Organizing Your Scrapbooking Gear
Scrapbooking is an interesting, even absorbing, hobby. First, you study the subject and gather as much material as you can, then you’ll need to visit a shop that will offer you what you need for your scrapbook. That part is easy, but how do you keep your scrapbook materials neat and organized?
To be really successful and not get overwhelmed, you should take extra steps to get your stuff organized. In the long run, it will save you time, leaving you free to work, brainstorm, and of course, do more shopping.
The first thing every scrapbooker needs is shelves. You can organize your odds and ends into all kinds of containers, but if you don’t have shelves to put them on, that stuff will still be all over your table or desk, taking up your work space. Make sure your shelves are sturdy so you don’t end up trying to sort through a giant pile of paper scraps, buttons, and ribbons.
The next thing that you need to do is place storage containers onto the shelves. An array of different drawers and containers can be found at your local scrapbooking store, craft store, fabric store, and even hardware store. If you sometimes work on your scrapbooking away from home, then the best and simplest way to organize your containers is to purchase some that can be easily transported while keeping your supplies safe and secure.
If you’re not looking to spend a fortune, why not use items you find around the house instead of expensive organizers and drawers you find at a craft store? You can use jars, small boxes, and even old baby bottles. You can also re-use old toolboxes, tackle boxes, or jewelry boxes. Just as long as what you’re using has enough space for separating different items and is easy to get into, there’s really no rule about what you can and cannot use.
Files are a great way to organize paper, cardstock and anything else that’s flat. The easiest to use are plastic expandable file organizers. They usually have a harder plastic on the outside to keep your stuff safe, several pockets to keep it organized, and a securing device like an elastic band to help hold everything inside.
If you attend scrapbooking meetings, or undertake scrapbooking in various places away from your home, then you will require a convenient way to take your materials with you. Remember to hold yourself back – you don’t need to take everything with you when you go. You simply need enough items to enable you to work on a few layouts.
You will want to get a bag bigger than you think you need, because you’ll inevitably remember something you haven’t considered. Then you’ll be grateful for the extra space. Another good idea is to label everything you take with you. That way you can easily find your cutting tools or ribbons without having to sort through the whole bag.
The best way to keep your scrapbook gear systematically arranged would be to have a good system of organization and stay with it. You can use different parameters like size, color, patterns or themes, or even a combination of any or all of these. A system that works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. But what’s important is that the system you use should work for you, with you being able to locate what you need at any time with the minimum of effort.
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