When I find a new tutorial to try, I immediately print it out or save it to my external hard drive for future use. My paper stack of projects was growing, making it hard to find or even remember what it is I want to make.
© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved
A bit of time organizing the printed copies into categories (e.g., knitting, sewing, etc.) and a judicious purging of those projects I’m really not going to do make a much more manageable stack. But it’s still a stack—and the new projects I’ve discovered lately are what I plan to deal with today.
© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved
Inexpensive 3-ring binders found at Walgreen’s works fine for organizing my “wanna-do” projects. I have more of these binders as all the paper I’ve collected does not fit in just one category’s binder. So, there’s a Sewing 2, Knitting 2, and so on notebooks, too.
Projects that come with actual patterns you cut out are inserted in plastic pattern bags that zip-lock closed (found on eBay). I also use these bags for projects from such books as Amy Butler’s In Stitches to hold the paper patterns I’ve made from her instructions to keep from measuring over and over again when repeating a project.
How do you organize your crafting paperwork?
15 comments:
You're so smart June! I need your organizing help (well, mostly time) -- the stuff I find is scattered here, there and everywhere! I will say though, that I do keep a notebook and take notes of all the things I want to try. Now, if I could only find everything within my notebook!
Pretty binders. I organize my printed out projects in two binders. One for sewing, one for non-sewing. I use sheet protectors to hold two projects (one facing each side).
I keep my patterns in a basket and use comic books backing boards and sleeves for each pattern (silver edition) as they are acid free and protect the patterns. Not a big deal for modern patterns but I have a ton of vintage patterns that need protecting. The backing boards stabilize the patterns and allow me to store them upright. I learned this trick from a pattern seller on eBay.
How do I organize my crafting paperwork... I’ll be honoust... NOT! I have two big plastic boxes in which I throw all my patterns and tutorials. When I need something it takes me hours to find it. My big problem is space. My workspace is also my craftspace and it‘s packed with clients paperwork and files and printed stuff. All my drawers and shelves are full. All my craftwork is in boxes on the floor. I have to jump to be able to sit at my desk or behing the sewing machine. I don’t know where to start...LOL!
Coming from an obsessive-compulsive paper hoarding family, I am ALWAYS looking for new ways to organize my paper stash and yours is fabulous. I use notebooks as well...but mine are cast-offs from the kids from school days. These are SO gorgeous I just may have to go shopping on some day that is NOT
Frugal Friday and buy myself some lovely new ones! Your organizational tips are some of my favorite posts, June...you're the QUEEN!
love these. you are so organized! it's so worth it to set this up early on so things start going in the right places. i need to get going on this.
This is such a great idea! Right now I just bookmark everything...as you can imagine I have thousands of "must do" crafts in my bookmarks. I love the categorized binder idea! I've also been working really hard in the last couple of months to design a one-click way to organize tutorials on my blog. Once I get that finished I think I'll feel a bit more organized. Then I can tackle my "crazy pile" as my husband calls it-a giant pile of ripped-out magazine craft ideas. Yikes. I'll be linking to this!
I sooo need to do this!!
I have just been printing mine out and putting each one in a plastic file inside of one folder. I like your idea much better!
Fabulous organization June! It must make it is easy to find everything. I should really do something like this and cull my magazine collection
You're very organized. I like tasks like this one and if I wasn't organized I'd be totally lost.
I don't, but it has been on my mind alot lately, as my pile of printed projects is growing, along with my craft file on the computer. This is a timely and smart idea, June. I so admire you.
Lena
clever, yet so simple June! I have been using file folders but must admit they get so fat! And, as is the case with file folders, they are also out of sight therefore out of mind! I love that you've put yours in binders, where you can see them and have them at hand -- an in eyeshot! Well done
Love love love these folders. I too have started something like that.
Now if you could just do a tutorial of how to fit a 5 bedroom house (like I need) into a 3 bedroom.....
Currently they are all jammed together in a couple of magazine boxs on my modest craft shelf... one day I'll be better organised (it's a little embarrassing really as I'm supposed to be a Librarian!)
Hi Junie, Been enjoying (for hours) reading your blog - all about life, etc! And could comment on lots of posts, but anyway - here is one thing I do, altho I am far from really organized. I had been printing everything up, but it got to be such a huge pile, I stopped that. Now when I come across something that looks very interesting (or tasty!) I add it to my excel list of neat things. I have one column for either the recipe or what the idea is about (or tutorial) and then the next column is the blogsite (usually anyway) and then a third column with the date of the blog entry.
The nice thing about this is I can always search with the "control F" thingey - and find what I am looking for, and it doesn't take up a lot of space. I have nearly 800 entries right now. Hmmmm, I think I will need several lifetimes to do all the neat things I would love to try!
Anyway - Just a thought! Have a good day!
Hugs from Michigan - Diane
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