Before we get started using the supplies we have on hand to create fabulous and fun things, I thought it might be a good idea to talk about organization in our creative spaces.

Photo credit: chrissy.farnan @ flickr.com

Whether you only have a corner of a room, a closet, or a whole room, you will get the most from your creative time if you have some organization.  Some of us are not that organized by nature.  Plus, throw in the fact that many creative people are very visual and like to be able to see what they have available to work with, and you have the potential for a real mess!

Don’t dispare!  If you don’t have any idea about where to begin, we’ll offer some help!  One of the biggest things to know, is that you should NOT run out and buy a bunch more stuff to put your supplies in  — unless you truly have to have some help in sorting through it all.  If I’m on a big sorting mission, I find that cardboard file boxes from the office supply store are great. You have to fold them into its box shape, but they have holes for handles, and tops if you want to fold those up as well!  That way, you already have some boxes if you decide you need to take some of your stuff to donate!

• Use what you have first: baskets, shoe boxes, larger boxes, plastic kitchen boxes, etc.
• One of the best ways to organize is to put like items with more of their own kind so they aren’t lonely.  That way, all your ribbon is together, buttons, brads, paper, stamps, dies, punches…. you get the idea.
• Once you find out how much you have of anything, you can deal with deciding where and what it will live in. Remember, it’s okay to actually purge!  If you have a giant bag of yarn and you haven’t used it in the past ten years, you probably don’t need a whole bag of yarn!  Keep a couple of skeins on hand and donate to the thrift store or a friend who will use it!
• As you decide how to containerize your items, still use what you have for now!  Don’t invest a lot of money until you really settle on your space and layout.  Think about whether you like to be able to see your supplies or have them hidden away.  That will help you determine what kind of storage you should be considering.  Also, think about using vertical space, going up can creative a ton of extra storage!

Here is a nifty video from Lain Ehmann showing us around her craftroom, you’ll see how she has grouped her items together for convenience.

Lain has hosted True Scrap which is a virtual online getaway for scrappers/crafters and has had some wonderful classes.  Now you can get the classes by Aby Garvey for just $9.99 each!  What a great gift for yourself or someone else who may be considering getting their arts and crafts area organized for the new year!  Click on the links below for details!

Classes by Aby Garvey, just $9.99!

Scrapbook Organization Your Way, (scroll down to her name)

Solutions for Small Scrapbook Spaces

Audience Participation Time

• What is your favorite tip or item that that has worked well for organizing your arts/crafts supplies?
• What do you most struggle with?