Tip of the Month

Organization is the theme for this month's question. How do you organize your supplies? Do you know what is in your stash?? Any ideas or suggestions on how to get a handle on your supplies? Share and inspire others

kathy m from San Jose CA writes...
Organizing my stash is a constant battle. I swear these supplies multiply in the dark, because I know I\'m not buying all of them. Anyways, I try to keep like items together. I also read recently that you should take stuff out of its original packaging, because it will use less room. I can\'t wait to read your answers.

NC Jennifer writes...
I am fortunate because I have the whole closet to use in a spare bedroom. I have my paper organized in the wire cubes (what an affordable way to store paper!). I have a small storage unit/chest in the closet that I use for everything else. I use iris carts for my scraps, punches, adhesives, other miscellanous supplies.

cheryl p from Camillus, NY writes...
Well, I have a corner of my dh\'s office for my sb stuff. I keep my cardstock in two places- my less used colors in the closet on wire racks that I got from Michaels and then my more often used colors in a magazine basket that I got from a home interiors show under my desk. I keep all of my embellishments stored in Iris carts, each drawer is labelled by Manufacturer, and products are sorted accordingly. It makes it much easier on me. Finally, I keep patterned paper sorted by manufacturer in large rubbermaid-like file boxes. I know where to find everything that way and can coordinate with my embellishments if items are sorted by manufacturer.

Tracy *SBA* from Tomahawk writes...
I have to pack all my stuff back up in my XXL and my other bags every time I am done scrapbooking because I don\'t have a room of my own for scrapbooking so everything gets stored in the corners of my bedroom which is getting very full. So what I do is I have a place for everything. All my fibers are wrapped around those little cardboard things and in a plastic container, and what don\'t fit I have in a great big envelope in a side pocket of one of my bags. All my eyelets are sorted by color/shapes and are in watch tins which fit nice in my bags. Then I have two of the CM small bags filled with tags and MM stuff and other embellishments and they fit nicely into the middle CM bag. I have small tins filled with Joleens that I can slide into my bags. So when every I get something new I have a spot for it and every time I scrapbook everything goes back into the same place it makes it so much easier when I\'m looking for things. Everything has a bag and in every bag there is a place for everything. So now I guess your wondering how many bags I have..... LOL I have a big XXL the old CM over the shoulder bag which I keep all my stickers in and adhesive and sissors, Then I have 5 CIS punch bags which I have filled with all my punches and they have extra storage for odd ball things. Then I have the second biggest CM bag which has all of my idea books and embellshments. And I have a great big bag that I got with my xyron which I have nice plastic 12 x 12 containers for all of my paper. And a binder with all my templates in it and what ever else doesn\'t fit some where else. Oh and I have a great big plastic tote from the dollar store with all my sizzix in it. This is a pain in the butt because I have to take everything out to use it but it\'s not that bad because I have to pack it away when I\'m done using it anyway....

cherie Stanley from Texas writes...
Well, my stuff in crammed in the corner of my dining room. Anout the only organization I have is that I try to keep like items together. My stamps I have lined up in my china hutch (I gave up on finne china years ago..LOL). My ink pads are all in a rubbermaid tote in the corner of my work space so that I see them easily. I have a standing tv tray under my work space with all of my boxes of embellishments on it so I can pull it out and find what I need and push it back under! The thing I love the most is my pampered chef tool turn-about. I keep all of my pens(just learned they need to be kept writing tip down!), scissors, rulers, glue pens, you name it, it\'s in there. I have a tub for all of my new things. I just throw them in the tub and ever so often check it out till they find a permanent home. I really want to turn my carport into my scrap room..maybe some day then I could really get organized, until then I\'ll do what I can.

ShelleyinGA writes...
I\'m just now organizing my new scrap room. I bought a 6 foot table from Home Depot. That gives me enough room to leave my Sizzix and sewing machine out all the time and still have plenty of room to work. We have our computer and printer in a separate little corner on a small desk. I use the computer alot for journaling. DH put some shelving in the closet, so I can put alot of things in there, out of sight. Alot of stuff like my albums, sizzix dies, paints, Xyron machine, rotary trimmer, etc. all go in the closet. Awhile back, I bought the scrapbooking organization TSV on QVC. Alot of little pieces to put together, but I HIGHLY recommend it. It has tons of great things for storage!! I had the wire racks for my paper (from Target) but find they take up too much floor space (which is a huge consideration to me because of my wheelchair). So, I\'m thinking I may invest in some more paper holders and put them in my closet. Right now I keep alot of it in pizza boxes, but think the holders might be a better alternative since they stand upright and it\'s much easier to see what you have in these.

