
Updated June 22, 2021.
An ongoing problem for me is how to store all those canvases I have but haven’t stitched. I tend to pounce on the canvases I like best when I see them and so finding a place for them is always a problem.
When you are looking for storage for canvases it’s important to remember that they need to be stored either rolled or flat. Do not fold canvas.
I think it’s also important to store them so it’s easy to look through them. I use small wastepaper baskets, seen above for larger canvases, and have a tall narrow chest of drawers from Hobby Lobby where I keep smaller canvases. In the chest, I have sorted canvases into categories that make sense for my stash to make canvases easier to find.
Finally, if you tend to overbuy canvases, find some kind of storage method that controls the size of your stash.
If you have a small stash of small-to-medium canvases, a tote bag is great for controlling stash and keeping canvases flat but it’s hard to look through. Larger canvases can be kept in drawers if you have space for a larger chest of drawers. These work but can be hard to go through.
In our old house, I had a system that worked beautifully. I used a set of wire baskets in a frame that slid in and out. These were from one of those closet organizing companies. They were perfect. Small canvases went into the shallow bins, sorted by type. Large canvases went into deeper bins, rolled. I kept this in a walk-in closet, so it was safely out-of-sight but still accessible and neat.
With the many organizing systems and the lovely flat baskets I often see you should be able to find something of this type that fits your budget.
Another possibility, if your closet space allows it is to store canvases on skirt hangers. This works well for larger canvases but you’ll still need another method for small ones.
I’ve seen great storage using wine racks for rolled canvases, translucent flat boxes in closets, and baskets.
If you’ve found another method, I’d love to hear about it.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Those scrapbook page holders (some are plastic sliders) are good for canvases up to 12X12 – could even bind them into a scrapbook and flip the pages…
This is a fantastic idea, especially good for folks with plenty of bookshelves.
Keep Stitching,
Janet
I have sterilite containers under the bed in my guest room. One has all things holiday and children, the other large pieces, pillows, etc. You can sort through them very easily and the large rolled canvases fit in them as well. They are the long, flat ones, not the tub variety. And they are well hidden under the bed!
Am in the middle of organizing and downsizing things in my closets and storage areas. Thanks for your regular posts and constant encouragement during our challenging times. Without doubt, they have helped many of us.
Stay well and safe. It will be great to return to our normal lives.
Marlene