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Creating a Scrapbooking Organizational System
- By: Joanne Jones
The most important thing when creating an organization system is to know how you like to work. There are many different systems out there and no one system is better than another. Everybody thinks and works differently and your organization system should reflect that. Figure out what makes sense to you.
The first step in setting up an organization system, is to evaluate how you work. Ask yourself questions such as:
- Do you like to be able to see all your supplies and choose what you need as you go along? If so, choose clear containers and place them near your workspace.
- Do you find that you get easily distracted or indecisive when presented with too many options? If so, then only have out the supplies you will be using at the moment and keep all other supplies out of sight.
- Do you dislike clutter? Then develop a system where everything has a place and is kept there.
The second step in setting up an organization system is to sort through and organize your supplies. First, gather all your supplies together in one area. Next, sort like items together. For example, place all the paper together, all the embellishments together and so on. Once you have done this, you will need to organize everything. You can go as elaborate or as simple as you want, as long as it works for you. For things like paper, embellishments and fabrics, here are some ways to organize them:
- By colour;
- By theme;
- By manufacturer; or
- By size;
For photos and other memorabilia, there are four different ways to organize them.
- Chronologically - If you want to tell a story in the same order as it happened, then this organizational method makes sense.
- By events - This organization method works well when you create scrapbooks based on a theme or event, such as holidays, weddings, etc.
- By person - Place photos or memorabilia related to that person in one file or container. If you want, create a folder for photos that have more than one person in them.
- Periods of life - This organization method works well when you don't know the exact date of an item or photo, but you know an approximate time. For example, if you are organizing old photos, you can tell by the picture if the person was a teenager or married with small children.
The third step is to put everything away. Use containers, baskets, shelves and other storage options to put all your supplies in, while still keeping them organized. Remember the golden rule of storage, "store items according to how often they are used".
- Place frequently used items near your workspace. You can place items in a basket on your desk or you can use a wall-mounted system with hooks, cups and holders, which are easy to reach when sitting down.
- For items that are only used occasionally, place them on nearby shelves, drawers or pegs. The key for these items is to keep them at about eye level, where they are easy to get to.
- For items that are rarely used, store them on the highest or lowest shelves. These items are harder to get to, but since you don't have to get to them often, it doesn't matter. Also, consider purging supplies you don't really like anyways. Give them to friends or a charity. Not only will you feel good, but you will have more room for the supplies that you really do love.
Every few months, evaluate your organization system and determine how well it works for you. Don't be afraid to change things if you need to. The better the system works, the more likely you are to use and maintain it. Happy organizing!
The most important thing when creating an organization system is to know how you like to work. There are many different systems out there and no one system is better than another. Everybody thinks and works differently and your organization system should reflect that. Figure out what makes sense to you.
For more scrapbooking products and information, please visit Beautiful Creations. Remember to check out our Free Scrapbooking Layouts while you are there.
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