STOP Buying These For Your Craft Room || IKEA Organization

IKEA is such a fantastic place to find all kinds of organization solutions for your craft room. But, there is one very popular storage unit that I just can't get behind. In this video, I want to let you know why I think you should avoid purchasing the Kallax unit and what I would recommend instead!

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[kathielightfoot]

I love my Kallax. I bought clear storage containers for refrigerators that have handles and lids that can be stacked and pulled out like a drawer this way I use the whole cube area with no wasted space. I also have clear containers for taller items that fit perfectly. I also have the billy bookcase. What I don’t care for it is that it’s not as deep as the kallax. But I do want to say that I took extra time and searched a lot for containers that would work with the kallax and for my craft needs. I opted for the cheaper unit but spent the money I saved on the individual containers to maximize horizontal and vertical space. I also drew diagrams of all the furniture with measurements and thought out where everything was going to go before purchasing the furniture for my craft room. I did buy some of the white plastic inserts for theKallax for things like tools that I didn’t want displayed. Which makes it great to just pull out and set on the floor next to my work station. I watched over 50 craft room videos before I dove into this project. I think the thing to do before buying anything is to think about the crafts you do and making stations in your room. Then think about the best way to organize each station. It took me a long time to do it this way but it was worth it. Everything has a home and my craft room looks organized. At least it does when I’m not crafting. 😂 But you do give good reasons why the Kallax may not work for others. It just happens to work great for me only because I figured out what each cube would hold before I ever bought it. And what containers would work in each cube.

[castebner]

I have been a big fan of the Kallax for 12+ years now…it was called the Expedit way back when! I have a 4x4, a 2x4, a 1x4 & (2 ) 2x2 (one is in the closet) in my craft room. I’ve added 8 sets of drawers to the 4x4 Kallax…these drawers are great! I personally have never had an issue with these units not being functional and easy to organize.

[thedomesticfox]

I have one of a kind pieces in my craft room. My Dad made my 8’ desk and 4 matching 8’ shelves for my walls. They are heavy duty - loaded with supplies that are sorted into smaller totes and drawers which can be changed to any configuration I need. Mostly functional - I don’t “decorate” my craft room because it is a tiny room and I need the space for supplies. Besides…supplies can be inspiring when I am in the mood to create. And I can honestly say no one has a room like mine… 🤷‍♀️

[jenniferquinn]

I work for IKEA and love your ideas in this video. I personally have the HEJNE shelving solution x3 in my craftroom and love how open it is - when something is hidden in a drawer I don't use it. Another design series that would be excellent for crafters that you haven't mentioned is the PAX wardrobes. They come as just the basic doorless box of a wardrobe and you can add products from the KOMPLEMENT series to...compliment (!) and customise it to suit your needs. They come in 2 depths as well as 2 heights so you can really maximise your space.

[ourcreativebeehive]

Depends on what you do. I sew, crochet, knit as well as paper crafts. So, for me the Kallax are perfect. I store fabric, yarn, patterns, ribbon and trim plus more in mine.

[JenniferPerryMyScraproom]

I adore my Kallax units. I have 3 in my scrap space. We made a paper island by putting 2 back to back and adding a desk top. And for the 3rd unit I love the drawers that you can add because that is how I save all of the ephemera from year to year until I am ready to scrap that particular year (IE: Family 2020 - Family 2022 ect). I really thought about how I wanted my room to function before we built it out and I think that is the key to a successful room.

[charlenetorres]

The Kallax unit seems great for 12x12 paper storage. But when I had to chose a storage unit for my tiny craft space, I went for chrome shelving on casters. As much as I thought I wanted the Kallax unit, I realized it would not give me the functional use of space that I needed. Thanks for sharing as always 🌸

[elamtabernacle]

I totally agree ... there are so many ways to organize your craft supplies ... I converted my formal dining room into my craft room/office and I did not want to get rid of my mother's hutch so I purchased clear bins and trays from target and they work beautiful in it ... I think we as crafters can be creative with our organization ... thanks for sharing.

[bernadette]

When I was designing my craft space in our new house, I looked at lots of IKEA options. In the end I went for lots of Alex drawers supporting table tops to create 4 main work zones. When we moved into the house I discovered I also had two book shelves that didn't have a place anywhere else and have adjustable shelves. I agree with you that Kallax shelves can be quite restrictive and the tubs are large, I tend to use such shelves elsewhere in my house like for the kids' toys and school supplies, but I would find them frustrating in my craft space. Some of the shelves you showed are new to me and I liked the versatility of them. I will come back here when the old bookshelves in my craft space need replacing. The other storage I find frustrating is shelves and cupboards near the ground. Items get lost towards the back and with ankle, knee and back problems I can't get down there. So shallow shelves and drawers are the thing to consider long term as we age 👵

[gillyslikejillysart]

I have several kallax in my studio. Very strong shelves, especially to hold 12 × 12 albums. Also very versatile for standing or laying on sides. I am really pleased with the inserts they are making for them, as I am finding this to be a better solution for small storage. I agree with wasted space too, but am adapting new ideas all the time to accommodate.

