A Scrap Space to Avoid Overwhelm

I have to admit it--I'm a messy scrapper! My creative process is not tidy. I'm blessed by having my own scrap space that I can close off from the rest of house when I'm in the midst of a creative frenzy and I haven't tidied up my office in a while. For the purposes of this article I decided not to shock you all and I cleaned up before taking the photos. It was the perfect impetus I needed to get my office back on track.

I prefer to have all of my supplies stored away. I become a little overwhelmed if I'm surrounded by piles and boxes of goodies before I start a layout. Most of my storage options were chosen because they were attractive, inexpensive and easy to find. This set of open shelves holds my Xyron, idea books, jars of ribbon, Zig pens, and a few photo boxes for raffia and collage goods.

On the opposite side of the door are two more open shelves that hold blossoms, large Sizzix dies, and my most frequently used foam stamps. I covered cigar boxes with scrap paper and edged the boxes in ribbon for some added pizzazz.

Below these shelves are two storage units on wheels. These have multiple shallow divided drawer units. On the bottom is 12" x 12" paper storage. Inside these units I hold ABC punches, all my metal embellishments, tags, my circle cutting system, and many other frequently used supplies. On the top of these units is my Sizzix machine, as well as an old spice rack that holds frequently used ribbons. To create this unit I drilled holes in the plastic lids and simply pull out the ribbon as I need it.

I prefer items to have an aged, or vintage, appearance. This cork board was made from an old dresser mirror frame. The mirror was replaced by a sheet of cork board.

This is my actual work space. It is a very compact desk created specifically for crafting. On the inside are small plastic bins to hold punches I frequently use. The left-hand side of this desk folds in, and the top drops down so that it takes up half the space when not in use. The spinning unit on top of the desk is a kitchen tool caddy that my dear friend covered in paper and ribbons for me. To the right of that caddy is a set of vintage jewelry boxes that I altered by attaching vintage theme papers and embellishments. These coordinating boxes hold small accent pieces.

The next photo is of my computer area. There is a matching desk to the right of the printer that belongs to my husband. The printer sits between us so that it's easily accessible to either person. My desk has hat boxes full of larger-sized embellishments like library pockets and containers of buttons. Vintage tea cups hold small embellishments that are waiting to be put back into their proper place.

The black satin CD holders on my desk hold software, music, photos, games, and copies of all my layouts that have been scanned into the computer. When I found these units on sale I purchased two of them so I have room for lots more photos and layouts in the years to come.

12" x 12" cardstock is stored in paper trays just to the left of my desk, and any miscellaneous odds and ends are stored in black photo boxes in the small closet beside my husband's desk area.

This scrap space has everything I need, and it's big enough to share with my husband without us bumping into each other every few minutes. The full attached bath and access to the kitchen for snacks is an extra bonus as well! Now that I have it all organized again I wonder how long I'll be able to keep it this tidy?

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