Punch storage?

I now have a massive amount of punches. When i get to my new scrap room Feb1st, how shall i store them? Help!

I have mine in plastic sterilite three-drawer units...each drawer holds a different brand...it works for now until it doesn't!

A lot of people use the over the door shoe bags. That is an awesome plan until you over-weigh it down and the hanger parts unbend and it falls on a heap on the floor.

I've thrown two shoe bags away in the past 2 years. Its is a really great idea but you really have to keep an eye on the weight. Punches are heavy. I would recommend that because it really is an awesome solution, just don't let it get too heavy. Since each shoe pouch holds several punches, that is a lot more weight than a pouch with a shoe in it.

Now I have a 2 shelf shoe rack (one of those cheap ones you assemble) in my credenza and the top is all Martha Stewart punches and the next shelf is some Martha Stewart and a few others.

The bottom shelf is EK Success and Stampin' Up and Misc. Punches.

I have a small basket next to the shelf with shaped punches (moose, palm tree and others) as well as my Fiskars squeeze punches and corner rounder punches.

I use the over the door shoe holder thing. It works well for me, but I notice that since I moved into my new scraproom and I hung it on the back of the door, I don't see them (I usually work with the door open) so I don't use them as much. In my old srap room I had it hanging on the closet door so I could see them. I tend to scan my room when I'm trying to think of embellishment or other things to add to my page, so if something is out of sight it's out of mind! But that's just me! The storage works well but the location of it could be better for me.

• Juansmom Said:

I have mine in plastic sterilite three-drawer units...each drawer holds a different brand...it works for now until it doesn't!

This is what I do, use the sterilite drawers. Mine are stacked 3 hi across a sturdy metal table which makes it really easy to access. My stamps are also in these drawers and the punches are stored with them according to theme (birthday,flowers,borders ,circles,etc).
Works well for me.

Each drawer is labeled and numbered. This is how the contents are identified in my stamp/punch catalog that I am in the process of making. I also have a small catalog of just punches that I am completing as I go along with this organizational project for 2014.


**to add - my heavier lucky 8 punches are stored across a wooden shelf, on the bottom.

When possible, go vertical!
I think we lose a lot of valuable space by not utilizing our walls.
I have every inch covered!
In my last set up, I had shelving, like 5 high, and all my punches were there. Worked very well, sturdy, easy to see and get. The higher up shelves of coarse held my least used punches and misc stuff, like my crimper and crop a dile.
Here is an old pic-
Scraproom clean up By ChansGram

I'm no help because I have only one small drawer of punches. But Donna, I wanted to say how happy I am for you that you're moving into your new place in only just over a month! That month will fly past. How exciting!

I love love the 6 drawer Alex unit from Ikea. I put shelf liner in from the kitchen section and they don't move around. I had the shoe holder but this is so much better. Plus I have the top for paper and the shallow drawers hold tons of other stuff. Mine has it on sale this week and if I had room I would get another.

I store most of mine on a shelf over my craft table because I like to have them within reach. I tend to use what I can see. My edge punches don't store well on a shelf though so I have them in a drawer.

Wow! These are great ideas! I think once i am in the room, ill try some of them and figure out which ones work. Thanks so much!!

• CorrieW Said:

And I have a variation on this. I did not have space for the 7 drawer so opted for the 6 drawer unit on casters. I was able to roll it under my desk.

It was on the expensive side but I did not want rods all over my walls and I just have far too many supplies!

Love the idea of drawer liners - duh! because the do slide around in the drawer.

Completed project By Armygirl
My punch shelf By Armygirl

This is how I store mine.

• corrie fan Said:

I got home and realized it was the 6 drawer unit. The shelf liner really helps. I even used that stuff under my furniture to stop the couch from sliding on the hardwood

Corrie,

Is yours on wheels or more of a tower?

I have seen the desk size ones for scrap supplies.

I have the taller one in my room for jewelry, makeup and some clothes - not great for clothes per se as the drawers are small but it works for the items I tossed in there.

The one on casters have drawers that are large enough to hold the pages in progress so I have one drawer for that.

It is on wheels and it holds a ton. I have my embossing powders heat tool washi tape wood stamps etc in one drawer. Punches take up another 3. One drawer has all my alpha dies, glitters, and other misc stuff. Another drawer has large ribbon spools, several rolls of miracle tape and other odds and ends. The drawers are very sturdy and on the top is my big crate of A.C. cardstock and my bin for scraps.

That is the one I have in my scraproom.

I have soooo many punches that they pretty much fill it up.

Yes, i have a huge, deep bookshelf that's going into my space. I was thinking of getting nice baskets for my punches and storing them on the bookcase...

Love love love my Alex drawer sets from ikea for punches. I am ADDICTED to punches. Especially border punches.