Heather B. writes...
For small embellishments (i.e. metals, tags, etc.) I use clear jars of all shapes and sizes that I\'ve picked up at craft stores and garage sales. They make for a neat display on my shelf. I have elfa-style shelves above my scrap desk for all of my stuff. I use a sizzix tower for my stamp pads, a shallow cigar box for foam stamps, and a combination of target cubes and CH vertical paper holders for my 12x12 paper. 8.5x11 paper goes in a hanging file drawer in my desk. I recently bought these ribbon storage containers at my Target store and LOVE them for ribbon. Before, I had spools of ribbon on a dowel that hung between two curtain rod holders that were screwed into the bottom of one of my shelves. My MM Magnetic stamps and unmounted stamps in CD holders are in a small vertical CD holder from Walmart. I had them all stacked before, but this makes it easier to get them in and out. The box for the handle fits perfectly underneath. All of my alphabets are organized by letter in a CH embellishment box. This makes it faster to figure out what words I can spell out! Other than that, I use cigar boxes for a TON of stuff! They look really cool stacked on my shelves.

Sherri Leonard from All Scrapped Up Inc, Seattle writes...
The new fiskars ultimate 5 piece organizer! WoW! It has 4 different organizers that all fit inside! They can all be labeled. One for your scrapbook, one for your punches, one for 8.5 x 11, and one for 12 x 12. It also has a 3 ring binder with \"ziplock\" style pages that will easily allow you to remove pages without getting bent. It also has a table! When your scrapbooking on the go or if you are really limited to space this is really cool! Side pockets that store everything. It even has a pen organizer. To top it off, if you have more items than can fit into the organizer, all 4 smaller organizers easily stack on top securely. I love this thing!

vanna from Vanna writes...
I use Iris carts for my punches and sizzix sets. I use the little drawer sets made for nuts and bolts for sizzix alphabets on my desk in the closet. On top of the desk I keep QK tool, punch pal, and sizzix machine. Above that I have shelves with a paper sorter/mail slot thing to store 8.5 x 11 paper. I also have an armoire where I store 12 x12 paper in the clear acrylic trays. My favorite tip is using the pampered chef tool turnabout for my most used tools, like scissors, tape, rulers, etc. I also use tabletop iris drawers for storing metal embellishments. I use old Christmas tins for storing fibers too.

Donna in NJ writes...
Organizing my patterned paper by manufacturer helped a lot. I also bought some of the Target cubes and built them vertically ... each level has a differen color cardstock. I also sorted through and cleaned out all the embellishments I knew I\'d never use and donated them. The last thing I do every time I finish a layout is clean up my work area, otherwise it gets out of hand ... and then I can\'t find anything.

Susan from Central PA writes...
Organization is an on-going battle in my scrap room. But the tried and true things I\'ve found are to keep small embellishments and small ink pads in floss boxes, keep larger ink pads & embellishments too large for floss boxes in photo storage boxes. I have a photo storage box dedicated to all my adhesives. I found it\'s best to keep everything in containers that can stack and are either see through or can be labeled. My wm stamps are in iris carts & my um ones are in large 3-rind binders (use the Aleene\'s Tack It Over & Over method). I keep my cs in hanging folders & my misc. pp are kept in plastic cropper hopper 12x12 exp. envelopes. Mags, idea books & scrapbooks are kept on the bookshelf. QK tool & binder have a home on a shelf in my desk.

Rinda from El Granada writes...
I sort my pix as soon as I get them back from the developer in a photo file, so I know what needs to be scrapped. Pix for kids\' school days albums go into the protectors of each album. 12x12 and 8.5x11 paper stored together, by color, in hanging cropper hopper system. The only ones that are separated are white/neutral - I have a separate 8.5x11 and 12x12 file for each of those. Patterned papers are stored separately - I have a 12x12 file folder and two 8.5x11 file folders. For the latter, I use the CM 10x12 paper keepers, and they work well. Fibers are on floss bobbins in a floss container. Eyelets and tools are together in a pencil box holder. Tags are all together in my tag tin. Small embellisments (buttons, clips, nailheads, etc.) are in cropper hopper sorters. Flat embellishments (envelopes, spider leaves - how did I get so many of those?? - are on the other side) Mini-brads are sorted by color in tiny baggies and then all in one small tupperware container. Magic mesh are in baggies. UM stamps, on halos, are in notebook binders. Ink pads in tool box. Mounted stamps are overflowing their iris cart (LOL!). Swap and store-bought embellishments are in CM storage bags - they ones they make that look like PSB\'s. The few stickers I have left are there, tool. Page kits from swaps are in CS pizza boxes. That\'s it! I\'ve put a lot of time into organizing, and I hope it helps someone else. Rinda

Phyllis in IL writes...
I finally decided to organize all of my embellishments according to theme. I used to put all stickers together, all dies cuts together etc. Now I use the 12x12 holders for the CIS and fill them by themes like summer, Christmas, etc. I have one for all flower stuff since that really isn\'t a theme. I also put all my letter stickers and titles in a different CIS. My metal stuff in those divided tray boxes and my paper in the expandable CIS and leave it up and open in my room. When I buy stuff I put it on my table and before I scrapbook, I put my stuff away. This helps me with looking at what I already have.

