Best Way to Organize Scrapbook Supplies

How to Organize Scrapbook Paper

Are you addicted to Scrapbook Paper? Has your love of buying up all these great craft paper deals turned into a place of stress rather than relaxation because you have no place to put it anymore? Specifically, has your inventory of crafting paper simply gotten out of hand? Does it seem like you spend more time finding the craft paper you need than actually working on the project at hand? Buying paper in bulk seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it feels like you're swimming in an endless paper ocean! You are finally asking, "How do I organize my scrapbook paper?".

If this sounds like your scrapbook space recently, we get it. Because, let's face it. Having so many papers and materials in your home to choose from for your next scrapbooking project is convenient. It cuts down on time running back and forth to the store and can make your life simpler, if organized properly. But, on the other hand, a big collection of scrapbooking paper could also problematic if you don't have a system to keep it all organized.

We know you didn't sign up for a hobby just to end up cleaning and organizing, but hear me out! All you need to do is properly set up your space one time, and you'll reap the benefits in every crafting session moving forward. So, if you're willing to put in a couple of hours organizing now for easier and smoother scrapbooking in the future, then buckle up and keep reading for our recommendations on how to organize scrapbook paper!

Tips and Tricks for How to Organize Scrapbook Paper

Just like organizing anything else, there's no "right" or "wrong" way to organize your scrapbooking paper. At the end of the day, this is your crafting space, and so whatever organizational system you choose has to make sense to you. However, to make things a bit easier, we're going to go ahead and break down some of the more popular methods for keeping your craft paper categorized.

Vertical vs Horizontal Storage Options

Similar to how you might have stored important papers in the past, when we talk about storing scrapbook paper, there are two main options: vertical and horizontal. In terms of horizontal storage, think back to your days in school. The paper cubbies or drawers your teacher might have had on her desk or the drying racks your art teacher had stacked in the corner of the classroom. Basically, any option that would allow you to store your paper lying down is a horizontal storage option.

While there are many different paper racks on the market today, we wouldn't necessarily tell you to jump to this as your first option. First of all, horizontal storage systems can be costly (anywhere from $35-$150) and take up a lot of space. Unless you have a lot of counter or floor space to spare in your crafting area, horizontal storage options probably are not your best way to go.

And, in addition to the cost and space concern, you have to consider how practical horizontal storage is. By this we mean, what are your storage goals? Do you have a lot of different, unique papers that call for multiple categorizations, or are your paper categories more broad?

For instance, if the extent of your scrapbook paper collection is merely different colors, perhaps a horizontal storage system will work for you. This is because you won't have too much browsing to do when you're trying to locate the paper you need. If you're looking for an orange paper, simply reach into the orange paper cubby and you're good to go. But, imagine if you have multiple shades of the same color or a variety of designs and textures…then you might find pulling out an entire cubby of paper and flipping through them frustrating.

So if you were hoping for a more cost effective and categorization-friendly solution, then look no further! For the frugal crafter who might have some desk space or shelving space to spare, we recommend using magazine holders! They run about $5 each, or better yet, you can make your own out of old cereal or cardboard boxes by following this awesome video here:

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSnfrZ_gQ3Y

(You can also purchase 12×12 storage boxes or create your own too, if you prefer that aesthetic to magazine holders.)

There are a few reasons we prefer this vertical storage system to a horizontal one. Not only is it cheaper (or basically free if you make your own) but it will make categorizing your papers so much easier.

Instead of being stuck with a set amount of cubbies or drawers to create categories from, now your options are limitless. Why do we say this? Well, after you've got your magazine holder ready to go, simply slip in some paper dividers and start labeling. Yes, just like your file cabinet at home, you can create tabs to divvy up your paper however you choose. Or, for another frugal hack, simply get some post-it flags and create your unique paper category tabs this way (more on that later).

And finally, the reason you can't go wrong with horizontal storage is the ease of viewing your papers. Because your papers will be stored upright, you'll find it easy to view them all at a glance and not have to make a mess to find the paper you've been looking for!

The Best Ways to Categorize your Paper

Ok, so you've got your magazine holders or storage boxes ready to go…but now, how to organize all that scrapbook paper? Good question! The next step is to spread out all the paper you've got and take a good look at it. What themes keep coming up? Are a lot of your papers seasonal? Holiday based? Have similar patterns in common? Whatever it is start grouping them into major categories i.e. Solid Colors, Seasonal, Patterned, Travel, Family, Love, Textured, Metallic, etc. Once you've got your major categories sorted out you can further sort within those categories by more determining factors such as color and theme.

