How do you even START to get organized?

[maslex]

I just have a small area in the basement that I have all my scrapbooking stuff. One big desk that I use to scrapbook on (I really need to get more tables). I store my cricut cartridges in two of the drawers, the big drawer has old scrapbooking magazines and idea books (haven't looked at them in YEARS lol but can't get rid of them, ya know)

And then I have 3 of those rolling carts, similar to this one but with more drawers, some thin drawers, some thicker drawers http://www.myartandcraftsupplies.com/Craft-Supplies-Storage-Cart.html

What I did with these drawers, is that I labeled one each with a different category....disney....summer....winter....boys....soccer....school....vacation....etc.... and then I put all my coordinating papers, stickers, die cuts, poems, etc in each. That way when I want to scrap a certain subject, I just pull out that drawer and then I have all my stuff for that particular subject all right there.

I really don't have a place for my cricut expression. I have it on my desk, but it takes up so much room and I could use that extra space for scrapping.

The thing is though.....I'm sure I'm like many of you that buy and buy and buy. LOL But when I get home, I'm usually so busy that I just throw my purchases on my desk and forget about. Then I will buy some more (it's usually paper....I have a problem with paper LOL) and throw it on my desk. I have so much paper that I need to sort out and put in it's "appropriate drawer" that it seems a bit overwhelming.

And another thing that I have a problem with is scraps. They have overtaken the place. I do have a "scrap" drawer and then I never use the scraps that are in it, or I end up leaving scraps in a certain drawer and things get a mess in there.

Anyhow, how do you even start to get things they way you want them? And do you buy scrapbook specific organizational things or just make do with what you have? I would love to hear some great ideas!!! Thanks

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

you're on the right track with sorting your like themes. I would start with the magazines first. 90% of them are just advertisements, so I tear out the pages and layouts I like. All of my layouts go on 5x7 index cards and are sorted by number of photos. Ideas go into another 5x7 box sorted by category, Tags, slide mounts, wall art etc.

next tackle your papers. If you have new ones sort those into your categories then go through each existing category and purge stuff you know you're not going to use. Then you can add the newer papers.

3rd spot is the scraps. Cut rough corners and edges off everything. Get an accordion folder, preferably one that's clear so you can see what you have. Sort those scraps by color and leave it near your cricut.

as for the cricut, do you have room for a printer cart? Maybe you could put your bug on it and your cartridges underneath on a lower shelf?
Are you willing to give up the cart boxes?

I recently put mine in these from Ikea. I can get 18 cartridges, overlays and booklets in one.

How are your rolling carts stored? Stacked or next to each other? Could you spread 2 out and add a piece of wood to make a table?

 

[laura&fam]

I only have a couple of ideas, since my scrap area is not as organized as I would like but maybe they will help.

I have bought some organization tools/bins/boxes for things that I use alot, like paper. I look at the stores and when I find something I think will work I measure it and go home (without buying it) and see if it will fit or work in my space. I think about it for a while because some of the organization stuff is expensive and I don't want to waste my money or time on stuff that won't work for me. It's a slow process, but my space is slowly becoming really workable for me.

You have to think about what is really a mess for you, what is really taking the time when you want to use it and try to organize that. For scraps I use 13"x13" ziplock bags. I think they came with some paper I bought. They are clear and I sort them by color, blues in one bag, reds in another, etc. All the scraps go in the bag and when I need a red scrap I just grab the bag, very easy.

Another thing that helped me is to quit buying so much! It's hard, but it makes it so much easier and faster to scrap.

With the stuff you don't use try finding someone who is just starting to scrap or a local charity that might want it. If you don't use those magazines maybe someone else can. It may really help a begining scrapper. I can't throw stuff out, but I can give it away.

There's no way around putting stuff away, but I try to limit it so it doesn't seem so bad. I will clean up for 15 (or 30) minutes before I start scraping and when the time is up I start scraping whether it's clean or not. Or I will tackle one pile of paper and quit when it's done. If I tried to clean everything when it's bad I would get overwhelmed and not even try.

Good luck!

 

[123SA]

This is how I organize my swaps. I feel so much more organized and I actually use the scraps. I got the magazine files at Staples. I cut them like Buffy suggested.

 

[maslex]

Oh, excellent idea on organizing the scraps!!!

 

[beaucoup]

Make list of what you own so when you are at the store, you don't buy something again. Carry the list in a little notepad, your smart phone, old PDA, or an iPod Touch.

OR if you normally carry your camera, take pictures of your stuff so you can scroll through the photos in the camera in the store.

I have an extra computer chair in my room that we only occasionally use. I put a piece of wood across the arms & put my Cricut on there for storage. When needed, its an easy move over to the table. Another idea is we have shelves on the wall for our printer & scanner. This chair is actually under those shelves. We thought about adding another shelf for the cricut, but decided to just plop it across the chair arms.