Budget Scrapbook Organizing

[bridget]

I posted this on the budget board, and then someone suggested coming over here. I had no idea this board existed!!!!

I do an organizational blog, and this is the one area I am terrible at!! I"m working on tips for organizing cheaply, and in the process, I will be using the tips on my blog and showing pictures of my results!!

I have a guest bedroom (very large) that has a dresser and a table. I have the top drawer for scrapbooking stuff. Right now everything is in a tub. I also have two paper trays and an acordion paper organizer. Other than that, I'm a mess!

I'd also like to be able to set a budget of $50 (is that too low) and come up with a very, very organized and cool work area.

I'd love some suggestions, and I'll give you credit

http://organizingsimply.blogspot.com/

 

[rlovew]

Welcome to our little section of the board! We have lots of teachers (noticed you mentioned that on the goal thread).

I would looking at the organizing thread that is in the living room of the creative community (on the main board). http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2361205 Here is the link to the most current sticky. Here is a link to another thread about it: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2045077&highlight=organizing

Hopemax led us through an awesome organization set last year (we just never really got going this year) and lots of people added many ideas to that as well as showcased there rooms. I am having trouble finding the link to this thread.

I like your blog.

Rebecca

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Love the Blog Bridget!

I'm not sure if $50 is the right amount or not.
the first thing you need to do is get your supplies organized by group. Paper, brads and eyelets, inks, embellishments, etc...

Now we need to see what you have and how much.

As you organize other areas of your home see if you can pull containers from other areas that aren't being used to cut down cost.

you also need to decide what kind of storage you like. Things that are put away and hidden of having things out. That will help you decide what you need in the way of storage.

Hope's thread is amazing and breaks down the sorting into easy steps.

 

[LindaBabe]

Hi Bridget,

I read your blog post and have a suggestion - how about 20100112 or 2010-01-12 for your date protocol? That way they are sorted by year then month then day. It won't matter if you only have this year, but when you're older than dirt like me . . .

 

[baseballmom51]

Well if you have the space you can do it pretty inexpensively, but not sure I could keep it under $50 but lets try.

The first thing I need is drawer space and right now with the back to school specials starting you can get a plastic drawer unit on wheels for a great deal. Similiar to the pic below, choose your fav style and color on sale for $17.00 at WalMart.

Then I have to have work space, so a table is a must. I have purchased several of the 6ft tables that fold in half for a great deal at WalMart or Target but you need to wait for a sale. I bought mine for under $30.

Then add a desk lamp that can be purchased anywhere, the less expensive the better in my book. Big Lots, Gabriel Bros., Walmart etc.

this one is $9 at Walmart

to the top of my table I would add some small jars for buttons, brads, eyelets, magic mesh. I buy these at the dollar stores in different sizes and styles.

Last but not least I would add a smaller drawer unit to the top of the table for scissors, tape runners, bump on's, etc. All those things that MUST be at your fingertips. I bought mine at Aldi's for $3.99.

the grand total would be $54 with 4 small jars at a dolllar store.

You would have a great work space, plenty of storage to begin your scrapping and you can add more later on.
Hope this helps.

 

[bridget]

I've been hard at work and happy with the progress. I pretty much took everything I have. I did a little shopping yesterday. I'm upping my budget to $75.

http://organizingsimply.blogspot.com/

Thank you, thank you for your suggestions!! I did buy a rolling drawer cart yesterday!!! I also worked on getting my paper organized by color.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I just read on your blog that you have a lot of stamping stuff that you haven't used in years. Are you going to purge those?

Which rolling cart did you get?

For sorting papers most of us follow the ROY G BIV (rainbow) template for cardstock and patterned paper.
I do that, then have a groups for different paper collections, like Basic grey lines, Graphic 45, Creative memories etc, because I know all of those coordinate.

 

[bridget]

I got a cart from Office Depot. It has six drawers and wheels. My walmart only had the three drawer carts, and I needed six. I LOVE IT!!!

Thank you for the paper idea!!! I will have to do that

My daughter was so excited when she saw my stamps. I think she'll take advantage of them!

 

[MomofKatie]

If you have an IKEA store near you, they have a lot of really great items for a craft room. I got 2 tables (Curry, $19.99 each) and arranged them in an L shape for desk space. Got a simple secretary chair for $20, also.

A wall shelf is great for storing stuff on- mine has hooks on the bottom that I hung a dowel across- I store my rolls of ribbon on the dowel.

I have several plastic 8 1/2x11 and 12x12 drawer units on the desk, as well as smaller 3 and 5 drawer units. There is a 7 drawer tower that sits on the floor next to the tables with most of my stamping stuff in it, and a plastic 4 level high shelf where I put my sewing supplies, open baskets with various supplies, and other larger items.

I found some really cool corkboard strips where I hang project ideas, a calendar, and other items.