Great ideas! My punch collection is growing, so I'm looking for a new storage solution. Right now I just keep them in my cropper hopper on the floor. They are within reach, so I use them quite a bit.

I had my punches in a big basket but now they are standing on a shelf like good little soldiers.

When they were in a big basket I forgot which ones were on the bottom so I was forgetting about some of my favorites and they never got used. And when I wanted a particular one it was a pain digging through to find it.

I have a small basket for my 2 or 3 Fiskar squeeze punches, small shape punches and corner punches - about 10 in the basket but they are all small.

But the Martha Stewart has to be standing in rows so I can see what they are. The Fiskers and EK Success punches are also lined up in a way that I can see what they are. I outgrew baskets a long time ago for punches.

Lucky 8 are in the bottom of a file drawer and I always forget about them!

I have so many punches that I have to use different systems. For my Lucky 8's, they go in my Ikea rolling three tier shelf. Too heavy and don't stack well. For my older (non stackable) border punches, they go on hanging shoe bags (clear). My small rarely used punches go in a giant Iris container in the closet with the punches punched out so I can see what I have without going into the drawer. My Martha Stewart circle punches go in a decorative storage box. My AdvantEdge system also goes in a storage box. All of my Marvy Uchida punches go in long flat wicker baskets that can easily be seen. Also other random punches go in these three baskets that sit on ladder shelves. My favorite storage system is for my Martha Stewart punches and EKSucess punches. I found three 48 inch "floating" shelves. The punches stack nicely on these shelves and I have about 100 punches on these three shelves. I have several of these systems in my gallery, but have since redone my scrap room in order to accommodate my punch addiction.

You have all made me go to my punch collection and re-arrange. I started to count them but I really don't want to know!

Anyway, I don't know why but it felt like something was missing. Then I remember. I had bought a Creative Memories border punch system and nearly all the punches and packed them away. Completely forgotten them - brand new and never used.

Anyway, I got them out and put them with the rest of the punches. Without this thread I may have never remember them again and there are some cool punches that go with that system. I never learned how to use them so now I will have to watch a Youtube and figure it out.

I have some Waverly boxes and some baskets that I have my punches in. I like having stuff hidden. My husband and I are planning a space swap. He is getting my office space (which would be a bedroom space) and I am getting his space we refer to as the library. It has a large built in. When we do that, I have a old wooden CD rack that I might try out for my punches. We'll see. It will be while before this is all accomplished. Moving computers etc is going to be a pain. I'm actually worried about my storage situation. But the good thing is that my new space will have more natural light and I will be happy about that.

Oh, I have some tiny punches, I have those and my smallest stamps and little embossing powders, glitter jars in one of those hanging jewelry holders that has about 60 pockets. You can get those at M's and Tuesday Morning.

Henri, you are gonna love the cm border punch!! It is by far one of my favorite tools of all time!!

I bought a hang-over-the-door unit that has 48 clear pockets of differing sizes that works perfectly for all my punches. Of course, my collection isn't near the size that you ladies have, but it works great for me. I love being able to see what I need & it be within easy reach for when I need it.

I think that idea might work for me. I only have 4 ms punches, and about 30 other punches. Where did you get yours, flower girl?

• Henri Jean Said:

Ha! I have that one also. It is in the box with AdvantEdge system. I don't have a bunch of punches to go with it.

I usually love the CM stuff, but didn't fall in love with the border system. My favorite is the AdvantEdge edger because the punches are so big.

I'm anxious to play with the CM punch system but it won't be anytime soon unfortunately.

Today was serious shopping for the upcoming vacation. Do you know how much stuff you have to buy for a 113 day cruise! Unbelievable!

Wednesday is a packing day and then Thursday it is a take care of details before walking out the door for 4 months and I have a 2:00 hair appointment on Thursday.

I'm working on Athens layouts so if I finish packing early enough tomorrow I will work on those and the same Thursday night.

I would work on them tonight but I'm tired and so is Bill. It may be New Year's eve but we are going to bed as soon as we do 1 more load of laundry!

Not sure if I would want to be on a boat that long, but I would love for someone to cook for me that long.

I got it at Bed, Bath & beyond, about 3 months ago:)

We have found that the longer we are on the ship the more it feels like home and the more disappointing it is to have to leave at the end of the line. We want that to be our permanent home!

I especially like that every time I leave my cabin - the bed is made and it is clean when I go back, even if I just go for lunch.

And I like waking up in a different city or country every day and am able to get out an explore while someone else is cleaning and cooking for me. WE get used to it very quickly!

Henri, when you get back from your rockstar world tour...pm me m I'll talk you through a cm border punch tutorial...its pretty foolproof!! I like to punch borders out of scrap solid cardstock so they are handy. I've also used them to punch a border on a photo, or used the punched photo trimmings as cool borders.

