Organize Your Space Challenge - 2011 Edition - Week 1: Find your workspace! Post #15

[hopemax]

So we have had a couple of requests for a new edition of the Organization thread. Hopefully, Buffy can sticky this one and unsticky 2010.

Here are links to the previous two challenges:

2009: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2045077
2010: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2361205

I would have started a thread earlier, but I wasn't sure where to begin this one. After hosting the previous challenges, and therefore being committed to following through , I have pretty much tamed the Scrap Mess monster. So what I need from you guys is ideas on how you want this year to run.

Last year, we helped Christy reorganize her loft, and yay, Buffy got her scrap dining room. So what do you guys need help with this year?

 

[hopemax]

I'm going to run things a little bit differently this year. Instead, of making a list of types of items, I am going to post different types of things to do, which may mean you are working on putting several different types of things away each week. I'm also assuming that after a couple of years, some things do have homes. They just aren't in them yet. If you want a step-by-step list to tackle, that is in the 2009 thread.

Week 1: Find your workspace

Where to begin, is always the hardest part. But if we can find our primary workspace, it will give us a place where we can sort, unpack. And even possible, get back to doing a little scrapping (especially, swappers working on swaps.) This may mean adding more mess, to other areas, or just dropping things in an empty box or basket if the things on your workspace don't have a home. If something has a home, and its easy to just put it away (Cricut carts, pens, stamps), just go ahead and do it. If the "home" is full, or you can't get to its home, then find a temporary place to sort and store it.

Future Weeks:

Collect Leftovers from Previous Projects:
Inventory & Collect Current Projects:
Unpack the Bags:
Re-examine Current Storing Solutions (ie I can't fit everything in this drawer anymore!):
* Paper
* Embellishments
* Scraps
Don't Stop, but you are gonna have to work on the stuff you don't like now.

 

[rlovew]

I need to start over again for the most part- my room is a disaster- I actually went through the 2009 thread and made a list of everrything and planned on starting to work through it. I need to start by just moving enough stuff to even get to anything. I can't even reach my table- I have to move stuff I haven't put away out of the way to use my cricut- and I know the mess is why I am not scrapping.

Rebecca

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

stuck!! I'm taking the old one down now too.

 

[joyah]

And Christy LOVES her loft. I'm still evolving the end plan have add one shelf above the desk and waiting on Tom to build me another that wraps around that I can but baskets with stuff and pictures on. the big wooden table that dad built I have put the wall hanging that was over the desk above that along with a curtian rod for the punches. when the new shelf arrives I'm moving the wall hanging above the door.

I still need to do another sort/purge cleaning up. The boys area has to be redone as I took over thier desk to sew on. They really just need a 3 drawer storage unit.
I LOVE my stamp pad box and don't want to get rid of it but would like a different home for it. With the amount I use it/them I need it right there though so...... It's probably going to stay there.

Thank you again ladies.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I still need to maintain my space. It's gotten away from me.

Hope let me know if you need help keeping that updates updated. We can switch off.

 

[hopemax]

So I did make a few improvements to my space at the end of 2010. I was never satisfied with my ribbon and flower storage. Here are my new solutions that I am quite happy with.

In the Black Friday weekend ad I noticed these ribbon holders at Joann's for $7.99 reg $24.99. I had never seen them before, or since, so I don't know how available they are. I screwed two of them together to make a tower.

And it tucks neatly, next to my cabinet. I like it because I was able to squeeze it in dead space, and I can see everything I have. Previously, I had them in drawers, and it was a pain to dig around and find stuff.

I also have 2 single ones. One is for Halloween ribbon/misc, and the other is for the basic colored ribbon. Eventually, I hope to remove what is on the other side of the cabinet, and I can screw those two together and tuck it in on the other side, but for now they are separate.

