I remember the days when I used to have all of my scrapbooking supplies in my CM Memory Mate bag. I would carry it all to crops and have such fun turning out my layouts. Fast forward a few years to today . . . my scrapbooking supplies have started to reproduce like little bunnies!! If I tried to go to a crop today, it would look like I was moving in!! Through trial and error I have found little ways to help me organize my scrap-room so that it is user friendly and all items have their own place.

Go through your supplies and categorize them. After you have done this then place similar items in the same spot, or if you use several items together like your stamping ink and embossing powder, store them together.

• Get rid of items you don't use or ones that are broken. If you don't like using it get rid of it. If you have scrapbooking friends see if you can trade items with one another – that way everybody wins!!
• Designate a spot for every item that you own. If you know where it is supposed to go, it will be that much easier to find the next time you want to use it.
• After working with your supplies put them away. I know I'm hearing all the groans, but if you do this you won't spend 15 minutes looking for your tape runner if you know that it's put away (for me, all of my adhesives are in the top drawer of my Rubbermaid roller cart).
• Use every inch of space to the fullest capacity. My desk is high enough that two roller carts (with the wheels removed) can fit underneath and my supplies are right at my fingertips. Is there a wall you could hang shelves on? Could you stack paper trays on top of one of your roller carts? Are you utilizing the space underneath your desk, the side of your desk, and the wall above your desk?
• Store supplies that you use often in accessible places. I always have my self-healing mat and paper trimmer on my desk because I use them on almost every layout that I do.
• Organize things so you can see them at a glance. Who wants to spend a half-hour going through their fiber supply to find the perfect match? For me, the best organizational tool I've found for my fibers is to wrap them on cardboard spools and place them in a floss box.

(con't. . )

•  Over-the-door shoe holder. The pockets are clear and there are several of them so you can organize lots of your supplies
•  Open shelving – especially for paper – you can see everything at a glance
•  3-ring binders with clear pockets for storing stickers
•  Labels on drawers and boxes so you know exactly what is in them
•  Store scraps in clear page protectors and place them in an acrylic filing box

Organizing your scrap-room need not break the bank. Here's the break down of my scrap-room:

1. Two desks placed in an L-shape. One is a hand-me-down from my brother. It's not fancy, it's just a plain office desk that sits on pedestals – it didn't cost a thing. The other is a simple desk my father-in-law built for my husband when he was in college. Total cost - $0.00
2. Three Rubbermaid Roller Carts – two I bought for $10 and the other $13.
3. A plant stand I found at a flea market for $11. It was made of wire so I just laid down cut-up priority boxes to line the shelves. No it's not pretty, but stuff is sitting on top of them so they aren't seen anyway.
4. Two three ring binders to store stickers in. I've used baseball card dividers to sort them out – total was probably around $10.
5. Over the door shoe holder - $7
6. My old CM die cut bag that is wide enough to store 12x12 paper in. I think at the time I paid around $15. No it's not open shelving, but it's the best I can do right now.

I bought all these items over a period of time so it wasn't a huge cost all at once. As my scrapbooking supplies grew so did my storage system. You just need to find what works for you and what your budget can afford. There are all sorts of tips and techniques that people have found to help organize themselves. Please check out our scrap-room forum on the board to find more tips and techniques. Another resource would be the July 2004 issue of Creating Keepsakes. They have a great article entitled “Creating Spaces” that you might find helpful.

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Shawn Lofing

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