Barb from PA writes...
I organize my stuff in plastic containers. All my markers in one, tape in another, etc. I am planning on getting more organized this year by putting my stickers in an album so I can see them. I don\'t know what I have and don\'t have with them just in a drawer. As far as my magazines, I cut them up and tape the layouts I want on cardstock and put it in plastic sleeves in one album and divide them by one, two, etc. pictures on a page. Not really by Christmas and other holidays because you can adjust it to be your own. I can use the one photo pages for cards. And, for my rubber stamps, I bought a tool box from Wal-Mart to put all those in and keep them in one spot. This way if I want to take them along to make cards, I can just grab my toolbox.

mamichelle writes...
I have Sauder armoire that has two doors with several little shelves, interior shelves, leg that folds out with a shelf. I put all of my ribbon (overflowing now) on a dowel holder I inherited from DMIL, all sizzix dies on one door and stamps on the other. I have a mini iris under the leg that holds all of my stamp pads (full), pens and scissors are in PC tool turn about and sitting on shelf with sizzix, punches on one shelf, oval/circle, etc. shapes on another shelf, idea books (what I can fit) on one shelf, fibers in mini iris but overflowing. Paper is in file drawer with box bottom folders so the 12x12 fits. I need more stamp storage so I\'m buying a shelf soon to put in the corner.

LittleScrapper from Racine, WI writes...
I swear I do more organizing than actual scrapping!!! But I finally have a system I like! I think the best thing I ever did to help me use the supplies I\'ve been hoarding is to put them into my PSB!!! Instead of just using it for stickers, I\'ve found that some of the more sub-divided inserts will hold a lot of embellishments such as tags, charms, metal words, book plates, etc. Now, instead of searching through boxes and drawers of stuff, I simply flip to the right page in my binder, where I can SEE everything!!

krcrafts from VA writes...
I use Iris carts to store my rubber stamps and supplies and label each drawer. It\'s so much easier to read what it is in each drawer than looking all over creation for it! Also, I have a literature organizer in my craft room and have turned it so that my paper and/or books are organized vertically. That helps in keeping the paper from wrinkling and tearing.

Betsy in AR from cmsnt40@cs.com writes...
in small ziploc bags, with a corner cut off and the end fed through. I keep them color coded on rings. I can then look at a specific color and only have to pull what I use through the corner of the bag. 2) I keep my loose themed rubber stamps together in Iris carts. 3) I LOVE the shelf I just bought and store my paper on. I keep my cardstock organized by color, along with my patterened paper. I keep certain companies sorted also. I use the chipboard that the stores get with the paper to use as my dividers and have labeled them also. 4) I keep my micro beedz in film containers. I put a piece of double sided tape and put a small amount of the beedz on the lid, so I can find the right color at a glance. 5) I keep my adhesives, scissors, most commonly used tools and pens in a silverware organizer (like you would see at a picnic) on my table and leave everything else put away. I like to think this keeps my table less messy (I think I am kidding myself here, lol!) 6) I keep a small cup on my table to through loose embellishments in and then put them away when I have time. I think that\'s about it from me Betsy

Jill in Texas from Texas writes...
Right now I am totally re-organizing my scrapbook room because it really did get out of hand last year. I use the Artbin Megabin\'s for embellishment storage. I am laying out all of my embellishments on the floor and in each little plastic box (9x5 inches, I think), is going to be one manufacturer of products. Making Memories is one, Rusty Pickle in another, 7 Gypsies in another and so on. My paper right now is in two wooden EK Success paper racks, I am going to keep them in color order, but for the patterned paper I am going to divide that up by season, event, holiday and file those away in paper files that I can take with me to crops or store away so that I can find it easier when I am doing a specific page. In my PSB I keep all of my stickers and paper scraps. Stickers are in order and so are the paper scraps. I keep the paper scraps in the chunky refills and in color order, pink with pink, blue with blue. Having my paper scraps like this really keeps them organized. At the end of each year, if I don\'t use the paper scraps I send them as a RAK to someone. That way someone else can find a use for them that I haven\'t thought of already. In my Navigator I keep a paper sorter filled with different colors of paper for when I go to crops, I also keep my QK, markers and other things in there that i know I am going to use. My photos are all in their own yearly box, waiting to be scrapbooked, which is my goal this year, get organized and get scrapbooking!

Cynthia from Indiana writes...
I organize my paper by color in rainbow order (cs and pp separated). 8 1/2x11 paper is filed in a portable file box. 12x12 paper is in a wide-drawer Iris cart and in a Paper Taker. My stickers are in a Paper Sticker Binder. My small embellishments/tags/cutting tools/markers/etc. are arranged in marked plastic shoe boxes. The lids on them make them easy to stack.

