How many types of organization do you use?

What I mean is....How many different ways/methods do you use in your scrapbook room?

For example: I store all my patterned paper by manufacturer in vertical storage, all my clear stamps are by category not mfg. I have since taken everything off my clip-it-ups (putting them on e-bay as they aren't working for me) and have put that stuff in clear drawers that I purchased at The Container Store (LOVE The Container Store!) by categories such as bling, textiles, tags, metal embellishments, rub-ons, stickers etc. BUT, if I have purchased an entire collection with rub-ons, chipboard, stickers, brads, buttons, paper and such I try to store it all together in project sleeves by Cropper Hopper.

I AM SO FRUSTRATED!! I don't scrap often, because I feel so overwhelmed in that darn room. Thus, the re-organization effort!!

Now, my question is do I take all the flowers and small embellishments out of original packaging and put them loose in the clear drawers to conserve space?? I am thinking I will, but I am just not sure.

I think the bottom line is this....I am a HOARDER. I have WAY too much STUFF and I need to either use it or lose it! LOL!! Arg!

there are a whole mess of pics in my gallery of my scrapbook room. I do paper and sticker letters by color and then I do patterned paper by theme (unless it's a pack like a BG pack or a MME stack and then I leave them together until mostly gone).

Embellies are by theme when there is a theme and then by type when there's not a theme -

PM me if you want to talk about a direct sale of your clip it ups.

oh - I am trying to work up my nerve to do a Stacy Julian style overhaul and do all embellies and everything by color.... I just can't quite imagine how I will do it. I think it means I will move to doing my own kits for when I go places to crop.

LOL! OMG! I have just read Photo Freedom this past summer and haven't worked up the nerve to implement this yet. I want to, but I am so freaked out by it! I also saw in the "Organized Scrapbooker" the organization by color and in drawers, that's where I got the idea for the drawers. I don't think that I am a scrap by color person, but maybe it would work. I just am not comfortable taking things out of there "natural" categories!!

• daney Said:

If I decide not to list on e-bay, you are first in line. Thanks!

I'm having the same issue. Although I don't have as much stuff as you. I'm trying to think of a convenient storage solution.

I have all my embellishments in a regular binder. Most are in their original packages yet, thus, still have a hang-y hole. So I put them on one of the rings in the binder.
Anything that's not in their packaging I threw in small ziplocks and put those in the binder as well.
(ETA. I might buy one of those dollar store sorters.)

My paper, I only have a couple packs. So it's at the bottom of a cardboard box right now! haha.

Then I have a scrapbook bag I bought on ebay with separate inside pouches velcro-ed in. I put all my sizors and glue, etc, in there.

and I have a big plastic bag for all my stamp sets...

Professional! I know! haha.

There's a reletively unused bookshelf in my house that I'm thinking of transfering everything into. But I need a workspace close by. Which involved throwing out a computer. lol.

sooo yea. I feel your pain. lol.

I just made a change that I think is going to work for me. I bought the clear plastic shoeboxes at WM (6 @ .97 ea.) and have them labeled by color, i.e. reds/pinks, black/white etc. I then purchased little fishing tackle boxes (sm. ones for $1.37 ea.) and I have two per box. In ea. one, I have brads, eyelets etc in the two colors. They fit in the shoe boxes perfect. Also, I have zip lock baggies in there with ribbon of the colors, and I bought some clear make up bags (sm. ones for $1.76 ea.) and they hold the flowers I have in that color. I also used the snack size baggies for buttons in the color.

Admittedly, I don't have as much supplies as some of the ladies here, but it's gonna work for me. I'm hoping to contain my buying so this method will always work for me. I will try to post pics soon in my gallery.

As you can see by my gallery, I have re organized my scraproom many times. I reorganized again since the last pics in my gallery too. I now have JetMax Cubes that all my embellies/stickers/etc are stored by theme. I then have a seperate drawer for each type of supply. I need a new system for my rubber stamps, but my clear stamps are stored in CD Cases. My paper is stored in my JetMax Cubes. Loose paper is sorted by theme, and packs are kept together and stored by alphabet.

