Tip of the Month - March

I love to organize things.  My husband has said in the past that I should start my own business organizing other people's homes.  And maybe, someday, I will...

But for today, the topic is:

How do you organize your scrapbook paper?

I know, you are thinking, which kind, right? Well, there is patterned paper, cardstock, paper pads, kits, and of course scraps.  And of course, there is no right or wrong way to organize these.  Really, the best option is to figure out which system works for you.  I've searched the internet and along with personal experience, I've narrowed down some of the most popular and economic methods below:

The No. 1 method for storing kits is hanging them within the plastic bag they came in.  That way, as you use them, the scraps can be placed back in the bag for future use and all those bits and pieces won't get lost or misplaced.  The picture below is that method in use.

Are there other methods of storing kits?  Yes, but this is the favored method!

As for patterned paper and cardstock, there really are a lot of ways to manage this task.  First, you must decide if you want the two separated or if you wouldn't mind them mixed together.  Personally, I separate my pattered paper from my cardstock and then file them by color.  This method is similar to the picture below...

I have a category for each of the following colors:

White

Black

Blue

Green

Yellow

Orange

Pink

Purple

Red

And then I separate my patterned paper in the same color categories as above.  I also have a folder for vellum.  Some go as far as separating by manufacturer and color, but personally, I like to mix and match different manufacturers.

Another way to organize paper is in a vertical storage rack.  Again, the shelves could be divided by color or manufacturer, depending on your preference.  I like the idea of vertical storage, and because I don't use this method, I'm wondering if you would have to take the entire stack out to be able to see what is really in there. 

If you use this method, inquiring minds would like to know how it works for you.  Please leave a comment to let us know.

I love to have my paper pads stored in these very durable acrylic magazine holders.

In the above picture, they are used for cardstock, but the same holders can be used for 12 x 12 paper pads. I've found that if you flip your paper pad upside down, you can easily thumb through the pages, without having to take them out, to see if anything catches your fancy.

Below is another great method for storing cardstock.  I am a paper hoarder and there is no way that this small expandable folder would hold what I have, but after I think about it, I think it would work well for scraps.  Again, you could organize by color for easy findings!

As I was researching the internet for different ideas for organizing scraps, this popped up and I really like it.  They used a 12 x 12 album and had organized there scraps within the page protectors.  Ingenious, right?

The picture below is a fabulous idea as well, if you have the space.  This seems like it would take up a bit of real estate and if you are tight on space, it probably wouldn't work for you.  I'm big on using scraps and really don't throw away much and this method would be easy to thumb through to see what you have.

Below is another method that was new to me.  What I found about this method is that some scrapbookers don't have dedicated space for their hobby and this tub with a lid would be great when having to store away your supplies.  Now, even if you are fortunate enough to have a dedicated space, this would still travel well to crops.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment if you can recommend another way of organizing paper.

All of the pictures contained in this post were pulled from Pinterest!  Thanks Pinterest!