Meesie from PA writes...
Even though I have a custom made scrap desk, I still have a ton of stuff to organize. I\'m a person who is never completely satisfied anyway, so I\'m always reorganizing stuff. What has worked for me so far is: 1. Cardstock in a hanging drawer by rainbow colors. 2. Patterned papers in another drawer by ABC categories. 3. Punches on the door in a punch holder. 4. Solid scraps in \"pizza boxes\" which are labeled and stored without the lid in some lucite office storage cubes I found at Staples. 5. Patterned papers are in an iris cart by colors. 6. Embellishments, QK and other stuff are in small containers then grouped in photo boxes (all the same solid color for neatness) for easy stacking. 7. Sizzix are it the great storage containers that TXQ\'s hubby made and the alphas are in the ones Sizzix sells. 8. Label everything! I love my label maker and use it everywhere. 9. Organize vertically! This keeps more work surface available.

Teresa in Ohio from Cold ole Columbus, Ohio writes...
My organization is fairly simple. First, I TRY not to buy things that I know that I am not going to use due to limited storage space. I have a good supply of paper that I keep in my paper holder bag. I sort it by color scheme (blues, reds, yellows, etc.) All other items (photos, brads, eyelets, fibers, adhesives, etc.) separated in just the right size plastic box. I then keep the individual plastic boxes in one large plastic \"tote\". I force myself to keep things tidy this way and have to pack everything up everytime I finish a project. I just slip the tote and paper holder bag in the pantry and then just pull it out the next time I get the urge! Note: I learned a great time saving way of organizing photos from a poster here (Jill in Chicago). Once I have my photos developed, I immediately date them and then separate the photos by themes that I would like to scrap. I then put those individual groupings (or put them with ones that I already have done) in plastic baggies. That way I can grab a bag and have all of my pictures for that page all together! (ie: baby\'s firsts, brother pics, vacation, etc.) Again ~ nothing fancy...but it sure works for me!

Jill in Chicago from Roselle, IL writes...
I have all my solid colored cardstock stacked on clear shelves. It is so easy to find what I am looking for. (Shelves available at Archiver\'s.) I have small drawers for all my fibers divided up by color families. These drawers sit right on my work space. I have 2 big trays with lids for buttons, and other small items. I can just look in and see what I have. I use huge 3 ring binders, divided up by theme for stickers, sticker letters, titles and anything else that fits. That way I just flip to the right topic to see what I can use. When I scrap I set up a folding chair. On the chair is a big box for files. Each file has, by color, scrap paper. You still have to dig through it, but at least you know where to look. My ribbon that is on spools hangs from a coat hanger on the end of a shelf. The rest of the ribbon is filed with the fibers by color. On my work table I have separate small drawers for: eyelets, brads, threads, fibers, glitter, tags, envelopes... The drawers are labeled on the outside.

Janet in AR from Arkansas writes...
Organization is never-ending for me also. I’m blessed to have half of our home office including the closet for my supplies and albums. It seems I use my room for a quick card projects, preparing for the monthly crops I attend and adding the journaling to my finished pages. I also enjoy at least 2 to 3 weekend retreats a year. I try to plan pages, pull the paper and embellishments before crops and stack them in pizza type boxes so I don’t have to carry everything. I still take my P3 full of cardstock, and my navigator with the basics and page kits, and this tackle box with my small embellishments. My 12 x 12 cardstock is in a CIS P3 and my patterned 12 x 12 is in a cropper hopper tote. I have 2 file boxes that I can place my 8-1/2 x 11 paper in for crops. (It normally lives in file cabinets that hold up my hollow core door work table. The door is 80” long painted and stamped to match my room.) All my paper is filed by color except for a few folders in the CH filed by brand. (ie: KI and Chatterbox). I also have a 6 drawer iris cart under my table and it now holds the stuff I use often adhesives, alpha stamps, punches, rub-ons, and other new embellishment purchases I have plans for. I have a CIS-PSB for stickers and stuff, a small tackle box from Wally that has 4 floss type boxes in it. 1-1/2 is filled with fibers, the rest with buttons, metal MM stuff, brads, small tags…etc. My ribbons are in a basket in small jewelry bags right now. I have a few 12 x 12 trays on my table for pages that need journaling (my January goal!) and a place to throw my scraps until they can be filed in the What-cha-ma-box (remember those for CM paper) in the closet. It had folders by color. I try to use my scraps for matting and cards. The closet has albums empty and full, iris carts with stamps and stamp pads, and cutting tools I use occasionally. ALL my pictures are in that closet – scrapped and not scrapped. I have bracket shelves above my work table and several willow baskets to hide stuff in…it needs to be cleaned…the tackle box thing, my pens, ribbon, negatives and CD back up in photo boxes, glue, eyelets in the metal box, a notebook of templates, are on those shelves. Some regular office stuff too. My magazines and idea books are piled on a book case with the computer stuff. I try to keep them cleared out and only subscribe to Simple Scrapbooks at this time.

