During the project, I kept a continual eye on expenses, but didn't have the time to micromanage every single purchase that was made for the rennovation. We ended up going slightly over budget, but the craft room was finished on time and the new space was totally worth the investment.
$5000 might sound like an incredible amount of money for a craft room remodel, but when you consider the current cost of sewing machines and fabric, this actually isn’t a huge investment.
Quilting Comparison Costs
Let’s take a look at some comparison figures just for fun! $5000 can buy you a really nice table mounted longarm sewing machine. The Tiara II, HandiQuilter Sweet 16 and Juki 22000 all run between $5000 - $7000 depending on the sales being offered.
$5000 can also buy a fairly nice embroidery machine with small and medium sized hoops. It can also purchase a very high end sewing machine with hundreds of decorative stitches and a very big throat space for piecing and quilting large quilts.
If we break down the cost of fabric, at an average price of $11.99 per yard you can purchase 417 yards of fabric, which seams like an incredible amount, but have you ever actually kept a count of how much you purchase new each year?
The point here is to understand the relative cost of sewing and quilting. It may not seem like you’re spending a lot of money, but the cost of fabric precuts, tools, and other new gadgets does add up.
What if instead of investing in more and more fabric, you instead invest in a wonderful space to play with that fabric?
That is the mentality I’ve approached every renovation of my quilting studio – the investment is worth it if it means my sewing or quilting experience will be more enjoyable, efficient, and with less strain on my body.
Over the years I’ve made continual small investments into my quilting space. Adding better lighting is always a great investment because if you can’t see, you’re not only potentially messing up your project, you’re also destroying your eyesight.
Crafty Cottage Cost Breakdown
So how much did the Crafty Cottage actually cost? $5520.00. A final tally of all the receipts and created this cost breakdown:
| Prebuilt Shed including delivery: $2620 | Insulation: $416 |
| Wood and Hardware: $955 | Electrical: $720 |
| Paint: $128 | Carpet Tile: $281 |
| Misc Expenses (brackets, curtains, etc): $128 | Lighting: $272 |
| Total: $5520 |
There are many ways this project could have cost more or less. If we had needed a contractor or electrician, this would definitely have increased our budget. By doing the work ourselves, we were able to save money and get the project completed more quickly.
Power of a Beautiful Space
Now that the craft room is complete, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to walk out back, flip on the lights, close the door, and relax in my special space.
I've been sewing clothing since high school and making quilts since I got married in 2005, but I've never had such a beautiful, well-lit space to work in. The investment was completely worth it and I know this will dramatically increase not only my productivity, but also how much I enjoy the process of making quilts.
For many years I've just "made do" with what I had. I once sewed garments professionally in about 6 square feet of space squished next to my bed. I've overcome the challenges of quilting in a low-ceiling basement with awful floors. I know what it means to make lemonade from a lemon of a work space.
But the thing I've learned the most from this experience is there comes a time when you need to stop trying so hard to make something work and just BUILD IT RIGHT from the ground up.
Whether it's converting a prebuilt shed to a craft room or remodeling a room in your house completely - your craft, your time, YOU are worth the investment.
I hope you can see from this series of articles that it doesn't have to be a huge, expensive project. My new craft room is actually smaller than a typical bedroom, but it's more than big enough to do what I need - piece and quilt beautiful quilts and film great videos.
That's it for the Crafty Cottage remodel! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this project. Creating this new craft room has completely transformed my ability to teach online and to have a private, quiet space for crafting whenever I need it. If you don't have your own space to work, I'd highly recommend building the space you need!
Click the articles below to learn more about how I converted a prebuilt shed into a beautiful, finished craft room:
 Picking the Shed |
 Shed Delivery |
 Insulating the Shed Floor |
 Wiring & Paneling |
|
Electricity! |
 Paint, Lighting, and Carpet |
 Organizing the Craft Room |
 Budget |
