Monday, August 6, 2007

Toleware Monday


So I've started *actually* planning my craft room-- well, sorta. I did a scaled drawing of the
room, and I found a table at Ikea that I want. Does that count? I'm now scouring the internet for ideas on how to organize craft supplies. I received two books for my birthday on organizing craft spaces, and they were, eh, ok. I decided I want to make a corner of the room into a wrapping station as well because I have SO MUCH wrapping paper, curling ribbon, cute tissue paper that is just jammed into an unlit closet upstairs. If anyone has any storage tips or secrets they could not live without, please feel free to share.

I'm going with the silver sage green and antique red from the previously shown hankie. I kinda want to go brighter, but I really like those hankies which are more muted. I kind of, ahem, "borrowed" the idea from Jenny, but I think I'm going to take it in a little different direction. We are also looking into a new computer. God bless our 5-year-old HP Pavilion computer. It has been a trooper, and it's still going strong, but it's so darn bulky.

Ok, so to the toleware. I found an idea to take a toleware tray, mount it on the wall, then take those little flat round clear lid screw-top containers and put your teensy crafting things in it then affix a magnet on the back of THOSE (phew!) and stick them to the tray...on the wall. Get it? Now I'm obsessed with finding a Toleware tray. Here's some information I found online:

Tole, from the old French taule, refers to iron or steel in thin sheets laminated or welded under pressure. (definition from a 1910 French dictionary). From a traditional point of view, "Tole Painting", is painting on items made from this thin metal...the term "tole" is that "toleware" is a very specific kind of decorative painted, highly varnished product -- usually made from metal.

Here is one that I'm mad I passed up:



Here are a few that don't match but are very pretty!














And here's one I had when I was six years old (not exactly Toleware, but still rather charming...)


4 comments:

Sarah and Jack said...

I used to see those old trays quite a bit. I have a little stash of them in a box in the basement since I hung up my aprons instead.

Esma Studios said...

Your color scheme sounds great... I wish I had some organizing tips, but I need help myself in that area. Those trays are adorable!

Anonymous said...

Love the trays. What a wonderful Strawberry Shortcake tray :)

val said...

My only suggestion: Michael's Martha Stewart collection, she has really cool ribbon boxes to organize your ribbons, and other cute organizing boxes too.