Best Organizational Things

[jhitchin]

I'm looking for some new ways to organize all my craft stuff, and so far haven't found any good solutions due to my lack of space in my craft area. However, I am almost interested in how other people keep their stuff organized as you never know when someone will have an idea you hadn't thought of.

I did look at the Craft Locker things, but was a little put off by the price. $40 for a plastic thingee to hold 12 stamp pads? Surely you jest.

Mainly I just have too many stamps, I think. Now, now, I can hear some of you gasping at the very idea of ever having too many stamps. :) Still, I need to figure out what stuff I'm never going to use again and get rid of it.

So, what do you do to keep your stuff in order?

Jeff

[alsmouse]

well it does depend on the space you are dealing with. when I started I was using plastic shoes boxes that had a lid that clicked shut. I like them since you can put them on shelves, see into them & they label easily. when I overflowed the shoe boxes I went to the 6 drawer iris carts then found the 7 drawer iris carts for the bulky stuff. I still keep my inks in shoeboxes by vendor. just easier to find. I guess it just depends on your personal style.

[Elli]

For brads, eyelets and small embellishments I have several clear plastic fisherman's lure boxes. i also keep small punches in these.

[Craftyria]

I love the Sterilite 12x12 drawers. I found them at Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby (with the 40% coupon, they are around $9). I use them for my 12x12 papers and most of my scrapbooking things. I have one drawer full of foam stamps, one full of dye pads and one of pigment pads. I'd love a better way to organize these, though.

I found some trays of wooden stamps at Big Lots. I bought one for me and two for friends and I kept the cardboard trays (they were too big to fit in a priority mail box). I have my larger wooden stamps stored in those. I could use about three more to hold all my stamps. Clearly, I don't have enough rubber stamps.

Here are some pictures of my craft room and storage:
http://web.mac.com/tiggeria/iWeb/Site/Craft%20Room.html
I share the room with birds, so I have to keep everything covered.

[Etha]

I find that the biggest thing to organizing is not HOW or in what you organize, but that you know and remember where you put your stuff :) I got things all over in boxes etc and stamp often and clean up even more often. This constant back and forth makes me know exactly where I have everything and it truly helps. My stamping friend who comes over quite often is always amazed how quickly I can turn a "tornado kitchen" into a place that looks as if never anything happened ;) I just know exactly where I want each little thing and it goes there in no time. I don't think any single system of organization is perfect and no stamp room will really ever be large enough, but you have to find a system that works well for YOU. Label your boxes and make things easier for yourself, it that means pictures and words on the outside, or a color system or your memory ;) I store all my unmounted stamps in binders with the company name on the outside, and, if I have quite a few of one company, sorted also by theme, which is on the outside label. Sometimes I put the name of the theme, sometimes I put the name of the actual artist (who works for the stamp company) - reading that label instantly gives me a hint of what I have in there. It may mean nothing to somebody else who looks at my collection. Point is, do it for you! and as soon as you find a system that works well with how YOU work, keep it and expand on it.

[Inky Whiskers]

Go vertical, Jeff!

I'm lucky enough to have my own craft room, but that doens't mean my space is unlimited. I use Iris carts for stamps & some supplies, clear shoe boxes for less used supplies, shelves for books & shoe boxes & slotted paper organizers. (I used cable ties to create "shelves" inside large milk crate with cardboard on top of the ties to protect the card stock from getting dimples.)

Iris cards can be taken apart & reconfigured to go to the ceiling if you want & you don't have to keep the wheels on plus you can connect then to each other for added stability.

My biggest tip is to label EVERYTHING! Even if the container is clear, if you have more than one of a style of box or drawer, they can all look alike when you're in a hurry. I used sticky notes & packing tape to label every drawer, box & bin so I don't waste time looking.

I'm going to add some photos of my room to my personal gallery, so you & others can see how I stuffed tons of stamps & supplies into my 12'x10.5' room.

[stampin stacy]

I had 2 empty spice racks shoved to the back of the top shelf of my pantry. I pulled them out this year and have put small things like shells, ribbon bits, metal embellishments, etc in them and they now reside on the window sill beside the desk in my craft room now. I never even though about those things before, now I can look up and see something in one of those jars and think "that's the perfect finishing touch". They also add some color to the window sill. I have also heard some people use glass jars much the same way, especially the shorter wide mouth ones.

For paper I mostly have standard 8 1/2 by 11 so I keep it in a two drawer filing cabinet next to my desk. Since it is next to my desk and the same height basically I now have extra work surface too. The little bit of 12 by 12 paper I have is stacked in a cardboard box under a dresser in the corner (it hold fabric). Stamps and pad are in plastic drawers on wheels or in cd case holders. My larger stamps and my stencils are in 3 ring binders in sheet protectors.

