Crafts Organizer

Woodworking

Overview

It is not enough to have a plastic bin the keeps beads separated from bracelets. Any creative task requires tools that inspire and connect the artist to their work. This organizer is not just a practical solution for keeping materials in order; it's a heartfelt creation that will serve as an enduring companion for generations.

Role: Designer and Builder
Timeline: May-November 2022
Tools: Saws, chisels, pencil, paper, hand planes, etc

Research and ideation

My grandma loves to make heart shaped necklaces, friendship bracelets, and even special bows that go on every Christmas present. To keep all of her crafting supplies organized she uses a plastic bin from Target. This bin takes up precious space on the table, the walls of the compartments are flimsy, and it cannot be disassembled into only the necessary compartments. I wanted to create an organizer that was:

1: Aesthetically pleasing
2: Takes up space vertically
3: Each compartment can be used individually

Meeting these criteria doesn't require reinventing the wheel. Since clothing dressers have met all of these criteria for centuries, I opted to make a miniature dresser optimized for crafts.

Prototyping: Design and Decisions

The overall design for the organizer. Sliding drawers, custom heart handles and solid hand-chiseled joints.

Size: An organizer is supposed to reduce clutter without taking up room. Standing 12" tall and only 4" deep, the organizer extends vertically without compromising space on the table.

Drawers: Each drawer is completely removable, allowing for each one to act as its own separate tray, increasing versatility.

Joinery: All for corners of the main frame as well as the top three drawers will use dovetail joints. Each part of the organizer will be separated by dado joints embedded in the frame of the wood itself with a stepped-dado joint to connect the back panel.

Hearts: My grandma absolutely loves anything with hearts on it. Making each handle in the shape of a heart will be all the difference for this piece.

Construction

Wood Selection: Black Walnut

Black Walnut is a hardwood known for being workably and string. The ideal wood for the outside frame of an organizer.

Cutting The Joinery

Both the dovetails and dado grooves were cut with nothing but chisels and saws. No machines needed.

Testing the joints

One of the many benefits of cutting joinery by hand is the ability to test fit everything together with friction alone. Test fitting ensures everything fits snugly.

Gluing the Frame

Glueing is always a tricky step. Here each corner and the back of the frame are glued together with a dozen delicately placed clamps.

Making the Drawers

Each drawer is made from solid roasted curly maple wood with hand-cut dovetails. The bottom drawers have front panels that cover up the joinery on the edge of the frames

Finishing the wood

From left to right:
The back panel with a fresh coating of varnish.
A piece of curly maple after a layer of varnish. The tape on the ends leaves the wood uncompromised for later glueing.
All of the drawers stacked together and drying.

From top to bottom:
The back panel with a fresh coating of varnish.
A piece of curly maple after a layer of varnish. The tape on the ends leaves the wood uncompromised for later glueing.
All of the drawers stacked together and drying.

The Final Product

The final result. A concise but detailed little organizer built to last through the years.