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I really struggled with this issue as well because I have a hard time throwing scraps a way but I get overwhelmed with all that I have. Last year I finally got somewhat organized and bought the SU clear boxes (the kind their stamp sets come in) in the size that would fit all the scraps that I cut to a 4 1/4 X 51/2 or smaller. I am a card maker so any thing smaller than a 1/2 sheet gets cut down to the biggest size would use on a card. I do them by color and some colors have more than one box. I find that out of sight is out of mind for me so the fact that I can see the scraps in a clear box reminds me to go there first. A group of us card makers go to Chick-fil-A after our card club and we order the chicken salad sandwhich that comes in a clear box and we take those home, wash them out and I use those for scraps as well as that die cut I didn't use or something I cut from my cricut that I didn't use. I found small ziplock plastic bags (4x6 from Walmart in the craft section) and I put butterflies in one and flowers in another and flourishes in another, ect. ect. and they fit inside these clear boxes as well. I find I will use them because I can "see" them. I found out for me personally if I filed it any way, either in an accordian keeper, or file keeper I did not use either scraps or diecuts after the fact. I realize we are all different and we have to organize in a way that makes sense to each of us individually. I have to MAKE myself clean up after a card by cutting and storing my scraps because I would rather just make another card!:-) As I write this I have three stacks to go through to cut and store because I did just that!
I think having my scraps in a drawer (and out-of-sight) has been my big problem! Thanks for pointing that out again! There have been so many great ideas. I'm going to have to think about them all and imagine myself using them - and think "will I really use my scraps this way?" Again - Your idea is a good one to consider - clear boxes to see them!! Thanks...
I use to store it just piled up - what a mess!! Then I saw someone storing it in gallon ziplocks!! YAY! You can easily see what's what and the zipper keeps them from falling out!!
LOL!! I got a pack of that for a secret santa gift once... which was at least "thoughtful" of the person ;) I have used a lot of them on cards for layering... but that's about all it's good for!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by valeriecathleen
I have my SU cardstock in file folders with a ziploc bag in each folder for the scraps. Still too many, still too much but I know that if I need a scrap of Cherry Cobbler, it is with the full sized pieces of cardstock.
Funny story - when I first started papercrafting my husband knew I spent a lot of time (well....and money) at Michaels. He went Christmas shopping for me there and I can imagine him wandering the aisles wondering what to get for me. It was hard not to laugh when I opened up a package that contained.......a package of scraps! I am sure the people at the register were killing themselves laughing at this guy basically purchasing trash for his wife for Christmas! The sapphire earrings that year more than made up for the scraps and I still smile to myself every time I think of it.
I sort my scraps by color and put them in the clear sheet protectors. Then I decide if I have more of that color I store the sheet protector with the full sheets of paper. If not, I put the sheet protector in 3 notebooks.
1 -Is for the basics - white, vanilla, brown and black
2 -Is for solid colors
3 -Is for patterns
Sometimes I just put the pattern paper with the coordinating solid...
The notebooks are stored on a shelf with the full sheets of paper.
If the paper is really small...I punch some flowers and keep those in a clear plastic container. I also cut 1/2" journaling strips and keep those in a big together.
Here's my blog post about it - a couple notes as I've worked with this system for about a year & a half now - I keep large pieces of paper with other full size sheets of the same color and I also keep a gallon zip lock bag of 12" strips that I will pull from for strips or to border punch. Post is a few down... KariScrap: March 2011
Thanks for posting this again. I posted it about a month ago & many of my replies are different from your replies. Its always to get different ideas isn't it.
I've gone with 6 plastic draws & still I find I'm not opening them to use. So now I'm going to go back to one 5 x 7 photo storage box (Stampin Up use to sell them) and have it sitting on my desk.
If I cut an 8 1/2 x 11 piece in half, I store the other half in clear plastic shoeboxes with lids (stackable) one for coloured paper and one for neutrals, all the other scraps go into a larger clear plastic bin with a lid which I keep under my table within reach. I have stopped hoarding the really small pieces and put them in my green bin for recycling. I try to go through the bins first before I cut more cardstock.
I put all my paper in accordion file folder by RGBIV. If a cut piece is at least card size it go into the front of the section for that particular color. Anything smaller than that goes into a separate accordion file folder also by RGBIV in the space behind the card size pieces. I have to open the drawer for card stock anyway, so if it is for a card base, I go to the front section. If it is for anything else, I go to the folder for pinks/reds say, and see if there is a piece that will work (there usually is) and use that. I don't keep tiny pieces as I seem to have many more scraps that what I have seen posted so far. My space is tiny, so it must all fit into the drawer. For patterned paper, wall paper, textured paper, wrapping paper or anything that may be 12x12, goes into the bigger bottom drawer using RGBIV as best I can. (There is a section for multicolored and seasonal, but I have very little of that) If my narrative is confusing, hopefully the pictures below will help.
I don't think I keep enough scraps to bother with file folders. I shove them all in one drawer that barely holds a 8.5"x11" piece of paper. My last project was to just use scraps so my drawer could close better. I ended up with some pretty eclectic cards.
If you can't bring yourself to thow away any of your scraps, have you thought about Iris folding? you can make a beautiful image...and use your scraps all at the same time!
This bin in New England Stampers blog is the same one I have been using. I made index cards from the backs of 12x12 paper packs and organized them all by color last night! I am really happy with this storage method! Thanks vthokiestamper for sharing 