I will do that Chris. Thanks for the offer. By the way, am I totally loosing my mind or are you in the New York area? We have license plate convention and will be in Rochester around June or July and then may take off for Canada or somewhere. But I will be in Rochester for 5 or 6 days.

Way back when our avatars used to also have our city, state or countries on them and I hate that they did away with that. Was so nice just to look and see where someone was lived!

I tried all kinds of storage for punches and still trying more ideas) The key point for me is that I have to see the designs. if I don't see them, I don't use them. So, jumping from that.. shoe holder on the door - you can see, but you have to look behind the door. works well for Fiskars punches (they are awkward to store, though recently I discovered they are stackable in a drawer). Wall rods are great for Martha's punches and StampinUp, but don't work with Fiskars and EK. Deep drawers (sterilite etc) are best for flat EK punches, since they have design sticker on the top and you can store them vertically and still see all designs when you open the drawer. If you go with sterilite, get one with deep AND shallow drawers, and put it on the floor (under the desk maybe) - the floor will hold the weight, shallow drawers are great for fiskars punches and smaller ones, the deep drawer will hold all EK and still have room for dies. The other type of punches is Marvy type - those need to stand vertically and be seen from the side. tiered spice racks and medicine cabinets are perfect for that.
Then there's lucky 8... no shoe rack will hold those, you can almost use them for exercise routines they are so heavy))
anyway..

see below - in Marci's scraproom - she is using a tiered spice rack to show off the punches

Scraproom View-5 (& 6 here) By MarciLB

• Henri Jean Said:

okay now you are just boasting Henri))) I don't commiserate, not at all)) will trade places, i'll do all the shopping for you if I get to go on a four-month cruise!

You are so right about all the different punch designs, and they really don't all store well all the same way! As far as seeing the designs, I need that too so I punch all of my designs on black cardstock and put them in a notebook. Just a small example of each like the corner and one punch of the edge of a Punch Around the Page. I label each with it's name. That is what I look at to decide what to use on a LO. That way I'm not trying to look and rummage around through the actual punches trying to decide.

The amount of storage needed could become an issue for me, so I'm trying to be very careful about what I buy and not duplicate similar designs. And for that reason I never have purchased one of the Lucky 8 punches even tho there is one or two I really like. They are so huge and even the Mini 8 are pretty big. I am considering the MS Circle Edge Punch but I'm still waffling on it.

I'll toss my two cents in. I've seen a ton of fantastic punch storage ideas but have a system that works for me, and it's not likely I'll change. I keep an index book. I punched a sample of each punch that I have (including border punches) on black scrap paper and glued them into the book. I store the actual punches in those 12x12 Iris boxes. On each box I have a labeled number, and next to the sample in my index book, I pencil in the number of the box where that particular punch is stored (pencil because they change periodically). It's waaaay simple, but I know I can go to my index book and find the right stamp instantly (I keep my punch samples together, i.e. all stars, all circles, etc.) and go straight to it. Right now I have 16 boxes.

That's the ideal way to do it IMO. Isn't it way easier to look though your book of examples to decide what to use?

I love this idea!! Think i might try this for sure in my new room! Thanks!

Actually Olesya, I love to travel and go on cruises but I love to stay home just as much. I don't really have a preference. As long as I'm with Bill I'm good. I just as happy either way.

If my husband said we weren't going to travel anymore I would be just fine, not disappointed at all.

There are good things about traveling and cruising and things just as good about staying home. I had dinner with one of my best friends last night and she talked about all the crops and things they will be doing and there was a pang of disappointment that I'm not going to be with her. One of the girls is having a 3-day birthday party in Sanibel and I really want to go!

I miss doing a lot of things that I really want to do and it is very hard for me make new friends and keep them because once I leave, they don't completely forget me but they do go on without me. Its just the way it is. I have a lot of trouble with that - its hard on me. I miss my friends here!

Last night when I packed toothpaste and shampoo and soap for 4 months and also enough cold medicine, antibiotics, allergy meds, cold medicine, Nyquil, medicine for tooth aches, kaker sores, abbreva for fever blisters, and everything else that might happen just in case - every kind of tummy ache medicine, pain reliever - there is one huge entire suitcase with nothing but meds and toiletries! I'm hoping 4 cans of shaving cream will be enough for my husband! Not to mention mouthwash for 4 months and every things else for 4 months! That suitcase must weight 80 pounds and it barely shuts.

Add to that all the makeup I will need for 4 months - an amazing amount. I don't wear it around the house but when we travel I always have it because Bill always has a camera pointed at me.

Wish they would bring back the old steamer trunks! We could use a pair of those!

But I am looking forward to going, but dreading leaving! We were going to leave first thing this morning and the van isn't even cleaned out yet! We are dragging our feet!