So, for example, let's say I have three major themes emerging in my scrapbook paper collection: Solid Colors, Seasonal, and Patterns. My next step would be labeling three magazine holders or storage boxes accordingly:

1) Solid Colors

2) Seasonal

3) Patterns

Now, I can go into my three separate categories and make some further sub-categories by using those dividers or post-it note flags we mentioned earlier. So, perhaps within my "Solid Colors" box, I put dividers and sort accordingly: "Reds," "Oranges," "Yellows," "Greens," "Blues," "Indigos," "Violets." (Notice how we did so using the colors of a rainbow. Now your scrapbook collection won't only be organized, but aesthetically pleasing too!)

But, what if you've got more than one sub-category in mind? No problem at all! Consider using big plastic dividers for big categories, and post-it note flags for smaller categories, like this:

Magazine Holder/Storage Box Label: Seasonal
Major Plastic Divider Labels: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Post-it Note Flag Subcategories for Fall: Halloween
Thanksgiving
Pumpkins
Leaves

Starting to make a bit more sense? And remember, as you go through this process, there is no right or wrong way to categorize your paper. Everyone's collection is different in size and variety, and that's ok.

Maybe you only need two boxes to sort everything out just how you like it, while your friend needs ten. However, it works out is just fine. Remember the end goal here is to make your crafting time more enjoyable and less stressful!

Storage for Page Protectors

In addition to your massive scrapbook paper collection, have you got too many page protectors to handle? If so, stress no more, we've got some ideas for how to organize those too!

Because page protectors are more delicate, we don't necessarily recommend storing them vertically like your thick papers. The last thing you want is for your protectors to bend or crumple! But, that doesn't mean there isn't a better way. If you have an extra binder lying around, you can simply keep them stored in there. Feel free to label the spine of the binder "Page Protectors" so you don't forget what they are too. And, the advantage of storing them in a binder is the ability to separate different kinds with dividers i.e. 12″ x 12″ and 8.5″ x 11."

Or, if binders aren't so much your thing, invest in some tabletop storage containers such as these:

This way your page protectors will stay pristine and can be accessed without any hassle at all!

Bonus Storage Tips!

We know that paper crafts can be complicated with lots of bits and pieces floating around all the time, so if you're looking for more quick tips on how to keep your scrapbook studio clean and organized keep reading below!

Photo Paper Books: Do you tend to buy paper collections in book form rather than by the sheet? Having trouble storing them in a way that gives you easy access and visibility? Well stress no more! If you've got an extra storage box or magazine holder lying around, or even simply extra desk space, you can stack your paper books up and write on their edges what they are.

Even though paper books tend to be bound, usually nothing helpful is written on the spine of the book, but you can change that! Feel free to write on the spine, or on the opposite paper edge exactly the kind of paper that it is and store it like an old-fashioned book. i.e. Gold and Metallic Papers, Textured Paper, Travel Paper

Paper Scraps: All those paper odds and ends can be so frustrating sometimes. They're too valuable to throw away but so pesky to store. What can you do? Just like your full-size paper, you've got a few options. Similar to our suggestion above, you can use dividers to label what the paper scraps are. But sometimes, that doesn't even cut it with all those little tiny pieces.

So, we suggest getting some clear paper storage envelopes and putting them in there. These can also be labelled and sorted by color.

Or, just like a traditional filing cabinet, feel free to get some file folders and store them upright in a drawer. Folders are great because no tiny slips of paper can fall to the bottom and get lost. Or, better yet, invest in an accordion folder and label the tabs according to what kind of scraps you've got i.e. Solids, Patterns, Textured.

Tools, Embellishments, and Stickers: Since these little pieces can get lost and/or crumpled easily, we recommend investing in some tiny desktop clear drawers that you can label and sort appropriately. This way you can see what you've got without even opening the drawer and you'll never misplace a scrapbooking essential again!

Overall, we want to thank you for investing time into yourself and your hobby and for reading "How to Organize Scrapbook Paper." Scrapbooking is not only a great way to conserve memories, but an amazing way to de-stress and be creative too. And, taking the time to organize your scrapbook paper is only going to enrich your hobby even further! Also, check out our Top 5 Creative Scrapbook Ideas you might not have thought about.

So, whether you've opted to invest in some cute storage boxes or went with the DIY magazine holder approach, we hope you are satisfied with your paper organization solution! Feel free to send us pictures of your freshly organized scrapbooking space. We're excited to see what paper categories and creative storage ideas you all come up with!

Don't forget to join us in the conversation of crafting over on Facebook and Instagram. Also check out our Scrapbook Paper Storage Board on Pinterest.

Crafting Out!

Iva