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Why a Shed is the Perfect Place for Crafts

28th Feb 2013

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love crafts. My personal favourite is knitting, but painting, sketching, making jewellery and sewing are just a few of those popular with my friends. It has recently occurred to me that, no matter what craft you’re into, the backyard shed (if properly taken care of, of course!) is the perfect place for these kinds of hobbies.

Why? Well, there are lots of reasons actually – I’ve outlined what I think the top factors are below.

1) It’s ok to make a mess

One of the best reasons to practice a craft in the garden shed is that it’s a rare space where it’s ok to make a mess. For instance, you might not be comfortable letting loose with a large canvas and a selection of colourful paints in the middle of your lounge, but splattering paint in the shed is another matter.

Yes, if your house is large, you could dedicate a room in your home to your hobby – but it’s unlikely that you will feel as carefree about the chance of making a mess as you would in the shed. Plus, it can simply be nice to have somewhere to practice your hobbies away from the main house, which brings me on to my next point.

2) It gives you a dedicated space for your hobbies

If you live in a house with your family or several friends, having your own space where you can enjoy your hobbies is a real advantage. By using the shed, you will have a room where not only can you get on with your craft uninterrupted – and therefore be better able to concentrate – but you’ll also just have somewhere you can go to get away from it all and relax. Having a room of one’s own, especially, those sheds with porches could make you feel like the modern version of Virginia Woolf.

3) It can be great for storing big projects and materials

Of course, devoting your garden shed to crafts has another advantage, in that it can act as a place to store larger projects, as well as materials. That said, I feel compelled to add that if you do want to keep bits and bobs in the shed, it’s vital that said shed is in good condition (you don’t want your paper getting damp, for example, do you?) and that it’s secure.

You should always make sure any outbuildings are secure, you can do this by buying steel building kits so you can ensure the security yourself, however, the level of security you need can also depend on what you’re storing inside. For instance, if you are keeping pricey equipment or prized finished projects in there, you’re likely to want to invest in higher-quality hasp and padlocks, as well as security lights and alarms from online companies like Livewatch.com.

4) The more the merrier!

There are other ways you can use your shed to enjoy your craft. For instance, if you like crafting with other people, you could use the space as a place where you can get together and all work on your individual projects – or perhaps a collective one.

Of course, this depends on the size of your shed, how many friends you’d like to invite and how much space your chosen craft takes up. For example, two or three people painting on large canvasses are likely to need more room than six people getting together for a spot of knitting and a glass of wine.

5) You’re free to decorate it how you please

My final reason for thinking that sheds are the perfect places for crafts links back to my first point, in a way. While you’re free to make as much of a mess in here as you like, you have a similar freedom to decorate it how you please.

As such, there’s plenty of scope for really making the space your own. So, not only will it be a haven for relaxation, but you can also transform it into your ideal room to get creative in – whether that means bright colours or a bare, basic look.

Typically, wooden sheds are the most aesthetically pleasing, as well as being the easiest to decorate, so if you are thinking of buying a shed especially to do crafts in, this is probably the best type to go for.

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