How do you store your super bulky hobby?Recently I have become really overwhelmed with the visual clutter of lolita. I had the space to create an office that was themed for it but having all of it on display (similar to the image) was so overstimulating when I was working on other things.How do you stash away all this stuff safely? While I can throw them in bins, I worry about pleather purses getting crumpled or flower headdresses being smashed. I don't have the space to really box each one individually. Any interesting tips on what to look for and what to avoid?
Pretty sure this is just an Ikea closet system, but they made it cute.
One of the things ikea is good at is making good use of limited available space. Some lolitas swear by the Pax system. I store everything away from sunlight and dust by using closets/wardrobes and putting shoe storage on top of the closets. To avoid trouble with bags I store them with some stuffing inside so they don't collapse and put them in purse covers individually. This is just a thin non woven protective cover, similar to the fabric (not the plastic) used for garment covers. My storage doesn't use glass so there's no way for sunlight to get in. If you live somewhere without climate control and the humidity fluctuates or is simply pretty high then I recommend not using plastic bins with lids to store stuff in.For your flower headdresses I think you do need to store them individually or with very light weight items to prevent crushing them. I've read that you can reshape crushed flower accessories with a blow dryer but I don't know how effective this is.
>>10927856I wouldn't think that plastic bins would really help with humidity. That's interesting! I do have air conditioning and such but I live in the South of the USA so it is relatively humid. Better safe than sorry.And garment bags for each purse is a good idea. I worried that the pleather on brand bags might stick together and cause problems over time. I'll definitely use that!Do you keep your shoes in the box to keep them away from sunlight or some sort of separate storage case?For the headband headdresses I was thinking about making a little roll of fabric to latch the headbands around like you see for those displays people have (pic related) but fitting it inside of a box or crate with enough space to accommodate the poof. I know I can puff up bow headbands but it is way quicker if they never get smooshed down in the first place. And it might be a little less economical with space, but I don't have a huge amount of that kind of thing so it will probably be okay. Right now I currently store my hats in a kind of interesting way I think. I crocheted a couple rows and made a thick ribbon of yarn that goes from the top of my closet all the way to the floor and I pinned it into the wall every couple feet. Then I use cute clothes pins to pin the hats to it. You can't fit a lot of voluminous hats over each other but if you have a lot of berets it's a nice way to be able to dig through them quickly. It was kind of an off the cuff fix but I found I really like it. I think I'll probably keep it for my more flat hats and get hat boxes for my straw boaters. You could also probably just use a ribbon or braid some string for it. I tuck it around the lip of my closet door so you can't really see it from the outside unless you're looking for it.
>>10927685it's not very elegant, but i sorted all of my small items (accessories, socks, cutsews, etc) into various shoeboxes and have the boxes stored on a rack. i also use stackable hangers like picrel.
>>10927685Requesting advice on how to store larger hats and bonnets. I'd like to optimize the space a bit more. Currently just have them loose on a shelf but I feel like some sort of hooks have to be the play, right? Think boaters, large elegant sunhats, bonnets, etc.
>>10928243The hanging setup for hats mentioned in >>10928016 Does work for straw boaters/brimmed hats, but they need to be spread out more, so it might require more wall or closet space to do it. I have BTSSB boaters I have stored like that for over a year when not in use with no damage. They are the kind with just ribbon and lace on them though. I guess in theory maybe over time that might be a problem if you have a heavy brooch on it with flowers or something. Before that I just use command hooks on the wall but I ran out of space because I really like hats.