My paper is in a 7-drawer sterilite rolling tower. CS sorted by color, pp by manufacturer. Clip-it-up for stickers and rub-ons, anything on a sheet; all are still hanging in the original packaging. Smaller embellies, rubber stamps (I only have a few), flowers, brads and junk, in small sterilite drawers. Acrylic stamps are in Cropper Hopper folders and bound together. Tools, paint and brushes on wall shelves. Adhesives in my desk drawer.
The most important thing is who you want your storage to work for YOU; if you go to crops alot, then you want to choose storage that is both functional and portable. If you host croppers at your home, you can choose storage based more on aesthetic appeal. There's so many cool options available to fit any need. Good luck!

I'm in the process of reorganizing my room and find I'm just going in circles and getting nothing done...Grrrr!!!!!
I like to organize 1st by mfg then by catergory if I don't have the entire line of a specific.
I'm trying really really hard to let go of some of this sb stuff but just can't do it which is why most of us have an issue when it comes to organizing and staying organized!

LOL! I am trying DESPERATELY to find a copy of Photo Freedom - nowhere to be had for less than a premium price for a used book, even!!!!

I have sterlite drawers (3 sets of 3 each 12x12's with the tops of two sets removed so that I could put them together into a stack of 9) with my scraps in them and that's where I think I would put the colored embellies - I just have to get some small boxes - was thinking about floss boxes - like the other poster who had makeup bags, etc. I would like to see pics of that set up.

I do red/pink, orange/yellow, green, blue, purple, black/grey, white/cream, brown, naked chipboard.

• daney Said:

I did a search on Google and found one at Biggerbooks dot com. I don't know anything about this retailer, but they show it as available and it is only 15.24. You might want to check it out.

• spend2much Said:

EXACTLY!!! I feel like I have been organizing for weeks and gotten nowhere, oh wait, I HAVE been organizing for weeks and don't feel like I have made much progress at all. I did manage to sort through all my paper and now have 6 inch stack that I don't want and I joined the 12x12 paper swap.

Well, I've got the pictures in my gallery, but since they've changed, I couldn't figure out how to post the image here. Maybe you can check it out.

Hey, I figured it out.

New Organization By Flintridgescrapper
Inside the Fishing Tackle Embellie Storage By Flintridgescrapper
Inside My Shoe Box By Flintridgescrapper
Inside of one of my boxes By Flintridgescrapper

dam n. Now the organization by color is starting to appeal to me. Grrr! I am almost finished organizing by type. LOL! I think I am not a scrapbooker, I am a scrapbook supply organizer!

Did you get the clear makeup bags at Wal-mart too?

I too have spent much time organizing and trying to find the right way to find things. I used to have the sectioned clear boxes (like flintridgescrapper) till I got too many boxes and had to have a rolling tote for boxes only. I go to crops alot and it was like "moving" just for a night out! Now I have a supersatchel which holds several boxes and has fold sdown sections on the sides and sections on the lid. Very easy to take to crops. For paper I tried the wire racks which too up too much space then tried the separate plastics to hold each color then put that on a shelf. Neither was very good for me. Now my paper is horizontal in two crates with cardboard dividers. It is so easy to leaf thru and find what i want. It is separated by color (patterns and solids) then have sections for leaves, winter,what matches together, textures, birthday/celebrate, kids, etc. This works best for me. I have to choose paper before I go to a crop but I can always add embellishments at home if i don't have time to plan each page I am making.

This year I hope to spend more time scrapping and less time buying and organizing!

Yep, I'm needing some more now. Have fun organizing!

Polly, I had found that online store with the book, too - but my browser said it wasn't a secure site - so I chickened out. Good price, tho!

Loving the pics of the shoeboxes! the make up bags seem perfect for the flowers!

I have a bunch of pictures of some of the various organization pieces I use in my gallery. I do some of my embellishments by color in the drawers, others are just loose in containers. I found that the color thing worked for me for some stuff but not for all.

I use all kinds of things to store stuff in, especially antique pieces, which are my favorites.

The large Art Bin boxes are great for flower storage by color. Just take out dividers to make more space for colors. I have a couple of them full of flowers and I do boy layouts all of the time. For crops I just throw stuff into the Thick clear Stampendous storage boxes.

