How I Setup a Wreath Shop in My Garage
Setting up an efficient and inspiring wreath making workspace and wreath shop at home is essential for productivity and creativity. Transforming a garage into a functional craft area is a practical solution that maximizes space and keeps your home organized.
It’s crazy to think, I originally posted this 10 years ago and so much has changed since then. But, you know what hasn’t changed? There are so many floral artists that are just getting started and this is a great place to start.
It is wonderful to work from home and to be here for the kids when they get home from school. However, sometimes the transition from work to family life can be more difficult. Plus it is much easier putting off housework to go make pretty wreaths.
Back then my workshop had no heat or AC, the garage door was insulated but not the exterior wall. It was still okay, I used heaters and fans to help control the temperature.
How to Set Up a Wreath Workspace and Shop in Your Garage
Here is a walking tour video I made showing you the different zones of my wreath shop:
1. Designate Specific Zones
Organize your garage by creating dedicated areas for different tasks:
- Work Area: Set up a sturdy table or workbench where you’ll assemble your wreaths. Ensure it’s at a comfortable height to prevent strain during long crafting sessions.
- Storage Area: Install shelves or storage units to keep your materials organized. Clear plastic bins are ideal for storing ribbons, ornaments, and other supplies, allowing you to see contents at a glance.
- Photography Area: Designate a well-lit spot to photograph your finished wreaths. Using shadow boxes and reflective surfaces can enhance lighting, resulting in professional-quality photos.
This was my work area. I had a wreath easel, hot glue, and all the necessities I need to design. You can find instructions for making a table top version of a wreath easel link here. I keep containers full of seasonal flowers that I change out as the season does.
2. Optimize Storage Solutions
Efficient storage keeps your workspace tidy and materials accessible:
- Shelving Units: Use large shelves to store clear plastic bins filled with ornaments, ribbons, and mesh, sorted by season or holiday. Store wreath forms on top shelves and mesh on bottom shelves for easy access.
- Drawer Units: Invest in storage drawers for smaller items like tools, glue sticks, and embellishments. Stackable drawers can save space and improve organization.
- Ribbon Storage: A rotating shelf organizer can keep your ribbons sorted and within reach, making it easier to find the perfect trim for your wreaths.
3. Create a Comfortable Environment
Since garages can be subject to temperature fluctuations, consider:
- Climate Control: Use portable heaters or fans to maintain a comfortable working temperature. Insulating the garage door and walls can also help regulate the environment.
- Lighting: Ensure adequate lighting to reduce eye strain and improve precision in your work. Natural light is ideal, but supplement with bright overhead lights or task lamps as needed.
4. Maintain Organization
Regularly declutter and organize your workspace to enhance efficiency:
- Seasonal Transitions: Clean and reorganize your workshop 3-4 times a year, especially when transitioning between seasons. This practice keeps materials relevant and accessible.
- Tool Accessibility: Keep frequently used tools within arm’s reach, and store less-used items in labeled bins or drawers.
5. Safety Considerations
Prioritize safety in your workshop:
- Ventilation: Ensure proper ventilation, especially when using adhesives or paints, to maintain air quality.
- Fire Safety: Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, particularly if you’re using hot glue guns or other heat tools.
By thoughtfully setting up your garage as a wreath-making workshop, you create a dedicated space that fosters creativity and productivity. An organized and comfortable environment not only enhances your crafting experience but also contributes to the success of your wreath-making endeavors.
I hope I was able to give you some tips for organizing your own craft room space. Let me know if you can think of a better way to organize mine as I’m open for any and ALL suggestions.
Happy Wreathing,
Julie
Julie, thanks for the tour. Love seeing how you organize your crafting area. Sadly my space is not as large as your, but I have a craft room and also use my kitchen bar and dining room area. It works out pretty good. I try(lol) to keep my supplies stored in clear plastic bins. They are pretty well organized at the start of a project, but not so much by the end!!!! I will try to incorporate some of your great ideas into my program. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks again for the tour.
Hello Julie, it is so nice to see others work areas. My husband would die if I took over his garage.(LOL). He said he had a dream that I did just that. So, he built me a shop 16×16 with an attic. And I have out grown it. I am now reorganizing and still do not know where I am going to put everything. I work in my shop until after dinner then i relocate to the kitchen, some nights until 4 am. But like you said, it was nice to be here for my kids, and now that my adult son is in a wheelchair, he really needs me at hand. However, I did get some more great ideas on doing a few things different. I guess this year I will add another 16×16 addition. I will have to post my work area, I think I have more flowers then Hobby Lobby.
