Storage

Storage is a big issue for us scrapbookers - we have so much stuff that it can get  bit beyond us. There's plenty of expensive storage solutions out there - and they are sooooo nice, aren't they!!! Craftainers is one of my favourite drool sites, and i must admit that i have spent a pretty penny there over the years making my scrap room look awesome and become more functional (especially before children!!!). But, now i'm limited to just a cupboard and a very tiny budget, so what do i do now?

Well, there's lots of things you can do to save money in the storage department - but one of the best tips i can give you is to have everything at hand!!! If you can access everything really easily, you're less likely to get into the 'i can't be bothered digging it out' mind-set, and you won't use most of the awesome stuff you've got!!!

Truth time - here's what my scrap cupboard actually looks like right now, shelf by shelf:

And my newest secret weapon against my toddler:

So, as you can see it's nothing flash! I have some cheap A4 mesh boxes that i keep all of my alphas in. I got these 3 for $10 i think!! My blue tote was $19 from K-mart and i keep all of my kits in there, plus my journal pens, edge punches and dymo - this, plus my tool tote (not pictured, because it was on my table) is what i grab when I'm going to a crop and i'm in a hurry. If I'm not in a hurry, a grab a woolies bag and chuck a few extras in.

I like to have my photos sorted in date order, divided into months, so i bought some cheap clear photo boxes (not currently up to date - must do that!!!) I've got ribbons and flowers and bling in shoe-boxes and mesh baskets. Those pretty pink boxes are from Kikki-K - a major splurge which i LOVE - these have been purchased over the years, and were mostly birthday presses!!! I have one for old photos, one has all my mists in it, one has all my journal spots in it and the big one that's easies to get to is my 'go to' embellishment box - i HIGHLY recommend finding a nice box to put all the embellies you use lots of - since they are easy to get to and all in one spot, you'll find you use them heaps!!

See that really messy spot in the middle of my cupboard? This is my 'to file' pile - stuff that just doesn't have a home yet! Every now and again i get motivated to sort this out, but not very often LOL.

So, some major tips for storage:

• Sort everything out and identify what containers/boxes you need - e.g. i found that i needed somewhere for my alphas because i'm really obsessed with them LOL, i then found a $10 solution for them!!
• Get a nice, reasonably sized box for your favourite embellies and keep them all together
• Divide things by colours, e.g. I have all of my ribbons divided into zip-lock bags by colours, and then they are just all in a shoe box - that way, when i need one i grab the box then find the right bag and just sort through this!
• Always have a tote/bag ready to go to a crop - that way when you are time poor your bank balance doesn't suffer when you get there!
• Woolies bags are your FRIENDS!!! They are the perfect width for 12x12 scrapbooking stuff and just perfect for taking to crops
• Store like things together and make sure everything is accessible
• Try and do a bit of a purge every 6-12 months - donate/sell/swap stuff you're not going to use - you'll find it really refreshing, and you may even make some money in the process!!