Roxy from Ontario, Canada writes...
Hi I don\'t have a tip sorry. But I really enjoyed reading all of the ones posted here. I have a space in our basement 18 x 18 and it has three windows. I want to make it into a scrapbook/stamp and sewing room. I have all the toys for scrapbooking and some stamps but I also have a Serger and a couple really nice sewing machines. We\'re talking bare walls here. So I am starting from scratch. Partitions, drywall and flooring. Right now I scrapbook close to this area but its unfinished too. I want it to feel like I\'m in one of the rooms upstairs. Where I am scrapbooking now will become an exercise room and games room. (hopefully) Its going to take some time doing it as the money comes in. I just can\'t picture how to do it. I have done all kinds of searches on help to design a scrapbook room but I\'m not getting great results. If any of you know some great sites to get ideas on how to create my room I would really appreciate it. Also any ideas you might have too would be awesome.

Terri from Ohio writes...
It may sound time consuming, but I have an inventory list of all punches, die cuts, stamps, ... in my computer. When I buy new stuff, I add it in right away. I can take my list when I shop, or compare with friends and family for coordinating crop stuff. I also saw a lady with index cards labeled with manufacturer, and sample punches out of scrap paper glued on the cards so she would always know what she already has.

SnoopMurph from AZ writes...
Most of the organizational ideas I use are ones that I read in the posts already(I feel a sense of validation!). I use a PC tool turnabout for my tools, like scissors, stylus, eyelet setters, also colored pencils, glue sticks, my Hermafix dispenser, etc. I also have a small two-drawer box, one drawer hold stamp pads, the other my adhesive stash, including glue dots, photo tape, refill tabs, pop dots. I have a Zig Writer Pen Caddy with my pens. Ribbon/fibers are kept in a floss organizer on floss cards. Stamp sets on are one shelf together. I have a box with my Bazzill swatch papers (I hate the ring, I would rather flip through them. I have a PSB for stickers, rub ons, and flatter embellishments, tags, frames. I have two small plastic boxes for bulkier embellishments. Scraps are kept in manila pocket file folders by color. I also try to punch out squares or shapes with small scraps to eliminate waste of paper. I have a small drawer of all punches. I keep photos in the CH photo totes. I have a drawer for 8.5x11 paper in file folders by color, 12x12 is stored in CH plastic paper holder. Eyelets, beads, brads, charms are stored in a bead organizer box. My idea books are in a magazine holder and if it gets full, I then go through to see if there is any book that I don\'t really use anymore and reshuffle. I keep a sketch book filled with quotes, sketches and ideas from magazines, which remains front and center on my desk. I also keep a Generations photo keeper with cards that either friends have made or I made, which I can either spend the time to make a card, or in a rush, grab one that is completed already. By the way, loved reading all the posts on this topic!!! :)

Liz from Illinois writes...
To store brads and other small embellishments, I use the plastic film cases from 35mm. Some are clear so you can see what\'s in them. Another idea is to use either the glass or plastic baby food jars, these will even fit the bigger buttons.

Tiffany from Ontario-Welland writes...
I buy stroage kits when they come on sale and use them for all my tools. I also invested in protable folder holders that I can pick up and bring with me where ever I am scrapbooking.

Dorthy from Milford, OH writes...
I have 1/2 room for my SB supplies. I have an 8 ft. table that looks to the middle of the room. I have a swivel chair and storage cubes behind. The cubes hold all my papers. I mix 8.5x11 with 12x12, because color is more important to me. Idea books are stored in cubes along with extra albums & extra page protectors. My table holds a school supply box with my most used tools. Trimmer, Xyron X, QuicKutz, and small box of eyelets, brads, etc are on my table also. I keep the latest 2-3 issues of magazines there too. My iris cart to the left holds my punches. My iris cart to the right holds stamping and painting supplies. I created a cube by my feet that holds craft envelopes full of supplies by theme. Each project in progress is in a craft envelope on top my table. Fibers are in a craft envelope in this cube. I keep scraps sorted by color in an accordian file by my feet. Behind me on top of the cubes are: plastic shoe box holding my ribbbons. There is a 3 drawer table top iris container with pens, then cutting tools, then adhesives in the drawers. There is also a basket holding completed cards. I also have a small table to the left that holds all photo boxes and lesser used supplies. I store craft bags under that table. I clean up my crop table once a week. Keeping the projects in craft envelopes makes that easy. that swivel chair and having everything within my fingertips helps to make me more productive.

Amanda from Arizona writes...
I LOVE the tic-tac containers for my eyelets and brads! I can fit a whole MM container in one, and have plenty of room for more! They are TINY... I fit 4 floss containers full of them into a 6x9 drawer organizer!

kim houk from roanoke, va writes...
One of the most valuable things I\'ve acquired is an A-Z expandable file folder from Wal-Mart for $4. Instead of using the letters I labeled each pocket with a different theme or category in which I seperate & store all my stickers. It has saved tons of time & I know what I have so I don\'t buy the same thing twice. It also makes it easy to pick my stuff up & go.