For my flowers, I had previously found a bathroom cabinet at a thrift store for cheap, and attached it to the wall in the closet. But my problem was, it wasn't big enough for all the little containers, and I would open it, and everything would spill out. My solution: I found these reusable food containers at Big Lots. It was a package of 5 for $4 or so. I then took my flowers out of their original containers and sorted them by color, since that's how I use them anyway. And as you can see, they have plenty of room, and nothing falls out when I open the door.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Ok Hope..can you get me measurements for the ribbon rack??? I could have my FIL make those for me... He is always looking for something to use his scraps on ...and he has some nifty new toy that makes spindle things.... this could keep him busy one weekend..

I need to fix my space up but have everything in some what of an order..
Need to figure out how to store my ribbon that are small and not on rolls.. suggestions??? Thought maybe jars by color...
Love the idea for flowers..will be stealing that in the next few weeks... as I need to restock on flowers anyway!

 

[hopemax]

Nancy, here are a few more photos of the ribbon holder.

Front

Top:

Inside:

The base piece is: 4.25" x 14.5" x .5"

The two side pieces are: 2.75" x 19.5" x .375"
There is a top and bottom piece that is: 1.25" x 12" x .375"

There is a secondary rectangular piece on the inside of each side(so it looks double wide from the front): 1.25" x 18.75" x .375"

Next to that piece inside, are small L shaped pieces (visible in the pic), that are spaced 1.25" apart.

The dowel is .25" diameter, 12 1/8" in Length

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Thanks Hope!! I'll print this off for FIL and let you know how they go... I need this badly... I have ribbon stashed in drawers, one ribbon rod, and in some containers stacked... so, I have to dump the containers when I need any of that ribbon...

 

[mommy2mrb]

here is how I store my ribbon, in a drawer with small plastic containers that interlock for different configerations...keep them by color...ribbon that is on flat cardboard I keep together in the front...next to it is overflow area and my rub-ons for now.

 

[hopemax]

at that particular picture of ribbon....Costco shopping, about 5 years ago maybe... That's what is on my 4th ribbon holder.

 

[mommy2mrb]

at that particular picture of ribbon....Costco shopping, about 5 years ago maybe... That's what is on my 4th ribbon holder.

oohh, your scary...yes it is, I try to use it, but some of the color are not my thing, but I keep plugging away at it I like ribbon, but don't always use it, guess I need to use it more!

 

[czycropper]

I'm definitely in on this thread.

I'm in ) the process of completely re-doing my scraproom since my DH has decided to install wood floors upstairs. This has made me to pack up my room and been really thinking about organization.

I'm going to Michael's later this afternoon (armed with my 25% off everything coupon) to go check out some of JetMax storage I've had my eye on including a ribbon storage.

I'll try and post some photos I took a year ago, what it looks like without carpet.

Stay tuned......

 

[hopemax]

Alright, time to roll up our sleeves and get started!

I am going to try running things a little different this year. Based on pictures and comments, it seems like at this point, most of us have a space, items have a home, they just aren't in their home. So I'm going to skip the step-by-step tackle this one item, this week. The list is in the 2009 thread, if someone wants to work on things that way.

I'm hoping that if we run things a different way, that maybe we can find out why we let our space become such a mess. Personally, I identified the ways my work process lets things get out of hand. I found a way to scrap neater, so the big messes don't happen anymore. And I found ways I can do a quick cleanup. After a major swap making extravaganza, I can get 80% of my mess cleaned up in 15-20 min. The other 20%, I hate to do, and is an all afternoon endeavor.

So if you guys are anything like me, your mess come from 3 places:

The stuff leftover from old projects
The stuff you are currently working on
The stuff you recently purchased

So we're going to try tackle these things in this type of order.

But first we need a place to start. It's hard to organize, when you don't have a clear space to work. So the first thing we need to do is FIND YOUR PRIMARY WORKSPACE.

If you have things that have homes, are easily accessible, aren't stuffed, and would only take a minute or two to put away. Just do it. If you have stuff, that you can't reach its home, no room for it, you just plain don't want to work on that type of thing right now (scraps, for instance), then find something you can temporarily put it into. Or pile it elsewhere in the room.