Organizing My Craft Supplies

Due to my latest craft projects my home office has taken on a little more real estate lately and that is a-okay with me!  I'm having a ball and that is really what crafting is all about.  I make no apologies for the big ugly folding table piled with supplies that is dominating our living room.  Crafting isn't always pretty.

Oodles of scraps!

But because it is currently dominating our living space I knew I'd need to organize my stuff or it was likely to get out of control and one thing I don't handle well is messiness or chaos.  It has to be neat and tidy or I'll lose my mind.  Plus, I work better when I know what I have and where it is.

The first thing I did was pull out ALL of my papers.  They were pretty much grouped by type, but I took it a step further by putting certain ones in gallon size bags, like sleeves, to hold them.  I also labeled the  bags.  

In the drawer I have a huge stack of white cardstock, colored copy paper, colored cardstock and about half a ream of stationery that was given to me.  Not sure yet what I'll do with that much stationery, but I'm sure I'll figure out something.

Card bases, cut journal sheets, etc.

Odds & ends

My 12" X 12" scrapbook papers are currently sitting on the corner of the table as that is what I am using the most right now.  But the scraps, oh my goodness, I've saved every scrap of that paper for sooooo long.  

I think all paper crafters probably have a bunch of leftover strips

I am on a mission to find projects to use up those scraps and so far, so good.  But in the meantime I found a shoebox size container out in the garage to corral them all in.  I used rubber bands to hold the 12" strips together.

After finishing up a scrappy project I used my flower and star punches to make embellishments out of the remaining leftover scraps.  

These cut little pill bottle containers are perfect for small stuff!

I picked up a package of six of  these cute little containers meant to hold embellishments at the dollar store.  That was the only item I purchased for organizing.

A friend gave me this wine bottle gift basket and it is holding my hole punch, ruler, mechanical pencil and all of my stickers and some more embellishments.  Sometimes you have to think outside the box a little.

I also have this container I've had for years to hold my shape cutting scissors, punches, glue sticks and glitter glues.

I usually keep my crafting supplies in a set of plastic drawers (they used to hold my sewing supplies) on wheels in our hall closet.  Two of those drawers are sitting under my desk right now while I'm working.

It is working quite nicely at the moment.  And while some may consider this a bit of an eyesore, and I suppose that it is, it is really keeping me inspired.  I find myself doing something crafty nearly every day now, even if it is only for a few minutes.  That is a very good thing!