Jaelyn Korsch writes...
I like to keep my scrapbooking supplies on shelves and in drawers and small boxes in my scrapbooking office. I always make sure to keep the supplies that I use daily at arms reach on safe lignin free shelves above my scrapbooking desk. I use seperate see through containers on the shelves for my frequently used supplies and seperate my pens, pencils,rulers and cutting tools into seperate containers. My papers and albums are kept in a tote. Supplies that are not used often are put into a drawer in my desk and I have a special tray in my desk for scraps.

Michele in Maine from Maine writes...
My sb area is one corner of a large attic room. I have two long tables meeting in a \"v\" in the corner, and underneath one I store three 3-drawer IRIS carts, with labelled drawers containing embellishment supplies, xyron stuff, inks/pads/embossing powders, etc. Above my work table are two narrow shelves. My husband drilled small holes along the facing edge of the shelves, and then inserted short lengths (8-10 inches) of welding rods in the holes and turning the end upwards. That way I can store all the small embellishments that come in small packages (like Jolie stickers, slide mounts, metal things, etc.) just like a store would and I can see everything easily! I also have several 2-gallon ziplock bags filled with themed embellishments for each holiday, summer, and birthday related items, including paper. These are stored in my cropper hopper tote (the one with pentaflex folders in it). The rest of my patterned paper is stored in that also, by color/pattern. Wire cubes store my cardstock. I also have many small iris drawer sets, with each drawer labelled for contents, including one set just for paper scraps.

Shirley from Pascagoula. MS writes...
Can any of you tell me what an iris cart is and where you got it? It seems all the posted messages liked it very well and I am interested in getting better organized. Thanks!

Krista Hague from New Castle, DE writes...
It took me awhile to get organized, but in thge end it has been such a time-saver and really feels good to know where everythint is and that it\'s ready to go at a moments notice. Here\'s what I LOVE ti use:) POWER SORT BOX-photo-safe and holds over 2400 pictures and comes w/12 dividers. Best thing I ever bought! Great to know that all your pictures are in one place and that you have a place ready for incoming photos. NEGCARE BOX-safely Stores/labels 100\'s of negatives. JOURNALING MATE CASE-Stores all of your Journaling pens and travels well. POWER LAYOUT BOX-Allows you to safely stoe and pre-layout the albumyou are currently working on. MEMORY ACCESSORY BINDER-Perfect for storing stickers, paper, die cuts, idea books, etc in one easy-travel Binder. I absolutely LOVE this one! MEMORY MATE CASE AND ALBUM TOTE-This is where I store my punches, cutting system, adhesives, album, etc. Well organized and ready to travel:)

Renae Carson from Georgia writes...
When I first started scraping (before I got my rolling travel bag) I had a plastic hanging file folder tote for my different papers various clear tupperware boxes for my stamps and embellishments. For my pens, scissors and rulers, I saved a a glass cola six pack container and six toilet paper rolls, I covered them (both the rolls and the case)with fun wrapping paper (but I suppose you could paint them too)stuck the rolls into the slots and put one staple in each roll so the don\'t fall over. It worked really well till I took the stuff out and some body sat on it. :) Oh Well! HAPPY SCRAPING

Bea from Wisconsin writes...
Page Managers!! to me they are the best thing since sliced bread! They are great for organizing everything for a layout. They are clear plastic holders with a velcro closure for the front flap, which comes over the top to keep everything dust free. The back part holds up to 12x12 paper. Then there are four pockets in front, two on each side. The bottom, shorter one on each side holds photos, stickers, die cuts, etc. The two pockets behind these on each side in front are longer to hold borders, long sheets of stickers, etc. I love these! I can start with a photo and add what I want to go with it, or with a piece of paper, cardstock, stickers, whatever that I just bought and then add to it the photo(s) that go with it. They are so versatile! Did I say I love these?! I also love my PSBs. I couldn\'t scrap without them. I have my stickers and diecuts organized alphabetically by theme: baby, birthday, children, seasons, sports. I follow these same themes in organizing my patterned paper, which I keep in Generations expandable holders. Also love my Cropper Hopper work station for paper/cardstock. Keeps everything dust free since it has a cover on it. The clear cover lets me see what\'s inside. Actually, right now I\'m using it to store items in folders for each child and grandchild so they\'re handy when I want to do a LO for that person. Also love my PC tool turnaround to keep easily accessible the tools that I use frequently. Tools not in there are in an Iris cart that sits right next to me, such as glass mats, circle scissors. Punches (I use them, never invested in die cutting machine) are in drawers in Iris Carts, acc. to size and theme. Tiny punchies are in little drawers in a container for screws,nuts, etc. in a hardware dept. at the store. We all would like to spend our money on supplies, I\'m sure, but I have found that gettting everything organized really makes it easier and much more fun to scrap. I can find what I want when I want it and I use my materials more than I would otherwise.

