Welcome to Day 15! I made it to the halfway point, yeah!!! Today I wanted to talk about organizing your crafting materials. This is probably more for stationers than the DIY bride, however depending on how much you like to make things yourself, you might want to perk up and grab what you can from this installment.
The reality of being in this business is that the supplies and materials will take over your life. There are a ton of tiny little moving parts, as well as larger pieces of equipment. Its maddening. I'm in an extremely small space so I've had to be pretty creative in how I organize all of this stuff. I will share with you that The Container Store is a close friend of mine... Yeah, they are on the expensive side, but they also have pretty affordable stuff too.
Note that there are plenty of ways to store your items, but the I've found the following to be the most helpful to me...
1. Handy Boxes - These are so affordable and they come in different sizes. I have both the long and tall version. I am often on the run in the summer and sometimes I'm finishing up projects at FEDEX Office prior to packaging up work. Or maybe I just wanted to get some work done off-site. I used to grab glue, blades and scissors and they'd be swimming around in my bag. I'd also ALWAYS forget something. Now, I've got a second set of materials specifically for my totes. I don't lose anything, I don't have to worry about sticking my finger on a blade and it just helps my sanity. Not to mention its great to have around for miscellaneous items you find when cleaning your studio/workspace. These totes reduce stress, please consider them.
Check out the listing, they are only $3.99 each... Much cheaper than the art bins you find at art supply stores and unless you are a student, you really don't need all of the compartments and tackle box slots that those come with anyway...
2. Stacking Bins - These come in small, medium and large and I love them. You can create your own "wall" of supplies with these, they not only stack vertically, but they connect horizontally. They have a piece of acrylic on the front that lifts with an area to label your items. I can't stress how important it is to have a place for everything. Especially small parts/pieces that you use all of the time. Bins will keep you from spending valuable time (that could be used crafting) looking for your materials.
They are marketed for the kitchen/pantry but they are perfect for crafters.
The small ones are $1.99 each.
3. Plastic Project Tubs - Unless you already have a method for organizing your projects, this idea is perfect for both professional crafters and D.I.Y. brides... Also its a small studio space owners dream. You can buy plastic tubs with lids anywhere but honestly, the most affordable plastic tubs I've found have been either at Lowes or Menards. Forget Target and Walmart for these, they are too much when buying volume.
Anywho, go ahead and stack them as high as you can and add a clear, self-adhesive sleeve to either the side or the front. You can slip in an identifying card with the projects vitals on it. Quantity, due date, special notes, client's name, etc. Inside the tub you place the envelopes, special items you may have purchased for the project, etc. This way, the job is "housed" and when you grab it off the shelf, everything you need is right there. Work on it a while and then put it back in its place.
I feel better knowing that all of my projects are organized.
You can find these business card sized sleeves at Staples... $4.99 for a pack of 10. Genius!
4. Art Supply Carousel - This is a must have for your desk... After you insert all of your go to pens, markers, etc. there is room at the top for exacto blades, scissors, bone folders and anything that doesn't fit anywhere else.
The bottom compartments are great for binder clips, erasers, etc. Careful not to store items in here though that require their own labeled bin. Definitely for the miscellaneous and not critical tools. You can get this at an art supply store or on Amazon.com for about $20.
5. Hang Your Tools - When in a small space, you learn to use the wall when your surfaces get filled up. Because I utitlize so many drafting tools (and because most of them come with some kind of hole drilled in them), I often hang up a lot of my tools. All you need is a notebook ring and you can begin getting some of your tools off the floor and out of the corner.
You can also use binder clips in conjunction with these hooks if you have something flat to hang, i.e. reference sheet, template guide, etc.
Other, general tips:
- When you buy crafting materials, it will help to remove them from the packaging. Sounds silly, but the packaging takes up real estate. Remove your items and store them.
- Don't buy materials unless you have a use for them. When I first started out, I would buy any and everything. If it was on sale, it was a no brainer. Now... not so much. Your necessary materials and products have the right of way here. It is more important to make sure you have the proper room for those items. Not new items that don't even really have a current purpose.
- Clean up after you complete a project. I will admit that I'm usually wiped at the end of large projects, but you will be happier if you muster up the energy to clean up as soon as you are done.
That's it for today! Let me know what other tips are out there!
I'll be back tomorrow!
--ct
