A Crafting Coup

No, not a coop.  A coup, as in coup d'etat.  As in "to replace the deposed government with another body".  This body is taking over!  The foyer in the house, that is!  We never use the formal front door...unless entering and exiting to decorate the front porch.  We don't even have a sidewalk that leads to it.  We live in the country...there are no sidewalks.  No one comes to our front door. Ever.  So I had a dilemma and then a thought. 

I don't have much available space in our home to craft that's private and personal, except for my closet that my hubby lovingly made more usable for me last Christmas (that would be the dilemma).  I have a little sewing table that belongs to the girls (given to them by a friend) that lives outside my closet and that's it.  Nothing.  Every other space is occupied by toys, schoolwork, or little people (and some not-so-little people).

So...I had a thought...or several.  I'm taking over the foyer (that would be the coup part!).  I explained to my kidlets ever-so-nicely over lunch that in order to get some crafting done I need a bit more space.  Space that is untouched by other human hands.  I felt so selfish telling them that it's now my space and an area that is not allowed to be played in.  No more Lego missions, Barbie spa days, or go-betweens as they try to take off Darth Vader's other arm with their light saber.  Then I had another thought; we have over 3,000 square feet of space in this house, and over 150 of it is their play room. Surely I can have a teensy 48 sq. feet of it, right?  Yeah, sure, you betcha!! 

My "Inspiration Station" (a sign hung above my craft closet door) is in the beginning stages right now.  I brought down a table that was supposed to be for decoration in the upstairs hallway but was becoming a catch-all for toys and dust bunnies.  (Well actually I had a couple helpers bring it down since no one would let me do it...something about a baby bump.)  Perfect table for my sewing machine!  Here's a little sneaky peek. 

I'm planning a day trip (last one for quite a while) with my BFF to Shipshewana in a few weeks so I plan to acquire a few things there to spruce up my new area.  I am thinking of putting the girls' sewing table and machine (bottom right hand corner of the pic.) out in the play room since their craft closet is out there and they do most of their crafting out there anyway.  I'm thinking of a drop down mini ironing board in it's place for ironing bits and pieces for crafting or putting my die cut machine on it when I need it.  I plan to spray paint an old chair and make a cushion for it.  (Also lots of felt on the underside of the chair and table legs so when I need to move it, it won't mar the floor.)  Another option is to get an area rug (something raggy and country) for the entire area or for just under the desk to keep my tootsies warm in the winter.  A lamp of some sort to help with night time crafting is needed (I think I have what I need). I need to acquire some baskets, shelves, and other little do-dads to pretty it up (this is where Shipshewana will come in handy!).  So hopefully some time soon I will have a finished product to share with you!  And hopefully my kiddos will remember to play elsewhere!  *wink*