Lauren from Southern CA writes...
My scrapbook room is now in the family room, I gave up with my office with tons of room - I just missed watching tv/haning out hubby! I have a smaller closet with a iris cart/all labled with mostly stamp stuff and a book shelf for misc bulky items/mag/idea books. Above on the top shelfs, I use the CTMH album boxs for storage of projects & B&T in use and also have a larger tote of stamps that I don\'t use as often. At my desk, I also have my Pampered Chef tool turn about for my tools, adheasive, and pens ect. I have 2 embellsihment holders - all done by color and or theme and a my dh grandmas old bread box for larger items and photo storage, in my xl csi tote I have 2 folers for rub on letters/word phrases ect and another for any type of theme embellishement such as delux cuts ect and all my cardstock I have in the accordian like plactic files ( forgot the name I got at walmart) When I am on the go almost all what I need I can grab on the go but I don\'t do that as often as I use to *U*

Claudine from NJ writes...
man i wish i had a scraproom! but i scrap in so many locations that wouldn\'t be convenient at this time in my life anyway. I have a crop in style XXL tote that i bring around with me everywhere that holds all my supplies. Only my paper is in two 12X12 paper totes by generations i think. it also has all my 12X12 sticker sheets and templates/stencils. Inside my tote i have a 8.5X11 binder full of baseball card holders that i slide all my embellishments in. I also have 2 acrylic tackle box/embroidery floss containers that hold eyelets/brads/buttons/charms and the other holds my emboidery floss. i\'m going to be expanding that one to hold my wound up fibers as well, when i get the time to do that! I saw that tip from an sb mag and am taking advantage of that one!!

April in AZ from Arizona writes...
I use Cropper Hopper vertical storage for my patterned paper and my cardstock. For smaller items like tags, eyelets and metals I put them in plastic drawers. I also have boxes from The Container Store that I have my accents seperated in. There is also a box for vacation accents, baby accents, birthday accents, alphabets and letter stamps and more. I also have rolling carts from Costco,that have my tools and pictures seperated in them. I have a drawer for each of my kids. I put their school papers and other things that I want to scrapbook in their drawers. I use Generations accordian to seperate the pictures by year. I use these to store the pictures I want to keep, but not scrapbook.

Michelle from Ia writes...
I bought a scrapbooking Sauder armoire from FurnitureBuzz.com. I think it was around $325 or so and boy was it worth it! It has about 8 shelves that I can store stuff on (like my sizzix machine, paper cutter, albums, etc.) It has a nice sized work surface that slides out with a leg underneath. I just think it\'s awesome. I can either leave all of my stuff out or I can shut the doors and hide my mess. On the table top, I have my scrap rack, which I love. I have 12x12 page inserts and I store my paper scraps by color. There is plenty of room on my rack for all of my embellishments and stickers too. Everything that I need is right in front of me and I can quickly flip through the sections to find what I need. I keep my cardstock in a Longaberger file basket. I\'m a huge Longaberger fan so I really treasure this basket. I can easily see the colors and find what I need quickly.

mandy from airdrie writes...
I use many of the same clear rubbermade containers (stackable of course) and label what\'s in each one. A wooden stand with holes drilled into it, makes a great scissor holder, and metal hooks put on a large corkboard, makes for great ribbon storage.

Kelly from Kansas writes...
When it comes to sorting some of us just make it harder then it is. I know Creative Memories have thier small and Large Sort boxes but for me it comes down to using decorative coupon boxes and coupon folders for the negatives, the typical scrapbook boxes does the same format(easier on the pocketbook) paper dividers for your large sheets of paper, trays for the scrap paper, zipped see through bags for punches and corner rounders or even a handle tray for all of your pens and pencils where you can see the tops of them. I use instead of the typical expensive pen holders I just buy myself a treat in those tall Funyun containers from the grocery store afterwards I take the label off and they make a very good way to carry your collection of your favorite pens where ever you might go.

amber from texas writes...
i finally got a scrap room when we moved to out new house and while we were packing i noticed my husbands plastic storage units for all his small tools nuts blots etc they have little clear drawers and bins--and they are only $5-$20 at wal-mart--i bought one red one that has 25 drawers that are three different sizes small med & large-it held all my little metal stuff,magic scraps stuff, little die cuts, punches etc perfectly. so i bought another that is a little different in design but works the same--i have a 6 foot table that i work on and these are a perfect fit on the table they do ot take up much room but all my stuff is visible and at arms reach--i use a lot more of it and i no longer buy stuff i already have b/c i can see it--my papers i keep in clear plastic paper holders by theme and write the theme name on the top tap of them-i also have a 4 ft tall rubbermaid 4 drawer tower on wheels to hold my adhesives,ribbons,lightbox, stamps etc. those drawers are also clear-since i have done these things i have noticed that i get A LOT MORE done in less time and i am finally using my stash--so everything in in sight but not laying around everywhere--it is WONDERFUL!! i also have not had to reorganize which i used to do every month! Now i check the tool storage at wal-mart everytime i go to see if there is anything else that could make my scrapbook area more user friendly!!

David from Salt Lake City writes...
I found my wife an awesome scrapbook armoire...lots of paper shelves, drawers, bins, a large table that pulls out...it holds all of her stuff! I purchased it from Creative Havens here in Utah. I will find the information if anyone\'s interested.