I keep my pens, colored pencils, and markers separated by taking empty cardboard toilet paper tubes and placing them in shoe boxes or plastic trays. They are now all separated by type of instrument as well as by color. Oh yea, shelving is cheap plastic ones I picked up on sale.

[Inky Whiskers]

You could also consider unmounting larger wood & foam mounted stamps to make more storage room.

Little stamps are easy enough to loose even with a chunk of wood attached, so I recommend you leave those alone, but did you know you can store five or six (depending on what um system you use) 4.5x5.5" back ground images in the same amount of space that ONE wood mounted background takes up? I happily use the HALOS system, which allows me to store my stamps in zip bags, then in drawers, but there are quite a few reliable & reasonably priced um systems available these days. I switched to mostly ums a few years ago when my collection outgrew my available space. I got almost half my drawer space back by removing all the bigger (1.25x1.25" or larger) wood & foam pieces. I also thinned the herd a little as long as I was going thru' every drawer re-mounting my stamps. I'm getting bit crowded again, but yes, I have about 5500 images in those iris drawers. (see my gallery) That's not counting the current SU! I keep on a shelf or the separate unit for my LIWP images.

Did I mention I got MORE stamps this month? I just can't pass up a good grab bag sale. It's Stampo's fault!!! :))

[Stampo]

Oh sure, blame me, Jenna. LOL

[Inky Whiskers]

Oh sure, blame me, Jenna. LOL

I certainly will blame you for offering cool stamps available at such a great bulk price that I couldn't help but buy 4+ lbs of rubber from you in one week! My only regret <sigh> is that you worked yourself to exhaustion keeping up with all the orders that came in for the sale. :))

Hey!!! I my 2nd order & catty should be arriving this week! YIPPEE!!! :clap:

[stmpstone]

I use several methods for storing my "stuff".

My favorites are my collectors cabinets that have large trays for storage. They were pricey but are wonderful and are nice enough to have out.

Cheap CD cabinets from Big Lots hold old sets that are stored in CD Jewel cases.

Iris Cabinets are used for embellishments.

Four large cabinets with medium pizza boxes without lids for the shelves for wood mounted stamps.

A large over the door fabric shoe rack for fibers.

My ribbons are stored in ribbon holders in the collectors cabinet. There are two large drawers in the cabinets, one has markers and one has acrylic handles.

I have a large white cabinet that we bolted to the wall for better stability for tools....like Xyrons, die cuts and all tools.

My paper is stored in the guest bedroom.

In my family room I have a collectors cabinet with all the tools I use on a regular basis and a craft table. My counter always has my paper cutter ready to go. I can put together a workshop in a matter of minutes. Do you want to come and play. lol

I no longer have a rubber room, I have a rubber house. It's just a little house but it works for me.

Claudia in Las Vegas

[StamPoor]

Jeff,

I use a lot of the same things that have been mentioned, especially Iris carts and short stacks of drawers, but I prefer to keep my unmounted stamps in CD cases rather than notebooks. And I find it helpful to walk around places like office supply stores and hardware stores to see what they might have that I can use even though the original purpose wasn't meant for stamp stuff. Several years ago, I picked up a compartmented plastic tray that I turned on its side; it holds about 90 stamp pads on a very small footprint. My embellishments are in those cases with many small drawers meant for nuts, bolts, screws, etc. Just like when you create your art, use your imagination to organize your tools and supplies. Good luck.

[Glitterbabe]

I went to unmounted a few years ago after seeing a demo at a stamp convention. It sure freed up lots of space for me. I have everything catagorized in 3 ring binders (i.e. birthday, wedding, baby, etc). I use Sailor 2-in-1 glue after unmounting the stamps from the wood or EZ Mount. For my inks, I went to the small ones (stampin spots, etc.) They are much easier to store. I have them in a drawer and sorted by brand (Stampin Up, Chalk Box, etc.) I also invested in one of the Dynamo labelers and it is fabulous. You can print out labels from small to extra large!!! Hope this helps.
Glitterbabe.

[jhitchin]

I also invested in one of the Dynamo labelers and it is fabulous. You can print out labels from small to extra large!!! I have a Dymo label printer and I LOVE IT. The only thing I hand address anymore are letters of condolances (which MUST be hand-lettered). I hardly ever use the tape cartridge. You've just reminded me that I should be using it on my stamp stuff to aid organization. Thanks!

Jeff