How to Store Your Scrapbook Supplies on a Tight Budget

Keeping your supplies organized will help you make the most of your scrapbooking time. However, this doesn’t mean you need to purchase expensive specialty containers from your local scrapbook store. Many of the objects you already have around your home can be used to keep your supplies in order.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Store your 12 x 12 cardstock and patterned paper in clean pizza boxes. The boxes are easy to stack and protect your paper from dust and damage. If you prefer vertical paper storage, make your own holders from old shipping boxes. If you have an entire room dedicated to scrapbooking, carpet stores often dispose of carpet sample racks that can be used for storing and displaying your 12 x 12 paper.

2. The problem with purchasing embellishment storage containers at a craft store is that you’ll eventually outgrow the containers as you continue to accumulate more odds and ends for your layouts. Baby food jars make excellent storage containers for buttons, eyelets, and other small embellishments. Spray paint the lids for a uniform look and you’ll have a storage system that can easily expand to fit a growing collection of scrapbooking supplies. If you haven’t switched to a digital camera, empty film canisters are another good expandable storage solution.

3. Use the small plastic photo albums your prints come back in as storage for stickers, die cuts, and other flat embellishments. Use one album per category for easy filing.

4. Ribbons and fibers tangle easily, making them one of the most challenging supplies to keep organized. To solve this problem, simply wind ribbon and fibers around heavy pieces of cardboard and pin together. For ribbon sold in spools, stack them on the pegs of an expandable plate rack from the housewares section of your favorite discount store.

5. Store rubber stamps, paper punches, and other scrapbooking tools on a shelf step organizer. Commonly found alongside the kitchen utensils in Wal-Mart and other discount stores, these organizers are an inexpensive way to increase the amount of shelf space available for scrapbook supply storage.

6. If you frequently scrapbook away from your home, transporting your supplies can be a challenge. An old diaper bag or a thrift store suitcase can double as alternatives to the pricey scrapbook supply totes sold in craft stores.

[mandolin]

on 8/1/2008 Thanks for the ideas. I hadn't thought of pizza boxes. Years ago I decided to keep the boxes from my 8.5" by 11" page protectors. They work great for keeping papers that size or smaller. To scrapbook away from home I use a suitcase (not from a thrift store, but was a gift) that has wheels and a pull-out handle.

[WriterGig]

on 4/12/2008 Cool ideas! Budgeting is a hot topic and this is a great niche. :)