[carolhodgkinson]

This was really helpful I retired and set up our middle bedroom as a sewing/craft room I utilised furniture/storage I had or have been given/purchased secondhand. With lots of stackable large boxes. Basically I have done very little in this room as there’s too much unusable furniture in there which offers very little good storage and I can’t find anything . So I’ve asked for money from husband and help to redesign my sewing room so it’s usable for me. I have been thinking Kalamazoo because sewers rave about them . However my space needs to be functional for me to do what I like to do so you have given me greater ideas that fit into what I want . Thank you for your honest review I’m going to ikea but to look first then home to measure plan and make sure then back to ikea with hubby to check out it will all fit as my ideas are great but not the measuring 😂.

[happinessloveschaos]

I started scrapbooking in 1999. When we bought a home in 2001 and I was so fortunate to have my own scrapbooking room, my husband had units made for me. They didn't really have units for crafting at that point, so he asked me about measurements and such & before I knew it, we were moving these 6 and half foot tall units into my space. I did go to Ikea for containers and a table that worked for me. I still have the units to this day as well as the metal file box containers and table and LOVE them. Each one has a two-sided cabinet with doors, which are 4 feet wide in total and shelves that I can adjust or remove, if need be, 4 drawers that fit 12X12 paper, and 9 drawers for various things such as punches, embellishments, stickers, etc. I have 4 of these. On the top, I use the space for ribbon, flowers, and other loose embellishments that I store in glass canning jars. We have moved since then and had quite the time unloading them for packing, but it was so easy to do with it all organized in labeled containers. From time to time I have to re-organize and purge things I am not using but having a room that I keep neat and organized has been such a wonderful thing. It keeps me crafting and enjoying what I do.
I guess what I am trying to say in a long drawn out way is that everyone has a vision and you need to enjoy the space you created. Thank you so much for posting this and giving an honest opinion on what you think.

[thechickincharge]

If you use them correctly and label them clearly they are fabulous! I am a visual person who needs to see what I have but I was given these three large units for my craft area and you are right about how they can become a black hole in space!😱 I am in the process of clearly labeling all 24 bins and am enjoying them greatly. I also love that you can get half sized bins at Walmart to go in them so you get a glimpse of what’s inside. They also make acrylic ones at many stores so you can clearly see, if you don’t mind the busy look it creates. If used correctly they are priceless no matter where you buy them. (Mine came from Target) Having a Cricut makes labeling fun but Dollar Tree has some awesome chalkboard style large tags and you get six for $1.25! I am using them with my Cricut and white vinyl. The 13” square of the bins is fabulous and I even have bottom bins that hold my scrapbook papers standing up neat and organized. They work great with other bins too, like decorated boxes that hold smaller items much better. Like I said, I was gifted all three units and even though they don’t let me ‘clearly’ see what’s in them I have fixed the issue!

[sandrasavia]

Great ideas and very helpful. I am struggling with how to organize my small craft room and am not sold on the Kallax yet, but from all my research so far this is has looked like the best option. I appreciate your suggestions as I do like the idea adjustable shelves. Thanks for making this.

[mistyduke]

This video was so helpful. I am looking for better storage for my craft room and I was leaning toward the Kallax because it seems so popular. But your right about flexibility to move shelves around. Thanks for sharing. 😊

[judyelliott]

I have a wall of 30 Simply Tidy Modular Cubes from Michaels. Each cube is 16 x 16 and comes with one shelf. The shelf can be placed in one of 3 positions and you csn purchase extra shelves, drawers and doors. The cubes can be attached to each other to be more stable. At $25 a cube it was expensive but I bought 2-4
at a time over several months time. I love it! It holds scrapbooking boxes, bins or baskets, mDesign clear plastic storage, Brightroom (from Target) bins and many other things. They are sturdy and you can also buy casters for them.

[shaunna]

Seriously? I have 4 Kallax units and I Love them! My space is much more organized Because of them. They are so versatile- I particularly love how nicely the Kallax drawers work so you don't have too much stuff in the bottomless pit of the bins that fill the entire space of each cube. Larger items store nicely in the bins, smaller items are held neatly in the drawers. It's a well thought out system that can be used in many imaginative ways.

[kreativeReise]

I had kallax units for a long time but never really loved them...they are perfect for 12" paper... that's it. I plan a room make over and decided to choose kitchen cabinets - because the drawers come out totally - at the moment I have Alexes and it always makes me nervous that I can't reach the supplies which are in the back. Ikea also have many great items for getting the most out of your space in kitchen furniture. So many things which are also helpful for craft supplies.

Greetings from Germany...

[kimmerrock]

I love my kallax unit I have a 4x4 unit and i also have 2 - 2x2 ones. I am lucky i have a very handy husband that modified all of them to my exact desire of shelves or divisions within the cubes. I have varying depths of shelves or divided spaces it has been perfect for me. I do understand that having the kallax unit as is is not handy with out some modification, but I am fortunate for my hubby to have made my units fit my specific needs with the ability to change them if need be too. Thanks so much for some great tips!

[barbarap]

I agree that we should be able to use craft room furniture in multiple ways. I am always reorganizing and adjusting my supplies...these are also ever changing so the storage needs to be also. I think you're right in that the bins that go with the Kallax units are black holes. I need easy to find, easy to put away. Different sized labeled boxes on the kallax might work better