| you start getting any amount of supplies together | | | | 4. Stamps can be a challenge, especially if they |
| for scrapbooking, you will realize that you have to | | | | aren’t the new acrylic stamps that can easily |
| have some way to keep everything organized. | | | | fit in binders and other small spaces. Again, using |
| Things can quickly get out of hand and more time will | | | | storage boxes for wood mounted rubber stamps |
| be spent just trying to find what you need than | | | | and organizing by themes is a good way to keep |
| actually putting scrap book page layouts together! | | | | them organized. To make the process of finding a |
| Since scrapping time is precious and often hard to | | | | specific stamp easier, just stamp each image on a |
| come by, I have come up with 5 inexpensive tips to | | | | piece of paper and adhere it to the outside of the |
| keep everything in order! | | | | box. |
| 1. Invest in a good paper storage system. I have | | | | 5. If stickers have got you stuck, I have the best |
| been using an accordion file system for all my papers. | | | | suggestion I’ve found: the Crop in Style |
| I have them separated by colors and by type, so all | | | | Paper Sticker Binder. Not only does the binder keep |
| the red cardstock is in one file and all the red | | | | all the stickers in a zipped up unit, but it has divided |
| patterned paper is in another file. This helps reduce | | | | pages and dividers to keep different sizes and |
| the amount of time I spend looking through paper! I | | | | themes apart. Once I started using it, it not only |
| also have a smaller accordion file for all the scraps I | | | | helped keep everything neat, but it makes it so much |
| have and organize them by colors, too! | | | | easier to actually use the stickers I have! It saves |
| 2. Eyelets and brads can be some of the most | | | | you money by not buying more of the same kinds |
| troublesome scrap book supplies to keep in order. | | | | of stickers! |
| They often come in little plastic bags that | | | | I hope that these five tips can help you get a good |
| can’t be reused, so unless you like them | | | | handle on all your supplies. All these tips are |
| spilling all over everything, you have to get some | | | | inexpensive tricks, but I have also really enjoyed |
| containers to organize them. Most craft stores sell | | | | having large totes and bags to take with me to |
| small boxes with dividers inside that make keeping | | | | crops. These products often have organizational |
| colors and shapes apart very simple. I also like some | | | | pieces integrated into themselves like bags, pen and |
| of the plastic screw top containers. Or, if you are on | | | | scissor organizers, etc. |
| a really tight budget, you can take small baby food | | | | Want a secret?? If you search some of the tool |
| jars, spray paint the lids and use them to keep | | | | departments of your local discount stores, you might |
| everything nice and neat! | | | | just find a rolling hardware tool box that will work |
| 3. Ribbons, fibers and yarns can be such a pain in the | | | | beautifully for your scrap book supplies. I found a |
| neck to keep from becoming one big tangled mess! | | | | great one for under $25 several years ago and have |
| Ribbon spools can be thread onto small dowels or | | | | loved it! It doesn’t have all the bells and |
| even pant hangers. These methods are nice because | | | | whistles that the ones specifically made for scrap |
| you can see each ribbon and cut from the spools | | | | booking do, but it serves its purpose and I had some |
| easily. I know many people like to put short pieces of | | | | money left over to invest in more scrap book |
| fibers and ribbons in large canning jars. Not only is this | | | | supplies! |
| a good way to keep colors together, but it makes | | | | Just find a system that works well for you. You |
| for a nice display. One way I have used to store | | | | might go through a couple systems before you find |
| yarn on the skein is by unwinding a small piece and | | | | one that really works for you, but don’t give |
| putting the skein in a zipper plastic bag with the | | | | up! The time you will save by keeping all of your |
| unwound piece hanging out. This makes finding the | | | | scrap book supplies in order will be worth all the |
| end to cut from much easier than trying to fish it out | | | | effort! |
| every time. | | | | |