How do you organize your do-dads?

[Buried Treasures]

I've been working more in mixed media which opens up a whole world of embellishments. As I add to my collection, I have no idea how to store them so I can find what I need without digging through a box each time. Open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

[stampencamper]

I love magnetic boards with round storage containers, like this:
Sapphire Garden's Daily Bead: A New Idea for Bead Storage
micheals used to carry them with larger containers; and probably are in the clearence aisle. I also love 'clear acrylic paint cans' for ribbon collections

[stampencamper]

pinterest has a ton of storage ideas; and probably everything imaginable. If you want to sign on; I can send you an invite to join, it's free and the most wonderful way to store crafting ideas in folders to view.

[Buried Treasures]

Didn't even occur to me to check pinterest. I have an account but thanks for the offer!

[shazsilverwolf]

Take a look at these insert trays for Really Usefull Boxes.
I bought some for some of mine, you can get two trays in a standard A4 sized box, or up to four in a deep A4 size.


You can see there are a variety of trays, with different sized compartments. It does make storing bits and bobs, and accessing them really easy.

[southgirl]

I buy spice racks (both the table top and the wall hanging kind) at garage sales and store them in the clear bottles. I am a visual person...what I see I use and I like buying cheap solutions for my expensive do-dads.

[lylacfey]

I keep my treasures in decorator boxes. I keep each of my things in little bags. For example resin flower cabochons are in a small jewelry bag. I just took apart a bunch of jewelry and I put the chains in little separate baggies and then added them to one bag. When I want to work with something I just grab my bags and it's easy to put away when I am done. I keep things catalogued better. My decorator boxes are also categorized like resin cabochons, hardware ephemera, etc....

[gregzgurl]

THESE work for just about everything:


The individual boxes hold more than you'd think, the whole thing is very compact (I line them up on a shelf like books), and you can see EVERYTHING at a glance! Love 'em...

[dini]

I usually use tackle boxes for storage. For beads or smaller items be sure the compartments have a rounded bottom instead of square corners - it's so much easier to get things out.

[Buried Treasures]

Thanks for all the helpful comments! I store small items such as brads and rhinestones in pill bottles (I'm all about the free storage). It's the larger items, such as flowers, charms, chipboard pieces, and other ephemera I'm having issues with.

[Kathleen Mc]

I'm not sure what size you were thinking but maybe coffee jars would work.

[gregzgurl]

I used to put a lot of things like that in clamshells cases that I was no longer using for stamps (I unmounted all of them). I also really, really like using the Iris Photo Keeper that has photo storage boxes in a carrying case (or individually) - I have small wooden pieces, chipboard, random jewelry bits and bobs, etc., in them. Here's a visual:

[ladyofcards]

Look in jewelry storage at Joann's. It is great for brads and small items. I get a lot of storage things at the dollar store.

[aspengirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dini

I usually use tackle boxes for storage. For beads or smaller items be sure the compartments have a rounded bottom instead of square corners - it's so much easier to get things out.

I use tackle boxes, too. I buy them in the fishing section of our local Walmart store. They are less expensive than buying them in the crafts department.

[HOBBYSUE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by southgirl

I buy spice racks (both the table top and the wall hanging kind) at garage sales and store them in the clear bottles. I am a visual person...what I see I use and I like buying cheap solutions for my expensive do-dads.

I'm a visual person too. If I don't see it I don't use it, so all my Embellies are stored in mason jars and scattered all over my craft room on various shelves. Buttons, bows, flowers, scrape ribbon, rhinestones...everything goes into a jar.

[southgirl]

For my flowers. like Prima, I buy the nuts and bolts type storage drawers. Also found at garage sales. I like that the drawers ae clear so I can see things and it can hang on the wall. My chipboard I actually bought a carrying thing for them at Harbor Freight. It has drawers that can come out and has a lid and devided compartments. But I am not using my chipboard much anymore.

[Reddyisco]

I bought this at Canadian Tire for around $25 and glued one of the contents of each drawer to the front of the drawer.

[Buried Treasures]

That's a great idea! We don't have Canadian Tire, but I'll bet Harbor Freight has something similar.

[Grumpygirl73]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buried Treasures

That's a great idea! We don't have Canadian Tire, but I'll bet Harbor Freight has something similar.

Having moved from the US to Canada 10 months ago, I would say you are correct about that.

[Paper Junky]

About a year ago, my LSS had a yardsale, and I found one of THESE for $2 or $3--don't remember exactly.

A nickel barely rests just inside the top edge of the cap. They are almost 3/4" in height with the cap.

I thought it was the coolest and most useful thing for crafters dealing with itty bitty items.

[Vitt]

I just saw someone used altoid tins, stored on the end(not flat) and labeled the end with brads, charms, etc. I thought that was a cool idea.

[jeanne3579]

I use clam shell boxes for all the somewhat larger embellishment items. They are all stored on end in plastic storage drawers. It is amazing how many you can get in a drawer.

[Aspromised]

I use plastic silverware drawer liners that I collect at yard sales and resale shops they are lightweight, stack easily and hold tons of stuff. I also use the clear pastic picture frames, they also stack well. I need to have my stash on desplay or I just end up hoarding it

[southgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reddyisco

I bought this at Canadian Tire for around $25 and glued one of the contents of each drawer to the front of the drawer.

That's exactly what I was talking about. Harbor Frieght or Sears has them but I found mine at several garage sales for less than $5.