Gail from Manalapan, NJ writes...
I have a computer armoire from Ikea that holds most supplies. For 12x12 patterned paper, I use a CH Class Tote. Inside the computer armoire, I have a few sets of small plastic drawers for little embellishments, frames, and fibers. I use magazine holders for 8.5x11 cardstock and the vertical paper holders for 12x12 cardstock. The armoire has a few shelves built into it and I use the plastic boxes from toddler flushable wipes to hold some things. They are a great size (much smaller than baby wipe boxes) and they snap closed. I also use a lot of hooks for things. The inside of the doors for the armoire are magnetic, so I use magnet clips and hooks, but I also adhere some hooks to the wooden part of the inside of the armoire. I love being able to see a lot of what I have out in plain site.

Michelle Rae from Washington, PA writes...
Tackle Totes (for fishing) for embellishments! The Tackle Station from Gander Mountain is what it\'s called and it\'s awesome. It\'s a great carrying tote that stores the plastic storage containers in them. There are lots of the containers inside. I have too much stuff so I need two. I have all of my metal tags, brads, eyelets, fibers, metal embellishments, label maker and accesories, buttons, wire and ETC in two of them. These are just my favorite tackle boxes. My sba buddy Sherry in WV got me hooked. I probably need another one. lol! Michelle Rae

Lisa in AZ writes...
After moving and having to change from a scrap room to an area of the living room to an area of our bedroom... I\'m finding that you have to be flexible. I\'ve scraped mainly at home in one town, mainly at stores at another. My new system is to have everything except my Navigator bag in a large bookcase I found... 7 ft high and 4 feet wide. I use cropper hopper uprights for 12 x12 paper, mag racks for 8 x11,Over 20 matching Pioneer photo boxes hold not only photos, but punches, scissors, embellishments, ribbons and all the other goodies. (including one that holds my camera and film, and digital camera which I never knew where to store before) I have a catalog rack on one shelve that holds all my stickers, die cuts and Premade paper art. On one shelve I have 12 in pencil boxes that I use to put punches and misc in when I go to a crop. Having more than one means I can trade off depending on what I feel like working on.

Jette writes...
DH had an extra Plano tackle box with 4 plastic boxes and several large pockets. I use this to store and transport my embellishments. Patterned paper hangs in homemade 12x12 folders on a cart I bought at Office Depot. Cardstock lives in a CIS PaperTaker (I don\'t keep that much on hand) . I haven\'t yet decided on how to best store my APS photo cartridges. I can\'t find those nifty little cases anymore...just as well, I would go broke trying to buy enough. LOL.

Raquel from Mpls writes...
My newest find is the really small ziplocs for storing my embellishments (Eyeletsm brads, buttons, etc). I sort them by color, put each in it\'s own bag($1.40 at Walmart - they are bags for holding medications) and put all those in a bigger ziploc. The other tool I really like is a oversized plastic envelope that I purchased at an office supply store for storing my stickers. The envelope has dividers and I sort by occasion(birthday, holidays, letters, etc). It\'s long enough for my MAMBI stickers. I store my paper in two Generations \"boxes\" with dividers (by color). I don\'t have a lot of stuff, I think, so it makes it easier to organize.

jackie in fl from Jackie Odom writes...
This is not unique but my favorite organization is my plastic mini drawers-I have them on top of my scrap table with a closet shelf placed on top for my trimmers and stamp pad cleaner and whatever else I need handy. I don\'t have the shelf attached to wall so I can move it around at will and I do quite often because I am constantly re-arranging my room! I use the drawers for pens, adhesives,chalks, acrylic blocks and small embellishments like brads, tags and eyelets. Each drawer is labeled with the contents. I also use a cork bulletin board that I bought at garage sale for hanging small items like magic mesh, Jolees etc...I don\'t have a lot of those types of embellishments and I find that if it\'s out of sight I forget about it.

bluejean from Dayton, OH writes...
I think the biggest thing we do as a whole as women is try to save money. Often this is our downfall. Instead of buying that system that will work for us that costs too much in our mind, we buy cheap storage, or try to make due with alot of miscellany. Instead, BUY GOOD STORAGE. Buy it all from the SAME LINE and company! Have you ever noticed those rooms we all google at have ALL the same boxes? All the same bins? Not a mismatched assortment of little dollar store boxes and yard sale finds? Our art of scrapbooking is a visually charged art, and we deserve spaces that are pleasing to the eye and enjoyable. Stop spending so much money on zillions of embellishments you won\'t ever use. When going to buy storage, buy it ALL at the same time, make it ALL the same color and the same brand and the same size. It will look cleaner, be easier to stack and put back and you will never have a cluttered look. This even works with cheap photo boxes.. instead of buying 10 of them and then getting 10 more later and finding out you need to get a different kind (because you didn\'t get them all at once) you have a mismatched look. Just do it! (And buy a labeler, you\'ll never regret it!)