Really need organizing by colors ideas

[winniethepoodle]

I've outgrown, or rather, my supplies have outgrown my work space. Said supplies have also outgrown my ability to organize in any sensible way making finding the right DSP or colored embellishments nearly impossible.


My 8x11 & 12x12 cardstock is organized by color and is easy to find but about a year ago when I first started having problems finding the right paper, I decided to organize my DSP by color so I moved hundreds of sheets to zip-lock bags (by color) and that system is working ok. The problem is the multi-colored DSP and the non flat embellishments are haphazardly stored in 2 floor to ceiling cupboards that take up an entire wall. Uggh I don't even know where to start. I'm somewhat of a hoarder, probably a really bad hoarder but I don't think there are any dead cats or anything so NOT THAT BAD but still....I have more than 10 years worth of SU and a few years worth of a couple other companies (shhhh). I'm thinking shoeboxes/photoboxes by color???




The good thing is I have a rather large work-space and although my storage options aren't modern or sexy, they are adequate so I just have to figure out how to store it in a way that I can find it.


Please share your tips with me or pictures or ideas.

[fionna51]

Several years ago I participated in the free organizing class done by Tiffany of ScrapRack fame. She has some GREAT ways to organize. It is based on the ScrapRack, but it doesn't have to be done with one. I don't have one.

She does paper like this:
* by theme. If your paper has themes, like beach or mountains or sports or whatever, then sort that paper into themes.
* by holidays and seasons. If your paper fits with halloween or birthday or fall or whatever then sort that paper into those holidays or seasons.
* by rainbow colors.

Her video and more details are at this page:
Scrapbook Paper Organization and Storage
By the way, the class is great...and it's free!

I found that I discarded paper I didn't like anymore, and was okay with that. I sorted into colors, and that is where most of my paper fits into. I didn't have many themes, but sorted them out and used clear bags for each. I really didn't have many holidays and seasons, but I did have some and, funny thing, those were the ones that I figured I would have a hard time with. They work well that way.

I did end up with some floral papers and some plaids that I thought didn't fit anywhere. Multicolors, so they didn't fit well into the rainbow collections. I just considered each of those a theme and they got put together in the themes section. I did the same with what I called "specialty" paper. That's the metallics and the glitters, and the pretty embossed papers.

Hope that spurs some thoughts...

[melissa59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winniethepoodle

I'm somewhat of a hoarder, probably a really bad hoarder but I don't think there are any dead cats or anything so NOT THAT BAD but still.

No dead cats means you are good to go! ;)

I did the same thing as Diane. Several years ago I followed Tiffany's online organization class. Class was over and I was still working on everything but I kept at it. It really made me think about what I owned, what I would really use and how I'd store it. And, like Diane, I don't have a scraprack either.

All my paper is stored vertically in homemade "magazine/paper" holders, which I made from narrow shipping boxes and covered in contact paper. My papers are mostly sorted the way Tiffany recommends.

I use:
Rainbow order: Red Orange Yellow Blue Green Indigo Violet
Themes: Christmas, Family, Pirates, Disneyland, Birthday, etc.
Paper Stacks: Kept in their original pad until about half used. Then I tear out the sheets and put them in Rainbow/Theme order.
CTMH coordinated packs: I keep my CTMH packs in their original bags and store them together in one paper holder.

Plaids, florals or other papers with multiple colors are the problem. Initially, I stressed over where they belonged. Finally, I just put them in rainbow order, according to the predominant color on the page.

Embellishments are sorted the same way. All of my ribbon is sorted by rainbow color and hanging on ribbon rings. I have a box for themed brads and another box for colored brads. All other themed embellishments are hanging on my Clip It Up and non-theme embellishments are sorted by color in little fishing tackle boxes that I got at Walmart.

I have a very tiny workspace with limited storage. So I have to be careful about what I keep. I start by being careful about what I buy and then I work hard to purge myself of what I don't need or won't use. Gifting unwanted items to someone who might use them is not only least painful way to downsize, it actually feels really good!

[stamphappy1650]

I store embellishments by categories and color. When you make the change its a daunting task but well worth the effort.

I store all small items like buttons, brads, charms, and beads in divider boxes by colors (red, pink, blue, gold, silver, clear, white, antique, etc.) The other divider boxes I have are for letters, insects, birds.

I store larger items in categories (hearts, hinges, tiles, garden, sky, etc.) in clear boxes from Harbor Freight. I put small items in the little boxes and then just lay larger items inside the boxes. These boxes are stored in DVD baskets from Ikea (no longer available).

All stickers/paper items are stored in plastic envelopes similar to these

Some things are just tossed in a basket because I have a lot of them and they don't need to be sorted. I don't mix multiple kinds of things in a basket but I do store the tools that are used only for that item. Example - the wire basket has wire and winding tools, clay tile basket has the tiles and the etching tools. In the baskets are flower soft, etc.

Paper flowers are stored by color in clear canisters from the $store.

A key item is that once you sort everything out, think about what is the easiest way to put everything back in it's area. Some storage items are pretty but they really aren't functional. By putting boring storage boxes inside baskets, I get functional and pretty KWIM?

Also, buy a couple of extra boxes because I found that when I needed more of an item, it had been discontinued (like the Ikea DVD boxes)

With this system I can find what I want by color and category. I don't do things really in "themes". I don't keep original packaging as when I use something up I don't replace it. I make myself find something else that I already have. Also, having things in boxes and baskets, protects them from the sun & dust and they are hidden but within easy reach. Oh - all my baskets are labeled because they all look alike so I'd never remember what was inside ;)

One warning - if I'm looking for a particular charm and I can't remember if it's gold or silver, I have to look in multiple boxes to find it - but I always find it.

[melissa59]

Thought I should come back and post the storage totes that I use since they are on sale for only $15 each at Harbor Freight.
They are about 11" high and wide and about about 8" deep. Each pull out container is about half the size of a Darice bead organizer. I put one color in each container (4 per tote).
Toolbox Organizer with 4 Drawers