[dogzruleca]

I use a variety of different methods. One not mentioned here is binders. I use page protectors for large items, and baseball card and coin holder pages for smaller items. Usually the items are inside a small ziploc type bag and then placed in the sleeve. I have an entire album devoted to eyelets, small brads, shaped brads and eyelets, and small amounts of fibres wrapped on floss cards. It is especially useful when you have a lot of them, but only a small amount in each shape/colour.

[Craftlover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buried Treasures

That's a great idea! We don't have Canadian Tire, but I'll bet Harbor Freight has something similar.

Home Depot carries those at the screws, nails, bolts section. I have one for my sewing notions.
For embellishments I use jewelry containers or small glass jars from candles, pickles ect.

I remove the bottom of the candle wax first.

[southgirl]

LOL Craftlover, I lit some candles that came in jars that had lids and set them on the front porch to burn down so I could use them to hold my do dads. My porch looked so pretty and smelled nice too.

[Craftlover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by southgirl

LOL Craftlover, I lit some candles that came in jars that had lids and set them on the front porch to burn down so I could use them to hold my do dads. My porch looked so pretty and smelled nice too.

Way to go!

[Harley Queen]

Oooh... this is a great idea. I've been using the clamshell cases from when I unmounted my SU wood stamps. Those clamshell cases fit great into my 12x12 steralite drawers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregzgurl

I used to put a lot of things like that in clamshells cases that I was no longer using for stamps (I unmounted all of them). I also really, really like using the Iris Photo Keeper that has photo storage boxes in a carrying case (or individually) - I have small wooden pieces, chipboard, random jewelry bits and bobs, etc., in them. Here's a visual:

[Paper Junky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aspromised

I use plastic silverware drawer liners that I collect at yard sales and resale shops they are lightweight, stack easily and hold tons of stuff. I also use the clear pastic picture frames, they also stack well. I need to have my stash on desplay or I just end up hoarding it

I use these to hold my washi tape. It works great!

[HOBBYSUE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by southgirl

LOL Craftlover, I lit some candles that came in jars that had lids and set them on the front porch to burn down so I could use them to hold my do dads. My porch looked so pretty and smelled nice too.

I love using candle jars for dodads.....they come in all shapes, sizes and some even have decorative lids. some of mine have wood lids, metal lids as well as typical (tho not all identical) glass lids. It looks Oh so Pretty on the shelves or desk!

[Phantom]

This would be more along the lines of a major studio design change, but I have to put in a word for the EZ View Desk from The Original Scrapbox:
EZ View Craft Desk / Products / The Original Scrapbox

Having been primarily an illustrator and cardmaker, I used to store most of my materials in three-drawer plastic units in a closet, along with a hodge podge of boxes, etc. I was having trouble with the "smalls." Things would get tucked away and forgotten or were just hard to find. I also shifted into more mixed media and working with polymer clay.

Well... just over a year ago, I got the EZ View Desk and it is amazing! You would love the see-through top for all of those too-big-for-tackle-boxes but so-small-they'd-get-lost-in-general-storage items.

I don't keep as many supplies as a lot of people here on SCS, so I was able to keep all of my embellishments, ribbon, etc., in the see-through top drawers. When I began doing more of other things than cardmaking, I switched those items to the closet and now have my polymer clay supplies, metal embossing, and mixed media items in those top drawers.

This desk is really amazing. There are customizable options for an extra layer of drawers, too - I may add them one day. The bases are very deep and accommodating as well. It is the best organizational tool I've ever had!

Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. And I checked out your gallery to see what kind of work you are up to - just beautiful!

[HOBBYSUE]

Nancy...Oh My Goodness what an AWESOME desk!! If I had room for a second desk this would be it!!! My Desk is an antique so I really don't want to replace it but Your desk is amazing!

[Phantom]

Thank you! It is awesome . It was my Christmas/birthday gift last year - and I don't think I could replace an antique either!

[Phantom]

In case the idea of the EZ View Desk piqued anyone's interest, I happened to come across these photos today.

This was the previous incarnation organized specifically for cardmaking - it looks entirely different now! But you get the idea. It is perfect for "doodads."

[craftyviolet]

I've tried different ways to store embellishments and finally settled on a colour scheme instead of trying to keep companies together. Small containers from the dollar store hold all bellies in the same container...except Christmas because I have more of them they are in their own container. So, if I need a blue embellishment, be it a small bow, bead, brad, etc. it's in that container. Buttons are also sorted by colour in their own container. Paper embellishments are kept in a binder in plastic sleeves meant for trading cards...again, in colour groups; so if I need a blue paper arrow, I go to the blue section. Works for me so far.

[bjlee717]

I store mine in a storage carousel. I don't know who makes it, but you can see it on my blog here: Inking with Brenda Lee: Valentine Treat and Organizing Embellishments

I also use a couple of the SU Stack & Store Caddy.

[bekeroni]

Hi Brenda--Your carousal holder looks a lot like the one I have. I got mine at Harbor Freight Tools--tool-storage/part-storage/12-inch-revolving-four-tray-bin-94050

They have a store not far from me and usually have a coupon you can use also.

You mentioned in your blog that you wanted another one. Hope this helps. I thought my store called it a "revolving parts bin." It was only $19.00 less a 20% coupon.

Hope this reply turns out ok. First time I have done this--other than to buy something!

Guess I can't post the URL until I have posted to 3 forums.......

[craftyviolet]

I think they have a store in Port Huron, Michigan and I'll check them out next time we go over there.

[Phantom]

Yes, there is one in Port Huron - and quite a few in the rest of Michigan:

Harbor Freight Tools

(haha - don't know why they show Port Huron in Canada on the map!)