If you’re a fabric hoarder like me, you’re probably running out of storage space for your precious finds!
I recently started redesigning the small sewing area in my bedroom. Here are the fabric storage ideas I came up with for small spaces.
Under-the-bed storage cases, bookshelves, plastic boxes, and cabinets are good for storing large pieces of fabric.
Hanging organizers and pant hangers are good for holding fabric inside your closet or over your door. This is ideal if you have no space for new furniture.
For fat quarters and scraps, compartment boxes inside drawers and drawstring bags work well.
I’ll explain the pros and cons of each option and the estimated costs below.
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Under-the-bed storage case
Estimated cost: $9 for 1 case.
IKEA makes these fabric storage cases. The largest size they have is 36 ½” x 21 ¾” x 7 ½”.
You can fold and store a lot of fabric in these, and then just slide them under your bed.
Pros:
- It’s affordable.
- It’s very roomy. You can fit a lot of yardage in these.
- It has a zipper lid, so you don’t need to worry about dust or moths touching your fabric.
- It hides under your bed, freeing up space in the rest of your room.
Cons:
- It’s hidden under your bed and not see-through. You can’t see what fabric is inside at a glance.
- It’s annoying reaching for fabric at the bottom.
- The fabric doesn’t get any air circulation.
Pants hangers
Estimated cost: $12-20.
Pros:
- They take up very little space.
- They hide away easily in your closet.
- If you only have a few yards of fabric to store, these are ideal.
- Hanging organizers are affordable.
Cons:
- If you collect a lot of fabric, these organizers won’t offer enough space.
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Hanging door storage
Estimated cost: $8-40 for 1 organizer.
Over-door shoe organizers are a clever storage idea when you’re short on space. There are hooks at the top so they hang on your door.
I think you could fit 2-3 yards of fabric in each pocket.
Pros:
- Hanging organizers don’t take up much space.
- If you only have a few yards of fabric to store, these are ideal.
- They’re affordable.
Cons:
- Heavy fabrics will stress and distort the organizers.
- If you collect a lot of fabric, these organizers won’t offer enough space.
- They stand out in a room. If you’re a design enthusiast, you might not like this.
Hanging organizers inside closets
Estimated cost: $5-7 for 1 organizer.
If you’re really short on space, here are ways to store fabric inside your closet.
This organizer has 16 pockets (in the photo, the bottom ones are folded and hidden away).
The attachment at the top will hang on any closet rod.
I think you could fit about 2-3 yards in each pocket.
Unfortunately, the pockets aren’t see-through, so you can’t see your fabric at a glance.
This organizer offers a lot more space. It has 6 big compartments. You can see everything inside at a glance.
It attaches to your closet rod using a hook and loop fastener. You might know this better as velcro. I don’t think this offers the strongest hold, so I wouldn’t put lots of heavy fabric in this.
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This narrow organizer has 9 compartments. It will use less space in your closet.
I think you could fit 2-3 yards in each compartment.
It uses a hook and loop fastener (velcro) at the top. I don’t think this offers the strongest hold, so I wouldn’t put heavy fabrics in this.
I own this 18-ring hanger and use it to store lightweight shawls.
I’d say 1 ring is good for 1 yard of lightweight fabric. It’s not super strong.
The fabrics on the bottom rings will be hidden by the ones at the top. So it’s not great for seeing all your fabrics at a glance.
Pros of hanging organizers:
- Hanging organizers don’t take up much space.
- They hide away easily in your closet. So the rest of your room will be less cluttered.
- If you only have a few yards of fabric to store, these are ideal.
- Hanging organizers are affordable.
Cons:
- Heavy fabrics will stress and distort the organizers.
- If you collect a lot of fabric, these organizers won’t offer enough space.
Big drawstring bags
Estimated cost: $16-20 for 1 large laundry bag.
“Laundry bags” are big, so you can fit multiple yards of fabric in them. The drawstrings allow you to hang the bags on a wall hook.
I like to keep 1 drawstring bag just for tiny, tiny fabric scraps. I hate throwing anything away. Once I’ve collected enough, I’ll use the scraps in a stuffing project.
Pros:
- It can store multiple yards of fabric.
- It’s portable.
- The drawstrings allow you to hang the bag on a wall hook.
Cons:
- You can’t see your fabrics at a glance.
- It’s annoying reaching for fabric at the bottom.
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Fat quarter storage ideas
Fat quarter bag
If you don’t own much fabric, this is one way to store them without buying new furniture.
The one in the photo has a plastic top, so you can easily see your fabrics at a glance.
Pros:
- It’s portable. Great for traveling to sewing class, or moving it around your home.
- Store the bag inside your closet, under your bed, or hang it from wall hooks.
Cons:
- If you own lots of fabric, it won’t offer enough space.
Drawer divider
Estimated cost: $10-16 for 1 compartment box.
Use compartment boxes to organize fabrics inside drawers. I like organizing my fat quarters by color. So that’s one color per compartment.
Pros:
- It will keep your fat quarters neatly organized.
- As your fabric stash grows, you can buy more compartment boxes for more storage.
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Book shelf
Estimated cost: $50-200 for 1 bookcase.
I use the IKEA Billy book shelf. It’s really tall and narrow, great for maximizing a small space.
Each shelf can be easily moved up or down to allow bulkier fabrics to fit.
The price is also affordable.
The IKEA Kallax unit is another popular option. The shelves are not adjustable, however.
Pros of bookshelves:
- You can see your fabric easily, so you don’t forget what you have (and *ahem* buy more of the same lol).
- It can store a lot of fabric.
- Some bookshelves are adjustable, so you can move the shelves up to fit bulky fabrics.
- The fabrics get good air circulation.
Cons:
- I’m a bit nervous about moths eating my fabric, so I try not to keep my fragile/expensive stuff on open shelves.
- If you’re using an IKEA bookshelf, you’ll need to put it together yourself. It’s relatively simple, but you’ll need a decent amount of space to assemble it and a few hours.
Cabinets
Estimated cost: $80-1000 for 1 cabinet.
Pros:
- It’s a stylish way to keep fabric out of the way. This is handy if your sewing space is in a shared room. Your family or guests don’t have to see your fabric stash.
- Cabinets tend to be deep, giving you lots of storage space.
Cons:
- You can’t see what fabric is inside at a glance.
- Cabinets are more expensive than bookshelves and plastic boxes.
- Cabinets take up more space.
Big plastic boxes
Estimated cost: $8-20 for 1 large plastic box.
You can keep the boxes stacked on your sewing room floor. Or hide them under your table, inside your closet, or under your bed if they’re shallow enough.
Pros:
- They’re see-through so you know what fabric is inside at a glance.
- They have lids. So you don’t need to deal with dust or moths.
- You can stack storage boxes on top of each other.
- They’re easy to find at your local home goods store. Amazon also has a ton of options.
Cons:
- The fabric doesn’t get any air circulation.
- It’s annoying reaching for fabric at the bottom of the box.