I think you should arrange your storage for where you scrap the most. If you scrap mostly in a scrap room, you store things differently than if you have to do it at a crop or dining room. If you have too much stuff (what?) maybe taking pictures of some of it and putting on a rollodex type thingee can help you remember what you have. I have lots of embellishments on 6 different Clip it Ups.

Clear stamps store perfectly on a Clip it Up. I use mine more if I can see them and not have to dig for them. I have a pic in my gallery.

I just started to re-do much of my chipboards & foams then I realized I have nearly emptied everything & I too am a hoarder!!LOL! I had everything under control & knew where everything was for so long but then I started 2-3 projects, finished 1 or 2, then got a new card idea so there goes 1 or 2 more started. Then shopping & new stuff....need I go on!LOL, I have pics of the bins I used at the start of my dedicated area. Your basic shoe box storage & a label maker! Well I have added metal bins for 12x12 & others for different odds & ends. I can say that general categories give you more flexability but I had to add a storage for partialy used papers & the cut-outs I did not use. It is an ongoing process. You have got to use a mix of things & not 1 thing works for everyone either!

I have been a merchandizer for years, it is always a work in progress but if you have specialty items make a place for those. Make a place for books, tape & glue, ribbon, tools, scissors, etc. Use you biggest inventory to determine your categories. Deco items together, rubons, stickers, or go for letters & shapes, etc.

I too save little odds & ends that I think I need so I got a little sorter just for that, odds & ends. You will have to remember unless you can dedicate all your energy you may have a little mess from time to time. I love the 12x12 zip packs for started items & the binder organizers work great to binder smaller items & 8x11 or smaller paper.

Hey,If you wanna swap older items that have just sat around we could do an item for item let me know. Purging is good too! Refreash your creative bug. I would hate to think your blocked by what you are not able to sort but I UNDERSTAND! It is a great time to do it!!

Good luck, I hope you can manage!

I organize by color for the most part and love it!! I just put new flooring in my scraproom over the weekend and went through everything when I was putting it back. I have all my chipboard letters in the clear sterilite drawers. I have all my other chipboard in drawers sorted into 6 categories. I have flourishes, misc shapes, photo corners, puzzle pieces, chipboard printed with words, and frames. My paper is sorted by color with holidays, sports, and speciality papers seperated out. Right now they are in sterilite drawers but I really want to move to vertical storage on that eventually. Everything else, buttons, ribbon, eyelets, brads, flowers, and oddball embellishments are mainly by color with a few themes pulled out and one clear divided box of stuff that doesn't fit anywhere.

I went to organized by color/theme about a year ago (maybe a little more) and it certainly makes a difference when I get to sit and scrap. It is taking me a while to fine tune everything but I'm getting there. I have all the little stuff in clear divided (tackle box type) containers. I have all the ribbon in crystal light tubes. I punched holes in the plastic lid and run the ribbon out. I have corrugated cardboard bins ordered to put each color group in on my shelves. I'm hoping everything is finished up this week. I'll post pictures when I get it completely finished.

I've actually been de-organising... well, I guess it's still organising, but it's a different kind of organising for me, who is used to stowing away everything and having a special home for every single belonging! I'm slowly taking all my supplies out of their binders, boxes, and bins, and putting them out in the open where I can see them and use them.

I am lucky to have a 10X8 foot space in my basement for scrapping, and in it I have 3 large worktables arranged ina U shape and another wall that has a large bookshelf and 8 jetmax cubes. I also don't have nearly as many supplies as many people on these boards, so my everything-out-in-the-ope n approach wouldn't work for some. I'm using the walls above my workspace to install more shelves and rods to hold all my stuff right out where I can see it. I have all my store bought embellies, stickers, and alphas on a clip it up and can't wait to get my hands on another CIU for my clear stamps! I keep metal embellies, flowers, and buttons in clear jars on my bookshelf. I keep paper horizontally (I don't have much paper at this point so this works for me now) in the jetmax paper tray cubes, with cs arranged by colour, and pp arranged by manufacturer. I keep punches on curtain rods above one of my worktables.

The only thing I keep in drawers are scrap paper (each colour has it's own drawer in my jetmax 3-drawer cubes), and real-life scraps (tickets, boxes, pretty little packaging, etc. that I collect from life and use on my pages).

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