21 December 2018
|
Top Tips: Crafty Storage
You can never have too much storage, so here's some really handy tips from other cardmakers on how the store their crafty bits and bobs!
The New Year is the perfect time to rethink your way of working and try out new storage solutions! Don't worry if organising your stash seems too daunting, we've asked lots of other Making Cards & Papercraft readers for their storage solution suggestions! Don't forget, you can purchase this stunning Deflecto stackable organiser (worth over £40!) for just £25.99 from our online craft shop! Just follow this link to get your hands on this fantastic deal...
"Glass bottles, they keep my craft items free of dust, I can see exactly what’s in the jar and if you get them from the recycling bin, they are free!
Robyn Clarke
"Cube storage systems! Then a cube/drawer for each kind of craft (that’s my theory anyway, it doesn’t work so well for me all of the time!)"
Louise Smith
"Small photo albums for dies and stamps."
Kerry Noon
"Baskets! Great for holding plastic sleeves which hold both my dies and stamps. Then the baskets are placed on my bookcase so when I'm looking for something, I can just slide out the basket and flick through. Every sleeve is also labelled at the top."
Jennifer Bruce
"Work with what you've got rather than buying new. I use well washed (and aired) plastic takeaway containers to store my pots of embossing powders. They stack on top of each other so take up less room and I've labelled the front so I can easily see what's in each box. I also keep small boxes from online orders, cover the outside with pretty scrapbook paper and store my stamp sets in them so I can just flip through them. I also keep any craft collections together in clear wallet folders. If I have a lot of one collection, I punch a hole through the folder near the top and thread a book ring to it, then I add any additional folders containing the same collection to the book ring. The A4 wallets can't hold anything bigger than A4 but 8in x 8in and 6in x 6in fit with ease."
Sarah Wilks
"Clear shoe boxes for ribbons, stored in sets of matching colours. Washi tape and ribbon reels hanging from string and metal letter drawers for loose dies."
Nikki Smith
"I had all of my ribbon rolls in a big basket, but the ends always ran out and left a big mess. But then when hubby was putting new gutters up, he had some leftover pieces laying around and I suddenly saw it could work with all of my ribbon rolls. I drilled a hole in the edge of one of them and attached a pair of scissors there, so they are always there when I need them and are never used for anything but ribbon, so now I can just pull an end and cut the piece I need with no mess at all!"
Maryann Laursen
"Label, label, label everything. The hours I've spent looking for one stamp or one die. I now label boxes with a number which coincides with a list of contents, so I look at sheet number 7 and it tells me my item is in box 7. It works for me!"
Val Hayes
"To have everything on display if you can, as it serves as inspiration and you can easily rummage through your stash to find bits to use. Also, repurpose other storage. This is the inside of a makeup bag from Primark I use to transport a small craft kit when going away."
Jane Roy
"A slot in a photo album is great for keeping sheets of gems and pearls all in one place, you can usually pick them up in the pound shop so they're cheap and cheerful too."
Shona Hamill
"Don’t share your craft room with your husband’s office! He will take up storage space and make a nuisance of himself!"
Jude Wilson
"My best tip is don’t buy any more craft items... That’s impossible, of course, so just build an extension on your house!"
Nikki Jane Dorrian Lightbody
"I have repurposed some old CD storage wallets to keep my dies organised. I bought magnetic sheets which I cut into size, glued them to squares of cardboard or to the sleeve the die came in, and put the squares into the pockets of the CD wallet. Of course, it's not suitable for large dies, but it keeps the smaller ones nice and organised and ready to travel to craft days and workshops."
Petra Beck
"Use clear tubs (Chinese takeaway ones are ideal) to store embellishments in. They are a good size, clear and stack so you see what is in them. Just make sure they are really clean! You can even store them in a big under the bed box and they become like the expensive storage systems you can buy."
Stephanie Wright
"Empty Quality street/celebrations tubs great for storing embellishments/ribbons/glue dots/foam pads etc, amazing how much they hold!"
Yvonne Hall
"Each occasion has its own labelled storage box, with details of exactly what is in it."
Chris Myhill
"I use DVD cases for my dies, putting numbers on the outside and keeping a little photo and description of them in a book… so handy!"
Lea Degen
"I recycle coffee and jam jars and use them for embellishments. I screw the lids onto the roof of my craft shed and just twist the jars off to get them down xx being glass you can see exactly what's in them."
Lynne Bilbe
"I pin up stamp sets on their sheets on a “washing line” across my craft room wall. So easy to see them and maybe try something a little different."
Helen Allen
"My best crafty storage tip is to use what best works for you and your pocket book. You do not have to go out and buy the fancy gadget when you can make something that works just as well and you will appreciate more because you made it. For instance, I did not go out and buy a stamp pad storage unit, I made my own and decorated it the way I wanted and it was cost effective and works great."
Veronica Roske
"Use an indelible marker to write the name and manufacturer on the plastic sheet when you have a new set of clear stamps. Then if a friend asks where to get them, or you want to look for matching dies, you'll know exactly what the details you need are."
Jane Willis
"Have items on display and labelled... if it's out of sight less likely to use or forget about it."
Ethel Àherne
"Keep an up to date list of what each box contains in the top of the box, or tape it to the inside of the lid so it doesn't go missing (and so you have a hard surface to lean on when you cross things of or add them)."
Francesca Light
"Keep all you coffee jars, jam jars & containers to re-use for storage."
Sarah Sturman
"Use cello pockets to keep offcuts of card and paper in colours."
Rebecca Tomkins
"I find clear plastic pockets handy."
Diane Radford
"Cut in half milk cartons glued together as 3 x 4 in two boxes are perfect for storing my Copic markers. It would also be perfect for pencils."
Kirsten Persson Kristensen
"I keep food jars and coffee jars to store my crafty bits ‘n’ bobs."
Kath Hooper
"Label all draws, boxes and cupboards with what’s in side helps to find your stash."
Pauline Hilton
"Recycled boxes, I get the children to decorate and paint them for me, then I label them for my craft goodies!"
Jodie Andrea Green
"After every project always file everything back in its place. That way you never have to waste time looking for anything or ending up with a huge pile of stuff to sort."
Marianne Fisher
"Use clear tubs (Chinese takeaway ones are ideal) to store embellishments in. They are a good size, clear and stack so you see what is in them. Just make sure they are really clean! You can even store them in a big under the bed box and they become like the expensive storage systems you can buy."
Stephanie Wright
Check out more useful tips and tricks in any issue of Making Cards & Papercraft magazine!