Thank you so much for the tour.
Where did you buy your revolveing tool stand . I also paint i have been looking for something like this.
Harbor Freight. It was $20. You can purchase online too if you don’t have a store near you at Harborfreight.com. I thought it would look cute painted a bright color too but just don’t have time.
I bought some meshes, wraps and ribbons from http://www.papermart.com/HOME last Christmas to decorate my tree and now I am left with the remaining stuff. I was wondering if you could share some tutorials with us about making a wreath than I could use that stuff to make a beautiful wreath.
Hi Julie,
I thought it was interesting to see how you store things. We are very similar on our thought process. I don’t do this as a work from home business. I have just done it for fun over the years and made them as presents and done a couple of booths. Since people didn’t seem to want to pay what the wreaths were worth around here, I just kept to it for myself and friends, along with doing them as gifts.
I have taken the deco mesh empty rolls and come them up into different sizes to help store my picks and tools in for more stacked organization. It was a way to recycle some of what I use and helped me get more stuff in less space.
Thanks for sharing your stuff.
Elizabeth
Great idea! I use the large tubes the ornaments come in from Hobby Lobby to do this too. Great idea though and thanks for sharing your tip!
That’s a great idea for the empty rolls!! Thanks for sharing!!
Julie, Thanks so much for sharing your space. I also appreciate the updates you do for those who purchased your e-book. You have really encouraged me. Thanks so much! Praying for many blessings and much prosperity for your family and business!
Awe thank you!
HI Julie ,
Wow , you really do put a lot of stuff in a very small space. You are and will always be my hero!!! I wish I could give you a big hug for all you do to help all of us .
It’s amazing what you do each and every day. I know the Lord is your guide as he is mine so I know you are constantly smiling and praising the Lord for all the gifts he has given you.
You are incredibly talented and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your gifts with us.
Yes I’m very blessed and give Him thanks and Praise daily. Thank you!
WHAT A GREAT IDEA. I NEVER THOUGHT TO DO THAT, BUT GARAGE IS FULL BUT I LIKE THE IDEA ALOT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS VIDEO.
Thank you for the tour,I am 74 years olds and I just started to make the wreaths and now I can not stop,I am a snowbird in fl for now in April I will be going back home upstate ny and I. Have wreath for all seasons to show my kids and friends.thank you so much
Greetings Julie,
I been a follower of yours for a year now and I must say that your “hands” have been trully kissed by God with such a graceful and loving talent that has touched the heart of many as your wrapping, curling, swirling, gluing, smiling and loving us through each strand of color , fabric and thread. Thank you a true precious southern charm.
With warmest regards,
Yvonne
Awe thank you Yvonne!
Where did you get the shadow box lights? I cannot get good pictures of my wreaths. Thank you for sharing.
Online at backdropsource.com
I love your wreath shop its very organized. It looks so fun, great that you are doing so well at your craft. I enjoy making wreaths, my mind just goes wherever I want.
Thanks for the tour
Hi Julie,
Just like your other readers and followers have said, I love, love, love your work. I noticed that some of the ladies mentioned all the help you give them. How does this happen. How can I get in the “loop”? Jody Perry
I help them through the forum of my ebook, http://www.learndecomeshwreaths.com Tons of great information there.
Julie,
First I would like to thank you for your e-book and website. I have a couple of questions
1. I’m having a hard time finding orange, coral, teal,Salmon ribbon and also more college and pro football ribbon.
2. What would you suggest to help get the word out about the wreaths?
Again thank you for all your hard work!!!
Julie, thank you so much for the inspiration and knowledge you have shared. I feel so blessed that I have been able to make these beautiful wreaths. God has opened this door during a difficult time in my life, and I thoroughly have enjoyed coming up with new wreath ideas. A local gift store in my area is selling my wreaths, which has encouraged me even more. Thank you again.
Beth
Thank you so much Julie. I am so excited at how much I am learning from you and all the incredible ladies on your forum, I so wish that I had all your talent. God bless you so much and please keep up the awesome work!!
Thank you very much Julie.
Julie, Thanks so much for sharing your work space with us. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me as I’m spending time this week reorganizing my craft space and supplies. I definitely picked up a few good tips from your tour. You are such a talented lady and I thank you for taking the time to share that with others.
