Proper Organization: What’s Right for You?

Brads, buttons, flowers, chipboard, patterned paper, cardstock, tools, and the list goes on and on. Most scrappers have a huge stash of supplies. If you are like me, you buy supplies faster than you can use them up. So, how do you organize all of these items? How do you know what will work for you? I know if I do not have my supplies organized, I forget what I have, I cannot find what I want when I need it, and I get easily frustrated.

First Steps First

Before beginning to organize your supplies, there are a few things you should do first.

1. Decide what you want to organize. Maybe you only need to organize your paper, or maybe it will be a complete room makeover.
2. Research websites. Look for scrapbook rooms that show ideas of what you are trying to organize whether it is ribbons, papers, embellishments, etc. Save these ideas into your "favorites." There is a wealth of organizational information available on the web.
3. Decide if you are going to have to purchase storage items. Measure your supplies first to make sure they will fit in your storage containers. Take a note with those measurements with you when you shop. A small tape measure in your purse can be handy too.
4. Set aside time to organize. It might be something small and quick that you need to organize, or it may be a large project that will take several days. Be prepared to take the time you need. It will be worth it in the end.

Taking time to follow these steps will help you get ideas and find what will work for you. Let's look at just a few ideas.

Organizing Scrap Paper

Every scrapper has scraps of patterned paper and cardstock. What should you do with them? What size is okay to throw away? How do you organize them? I have a few things that I do with my scraps.

First, I purchased an expandable storage case. It has 14 expandable pockets which are perfect for organizing my scraps. I keep a 12" x 12" sheet protector in each pocket so that the small pieces do not slide underneath each section. This also helps me quickly pull out an entire section to look through without making a mess.

Next , I separated my scraps by color, and I also separated the cardstock from the patterned paper. Then each category is in alphabetical order. It is very simple and easy to find what I need when I want to use scraps.

I usually keep any scrap that is over an inch wide. I find that I use them for everything: cutting out die-cut alphabets and shapes, using strips of paper for accents on cards and layouts, matting photos, and using them for journaling strips. I also have a second expandable storage case where I put scraps I know I will not use. This is for the kids. They love that they have their own scraps and that they do not have to ask me to use them.

Organizing Small Embellishments

I personally use the Close to my Heart embellishment cases. These work beautifully for storing brads, eyelets, buttons, photo turns, safety pins, and all of my small embellishments. Each case holds 60 storage jars. Some people use tic-tac boxes and others use hardware storage drawers. All of these work well for storing small embellishments. Look at what you want to store, look at the various storage items available, and pick what will work for your needs.

Organizing Miscellaneous Embellishments

I had a pile of larger embellishments that I just did not know how to organize. I decided to purchase several of the 12" x 12" poly envelopes for storage. I organized these larger embellishments by color. Then I put each color grouping into its own envelope. I have them stored in color order in a basket on the floor. This has worked out perfectly for me. I am finally using up those embellishments that were lost in the dreaded pile.

Organizing Ribbons

Ribbon can be stored in so many ways, and you can find many examples in the Scrapjazz gallery. I store my ribbons in two different ways depending on the ribbon width. For ribbons that are ½" or thinner, I store them in the Cropper Hopper embellishment boxes. I can usually get up to four yards in each small box. I keep them in order by color so it is always easy to find what I am looking for. I also cut off a small piece of the original packing and store it in the box so I always know which manufacturer made the ribbon. For my wider ribbons, I put them on wooden clothespins and store them in mason jars. I have four mason jars for my larger ribbons, and they are stored in color order also.

I hope that you will be able to find solutions that will work best for you. The examples above are just a small sample of what works best for me. They keep my supplies protected from damage but they are also very easy to get to when I want to use them. I would love to see pictures of your storage solutions in the Scrapjazz gallery. Be sure to post them because your ideas just might inspire someone else. Happy organizing!

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