Need Help?

       How do you store your supplies? Don't you hate that feeling when you know you have a pattern or sticker SOMEWHERE-- if only you could lay your hands on it to USE it today! Do you have trouble finding things or keeping them handy? You know that you bought a paper piecing pattern or a magazine, but you can't find it when you want to show a friend or pack for a crop? What do you do with your swaps and purchases? Have you bought duplicate supplies and not known it until you dig out an old shopping bag a month later? What is the remedy for this organizational nightmare?? Need help? Well, let's talk about solutions! (Not that my way is 'right' but if you have no organization system or you have one that is NOT working well for you, then these are just some starter tips that may help you.) Here is what I do. See if you can adapt any of these ideas for your own use.

THE CATEGORIES:

       I have four inexpensive white 3 ring binders with various category dividers in them. Remember, we will be putting lots of stuff in these 4 binders. Unless you have very few scrapbook supplies, you will need all four binders. You can use Paper/Sticker Binders in the same fashion if you have them. You need a binder or sticker-binder style that opens and shuts easily.  It should allow you to add or decrease pages as you need to is helpful. A zipper closure is nice too. Make sure the binder is not so used or old or that the rings are slightly crooked. The rings should match up well so that flipping pages later  is a smooth process. I create divider tabs in the following categories.

SORT IT OUT:

       Now go and sort your scrapbook supplies according to the same types of categories as your new tabs. This will take a little time if you have not done it for a while-- but it is so worth doing! Take this time to save yourself even more time later. Older children (over age 8) can even be helpful with this. If they understand categories, have them help you a sort... Pay them for their help with older stickers you find that you no longer want! They will be thrilled and you will be done sorting sooner!

LARGE ITEMS:

       Within each category, I file ALL my page kits and supplies possible. For example, I may have Mary Engelbreit style swap  page kits. But I try to file those ME Christmas kits into the Winter category section and the ME school teacher page kits in with School category. Likewise, my  ME beach paper piecing will go in with the Water category in the appropriate binder. Even though Mary E is a 'style', it is not usually a separate category in my binders. My page kits and larger swaps are all already in page protectors, so this sorting is easy to do. Large full sized die cuts, 11 inch borders, delicate laser cut frames, and all bigger page elements get their own page protector to keep them safe until use.

SMALLER ITEMS:

       Now that leaves the smaller odd elements like layout idea cards, paper piecing patterns, die cuts, premade page toppers, stickers, punch art, finished paper piecings from swaps etc. Those items also are filed in the same categories in the same binders right along with the larger  page kits and larger swaps. I use baseball card holders for small stickers and 4x6  plastic photo page holders for the smaller objects that will fit.  Nothing gets bent, crumpled or lost. The holders are all clear and I can easily flip through and see the various elements clearly. I can see at a glance if the colors on the premade page topper will match the colors on that cute E-bay paper piecing....

YOU ARE ORGANIZED!

After filing all my goodies in the binders, I place the binders on my scrapping desk so I can see the spines.  I label the spines with computer made paper labels (figure 5 above). But you can also use adhesive labels and Sharpie markers. If you do not have room on your desktop, place them in a nearby bookcase. Or did you know that many standard 3 ring binders fit perfectly into a desk filing drawer? That desk file drawer is an out-of-sight yet a handy spot if your binders will fit. 

MAINTAIN!

       This is the most important step. If you want to be organized, you need to commit to STAYING organized with your new purchases and creations.   After each shopping trip, simply pull out the binder you need and file the new loot away! This keeps it off the general stack of desktop jumble which also keeps the elements from getting torn, smashed, and crumpled! What a waste to spend good money on a beautiful, hard-to-find supply only to find out later it was ruined from careless storage (or no storage at all!) The money you save by storing your things safely will certainly offset the initial cost of a few extra page protectors and baseball card sleeve pages.

PLAN AND PACK--Now it is EASY!

How do I then use this category system when planning a page or packing for a crop?  Here is an example. 

Happy Scrapping!

~Rockester~