I'd say the total for the whole setup is around $120- but I didn't spend the whole amount at once. I purchased a few things at a time, and I gathered baskets/bins/drawer units I already had around the house.

 

[bridget]

I wish I had an Ikea!!!

 

[bridget]

Hi Bridget,

I read your blog post and have a suggestion - how about 20100112 or 2010-01-12 for your date protocol? That way they are sorted by year then month then day. It won't matter if you only have this year, but when you're older than dirt like me . . .

Linda, that is a great suggestion!! I'm going to add that to my blog tomorrow and give you credit!! If you use Picasa it will sort them by year, however, on your 'My Pictures' it won't and 07-01-09 is after 05-30-10!

THANK YOU!

 

[MomofKatie]

I wish I had an Ikea!!!

Ours opened in February- it is really fun to visit and just wander around in. Lunch at the IKEA Cafeteria is also good- love those Swedish meatballs!!

 

[Disney Ontario]

I love to Google so the other day I came across a sight "Crafty Storage" Hundreds of different peoples craft/scrapbook room ideas.

 

[LindaBabe]

Linda, that is a great suggestion!! I'm going to add that to my blog tomorrow and give you credit!! If you use Picasa it will sort them by year, however, on your 'My Pictures' it won't and 07-01-09 is after 05-30-10!

THANK YOU!

glad I could help

PS, I would have commented on your blog, but I don't have any of those things you have to sign in as -

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I need to paint it white still but for my DS14's science fair project, we used peg boards... I'm going to paint them white and DH is putting trim on them and I'll use them to hang stuff on... I do need to get a large bulletin board though.... I get to redesign my craft room when we move our stepson off to college in August!!! He isn't happy but the room won't be used but on his vacations...we have lots of extra beds (my littlier boys have bunk beds) so he will still have a bed to sleep on...cause he tells us how he is only coming home long enough to sleep.... then you don't need your own room when I can use it as our scraproom/home office!

 

[pjlla]

Well, as usual, I am coming late to the party on this. But I'll chime in anyhow because it is right up my alley because it combines three things I am interested in... scrapping, organizing, and THRIFTY stuff!

Here are a few of my free/cheap ideas I use to organize my scrapping space....

Priority Mail/Express Mail shipping boxes (used of course, from the recycling bin). Cut on an angle, sort of like a magazine box and used to store paper upright. Decorated the front edges with solid scraps of paper... sides and back left as is because they don't really show.

Discarded medicine chest.... free from the side of the road. Cleaned and sanded a bit... removed the mirrored doors. Painted to match the wall color, so it blends in a bit. Hung on the wall above my Cricut to store my cartidges and a few other things. Could have left the doors on and painted over the mirrors, but decided not to.

Old mason jars (some of them really old and that pretty green bubbly glass)... used to store buttons, floss, ribbons, flowers, brads, etc. Mostly purchased cheap at yard sales... a few found free at the dump "take it or leave it" shed.

Work space.... For a few years I worked on an old wooden desk that we had around the house. It wasn't pretty or anything, but it was free. Then I bought an inexpensive wooden gateleg table at a discount store. I have finally moved up to a heavy duty plastic folding table. I don't want anything permanent because I scrap in my bedroom, but if I were setting up a dedicated work space in another room I would probably opt for a piece of counter top attached to the wall. That can be found relatively inexpensively... especially if you aren't picky about colors.

I see desks and kitchen islands all the time at the Goodwill that could be modified to work as scrapping space.

The majority of my scrapping storage is now the Sterilite 12 x 12 3 drawer units that are available at Target for under $10. But I used lidded cardboard boxes (like shoe boxes) and photo storage boxes for many years until I gradually moved over to this system. I also re-use storage things from other areas around the house when I am done with them... like regular office size filing boxes, oversized Ziploc bags, drawer organizers, utensil holders, etc.

I haven't had a time to read your blog yet, but I will DEFINITELY be checking it out today!.............P

 

[bridget]

My husband got a $10 off $25 purchase at Office Depot, so I got a cart!! I'm so excited I wanted something to store stickers! I also wanted 6 drawers!


http://organizingsimply.blogspot.com/

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I have a old fish scalers cube (4 holes) that holds fabric scraps for scraping. on top of that sits a bunch of cheap jars (rummage sales) and a old shaving box that hold my ribbon and pens. I have two pull out 4 drawer thingys that hold all my misc. supplies. On top I have a cheap box I bought in the target home orgization isle ($3) that holds 12 by 12 paper sorted by color into folders. My scraps are in little bags by color. Whats great is eveything is so easy to take places (i just packed up my whole collection into a huge suitcase to take to moms for some after vacation fun with her and my sibs!)

 

[PrincessNancy96]

If you have a dollar tree they had fabric drawers for a $. Small, long rectangle, true squares....

 

[Disney Ontario]

Was at Walmart and Target yesterday, and found lots of cute colourful storage items for back to school kids.