Organization

One of the most daunting tasks for all scrapbookers is organization! Here are a few tips to make the organizing a little easier. The amount of space and supplies you have make a difference but certain "rules" are constant.

Spending money doesn’t equal organization. Organize FIRST then if you find that purchasing an organizational aide would really enhance your system go ahead. Don’t spend a lot of money before knowing what aides might help you in your organizational efforts, before pinpointing your “problem areas”. Also remember to consider the organizational aides that you might have around the house first. Do you have a plastic stacking in/out box that isn’t in use? That might be all you need to help organize your paper or pages in progress. Is there an old tackle box in the garage? It might be a great new home for your punches.

Keep track of all your supplies and tools. When you are running low or you are out of a specific supply make a note of it while you are thinking about it. Keep the list handy for ordering or running out to the craft store. If there is a specific tool that you want to buy add it to your list as well. This is especially helpful when you have a lot of tools, like punches or pens and might forget which ones you HAVE bought and which ones you WANT to buy. Many scrapbookers keep a small notebook with a list of all of their punches or the names of all the colored pens that they have.

Take some time and get it ALL together. Set aside a day and gather all of your templates in one place, all of your rulers in one place, all of your pens in one place, etc. No matter what company they came from or what size they are or if they came in a set at some point in time it is easier to have a drawer or box full of rulers instead of keeping the Brand X ruler with the Brand X supplies and the Brand Y rulers with the Brand Y supplies. Merge your supplies together and then decide how much storage space each item needs. For example, I keep my rulers in a drawer in an Iris cart. You might want to use a box such as the one from Cut It Up or simply a leftover silverware drawer organizer. If you only have a few rulers you may simply place them in your scrapbooking tote or in a 12x12 Cropper Hopper tote with your other supplies.

Label everything clearly. Label your tools with your name or some other identifying mark. Some scrapbookers tie a short piece of yarn or ribbon to their scissors. Some scrapbookers place a dot of colored nail polish on their tools. When possible use your full name as it makes it easier for the item to be returned if it should get mixed in with another person's tools.   Label all storage boxes with the contents. Labeling can be done with a Sharpie Permanent Marker or with a labeling machine like the Brother P-Touch Home and Hobby II. Whenever possible use see-through containers for storage, but if this is not an option make sure all storage containers are clearly, concisely labeled with like products together. Organization should be easy, not something you have to think about.

Put basic tools within reach. Place the items you use most frequently in easy to access areas. Design the work area in a circle and place tools and supplies used frequently within arms reach. Your paper should be easily accessible but your "Happy Birthday” rubber stamp can be stored in a harder to reach area as it is used less often.

Consider your style. If you like to scrapbook when traveling, have a separate tote for all the supplies you need. Keep this packed, ready to go and separate from your other supplies. Then at a moments notice, you can grab the container and not worry about gathering up everything you need.    If you always scrapbook at home but don't have a lot of room, think about having mini-scrapbooking “centers” set up in your scrapbooking area or even if different rooms. This might work well for those who have limited space. A sticker area might house your stickers and a sticker kit. A die cut area might hold everything you need to embellish die cuts as well as your collection of die cuts. A pen storage area can be very portable and very small.

Sort by theme. Another method is to sort stickers, papers, rulers, templates and sticker letters by theme. Here is a list of ten suggested themes to use for sorting. Please keep in mind your needs may vary.

Avoid clutter. Keep supplies off the floor and put supplies away when done using them. The few seconds it takes to "clean up" will save you hours of trying to find the supplies when you need them later.  If you own a lot of small tools or other small items consider the utility drawer units sold at craft or hardware stores. These units are reasonably priced and have 30-60 small see-through drawers that hold small items like punches, die cuts, small sticker modules, “punchies”, etc. Plastic shoe boxes, storage carts and tackle boxes are another inexpensive way to store your small scrapbooking tools and have the added advantage of being portable.

Recycle. Plan a swap night with your scrapbooking buddies. Trade in the tools or organizational items that you don’t use or have outgrown. This way you can get your scrapbooking area organized with little or no expenditure of money. As your collection of scrapbooking supplies and tools grow you will need to re-organize and re-think your methods of storage. You might want to earmark January as the month that you go through and organize your supplies every year. Investing a little time in organization will help you to get more accomplished during your scrapbooking time and will help you not to duplicate purchases.