact I got an Amazon Fire tablet specifically for this purpose. The screen is larger than my cell phone so I can easily see it while I’m ironing or keeping an eye on my embroidery machine. I can also use it to access Spotify to play some tunes or listen to a Podcast. It helps to have a small Bluetooth speaker or some AirPods so that you can actually hear your media while all of your machines are running.
Add a seating area
Ripping out stitches and removing embroidery is not fun. But. it is a heck of a lot better when you are doing it in a comfortable chair and listing to some good music, a podcast, or some trashy TV. If you have the space, invest in a comfy chair and position it in front of your entertainment system. With this cozy setup, you’ll look forward to ripping out stitches.
Integrate good lighting
It’s not fun sewing and embroidering when you can’t see! Good lighting will immediately improve your sewing room decor. Change out your old halogen bulbs to bright LED ones and marvel at the difference it makes. Plus, you’ll be saving money in the long run.
Don’t forget to add some more directed desk lamps directly over your machines to help you see what you are doing.
Oh and if you are of a certain age – a magnifying lamp is truly the bomb. I love this one from DIME.
Display pictures of your loved ones
Of course I have to have some pictures of my kids on my sewing room wall. Pictures of your love ones are some of the best sewing room decor because they remind you to actually get out of your sewing room every once in a while.
Ready to improve your sewing room decor?
A few improvements to your sewing room decor will go a long way in motivating you do some sewing and embroidery. I hope you have found these tips to be helpful.
Good luck!
xo
Julie
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