I was wondering where you buy all of your mesh and wreath work from and do you buy it in a bulk or Lot … I love all of your awesome videos i just wasn’t sure if you have a website that you buy your stuff
Thank you so much for your help
I list all my vendors (over 100) in the forum of my ebook, http://www.learndecomeshwreaths.com
The most important thing that you did not mention are your rubber mats. These are great when standing for long periods of time on concrete. You are one talented lady!!!
Oh you are SOOOOO right!! I wish I could afford to do the whole floor!! I purchased these at Home Depot and I’ve seen them at Tractor Supply too.
Ladies, I was just telling my husband about how giving Julie is. She truly blesses us all with the information she shares and ‘gives’ away. Others are interested in making money even though they purport they have been blessed by God and thank Him every day for their blessings ($s) and want to share their talents (however, we pay for it if we want the knowledge). I really have a great deal of respect for Julie because she’s, I think, kind of like me and many of you, in that I/we don’t have a lot of $’s. That makes me respect what Julie is doing for all of us that much more. She is a giver. Thank you Julie for your loving kindness and generosity.
This truly brought me to tears. Thank you, thank you Sandra! I very much needed this message this week.
Hi, I love your work! You are really talented. I like the fact that you give God the glory for your talent! I was wondering where you got your easel that you put your wreaths on while you work.
I love to makwreaths! I have a building that I am working on getting it set up to work out of. All my wreath making stuff has taken over my house. Thank you for all the tutorials and helpful ideas that you give.
Thank you!
Maria
hi Julie
Where do you get all of your embellishments?
Hey Tracey, Thank you for visiting my blog. I purchase them from all over really. I love Hobby Lobby for signs and ornaments, Carolina Pottery and Sims Pottery for ribbon and flowers; to name a few. I list over 100 vendors in my ebook, http://www.learndecomeshwreaths.com.
Where do you buy your boxes from.
I buy locally from a manufacturer but you can purchase online at staples.
Thank you so much for sharing usally craft rooms I see they have a petty separate room . And i also work from my garage and I got some great ideas thanks. I try to balance my family stuff and with my things from the shop in the garage. And I also live in the state of Nevada and the garage gets petty hot in the summer that’s another thing I have to work on.
I’m glad you found it useful! It gets really hot here too. I use fans for now but hopefully one day I can install an AC unit.
Thank you so much for all of the info you have passed along. I am retired but still need some income. I’m thinking sbout creating wreaths, swags, garlands, etc, anything to do with mesh and ribbons. I LOVE to create and love when I make people happy with them.
Unfortunately, I give away most of my creations and now realize that I could supplement our SS by selling things.
I also love that you are a Gamecock fan! That’s the first thing I spotted on your fridge in the garage!
I live in Charlotte NC and don’t know if I can heat or cool my garage enough to work but I am sure I can come up with a solution.
Thanks again.
Loved the tour, gives me hope that for now since I’m not going to be able to hold a real full time job for a good a while (just found out i have cancer) and I’ve always enjoyed working with flowers, ribbon, ect. I might be able to still contributed to my family and have something to make myself keep going. Lovin your whole blog thank you
Julie
I love the video. I had known you worked in your garage but for some reason imagined it perfectly set up with everything stored in some state of the art way that was perfectly neat and orderly. It is very orderly but seeing it makes you more normal and me to. For me being creative gets messy. And like others have said it can take your house over. I clean up after every project or wreath and get it back in order but my world is full of box’s I’ve wrote on so I can find stuff, all stacked where labels show in one of my spare bedrooms. The other spare bedroom has shelves of mesh and other supply and I work in the living room. All I can say is it’s a good thing my kids are grown and I’m single. You have inspired much of my creativity and now that I see I’m pretty normal and there is no easy way to store it all I feel even better. You are extra and above the rest with talent and I love your work. So glad I found you to learn from. Thank you so much.
I thank you so much Julie for sharing all your tips on basically everything! We, are blessed to have you in our lives. I definitly switched to all clear plastic tubs with snap shut lids,Mice sneak in the clear zippered bags I used(the ones comforter sets come in) I couldn’t believe it one day when I took out a bag securly zipped…only to find that mice had actually shredded my silks to make cozy nests! though an expense i couldn’t afford to replace with all clear tubs…I did…now my beautiful silks are well protected!
A suggestion…If you have even a small window in your work room…Window air conditioning units come in all sizes and are fairly reasonable in price.They come in all sizes too.