Day 62: Scrapbooking Paper

What: Scrapbook paper

Why: Have you ever walked into a craft store and just see aisles and aisles of scrapbook paper, lining the walls? Do you ever wish your scrapbook paper looked as organized as it did in the store? While doing a scrapbook page or project, it is so easy to just grab, go, and throw it into a pile. What you end up with is half-used sheets of paper, all in a disorganized mess, unused, because you don’t remember what you have. Here are some basic and simple ideas in order to keep your scrapbooking paper under control.

How:
1. Find all of the places you store scrapbook paper.

2. Go through ALL of your paper and decide if you will ever use it. For example, when you buy the specialty packs with 100 sheets of different designs, you may never use them all. Decide on what you will never use and put it in a pile to donate.

3. Also go through your SCRAPS. Are you keeping too small of pieces that you will never use? Have you held on to certain scraps for the “maybe when…”? Recycle them!

4. Now the fun part – ORGANIZING! Decide HOW you want to organize it. Here are a few ideas:

• Pattern paper
  • By color
  • By theme
  • By keeping them together with coordinating designs
• Cardstock
  • By color – the best way to organize it!
  • Specialty paper (such as vellum, transparencies, pearl)
• Scraps
  • By color
  • By pattern

5. How to store your paper:

• File folders – can easily keep paper organized by color and/or pattern. Can store the file folders in an office supply box
• Plastic file folders – accordion style. They can easily be filed and all of your paper is in one spot.
• Paper trays
• Paper towers – plastic or wire. Can typically find these at any office supply store
• Plastic drawer bins – stackable ones that clip together work great because you can always add more
• Be creative! There are many different ways to store your paper and you know the best system that works for you!
• Scraps
  • Can store them in zip lock bags
  • Keep them all in a bin
  • Keep them with your full sheets of paper (cardstock, pattern paper, etc.)

Confession of the Day: I tend to keep every single little scrap because I also make my own cards, which welcomes the use of scraps. As I started to evaluate all of the paper that I had, I decided I need not have more than two “carriers” for my paper (plus one for scraps). I now have one for scraps, one for my printed paper/paper packs, and then another for my cardstock. I am trying to use what I have and not buy anymore – I haven’t for quite some time, except maybe ask for it as a Christmas gift. Why buy more when I have so much already? I recently went through my paper and got rid of all of the paper I knew I wouldn’t need or use. Why hang onto things and store unused items when I am trying to live with less?

How do YOU organize your scrapbook paper?