Happy Monday Everyone!
Welcome to Week #2 of our 8 week Organizing with Style feature! I'm thrilled to see that so many of you have chosen to join us as we "Get it Together" in 2011!
Week #2: Small Embellishments
Let's face it...Small Embellishments can sometimes be a not so small problem. Why?!?! Because we tend to have so many different items. Eyelets, brads, jewels, buttons, charms, beads, etc. The list could go on and on...Today I will share you some simple steps to organizing your small embellies.
Miss Tracy's Tips
Tip#1: How to Organize
There are many ways to organize small embellies. I suggest you organize by type first and then sort by color.
Tip #2: Where to Store
Before you decide how to store, think about where you will be storing them. Nothing is more frustrating then buying some cool organizing system and getting it home only to find out it won't fit on your shelf or in your drawer or your tote. Designate a spot and then take a few measurements BEFORE you go out to shop.
Tip #3: How to Store
My preferred storage for small emellishments is clear bead boxes. Now I prefer to keep my embellies stored seperately...for example, all of my brads are stored in a bead box and seperated within the box by color; my eyelets are in another bead box and seperated within the box by color.
Now some of you may prefer storing all of your embellies (regardless what they are) together by color. For example, you may have one container that holds every small embellie you have that is Blue and another for everything that is red...and so on.
Rhonda will be sharing more with you about this method, but first, here are some of my other storage fav's for Small embellies...
Now some of you may prefer storing all of your embellies (regardless what they are) together by color. For example, you may have one container that holds every small embellie you have that is Blue and another for everything that is red...and so on.
Rhonda will be sharing more with you about this method, but first, here are some of my other storage fav's for Small embellies...
The above mentioned Clear Bead Boxes...Floss Boxes work great too! You can find these at any of your local craft stores.
For on the go Crafters...consider a fishing tackle box or stackable contianers like these...
Stackables by Cropper Hopper
Glass Jars or Plastic Jars make great storage containers! This is my preferred method for storing my buttons...they look so pretty on my shelf and I have one jar for each color family. I LoVe looking at them!
My button jars are larger than these...I purchased them at Walmart for a steal. They are perfect for my large button collection.
Here is a unique solution...Hardware Drawers!
Here is some great information on Small Embellishment storage from one of our Blue House Gals, Rhonda Merry.
Hello all! Miss Rhonda here... I so happy to share my method of organization with you today. My method is easily portable because I am an "on the go" crafter. That's to say, I regularly go to crops or The Little Blue House to work on projects so most of my supplies are ready to roll when I am. I use tote boxes with lids that are easily sealed and ready to travel. I have two button totes, (and multiple jars of buttons because I really like buttons and shop far to often for them). The large one stays home when I am working at home but the smaller one is always in my rolling bag. The stacked cases are part of a Bead Storage Caddy I found at Wal-Mart.
The two button cases were purchased a local craft store.
The Bead Storage Caddy was purchased for $20. I have two colors of embellishments in each case. (except for pink and purple which are in one section because I don't use those colors as often as others) They all stack in the handy carry bag. The bag has large pockets on three sides for the larger packaged items that I am not ready to open or for items with sticky backs.
Any embellishment that I purchase without a designated paper line go straight into the embellishment tote, by color. It may get tricky if there are multiple colors on the embellishment, so I look at what the base color is. (If it is blue with yellow stripes it will be placed in the "blue" case.)
This system has been working for me for over 3 years now. If you are a crafter who likes to choose supplies by color rather then having individual containers to hold all your brads in one spot and all of your flowers in another, than this will be a better sorting system for you. Take a look...
Thanks Rhonda for this great info!
Your Scrappy-Do List for Week #2:
Gather, Sort, and Organize your Small Embellishments
Begin a Blessing Box
Wondering what in the world a Blessing Box is ?!?!...well let me share with you. As you are converting to a new system of organizing or just cleaning up an already functioning system, this will be a good time to let go of the items you no longer need. As you find these items, place them into your Blessing Box. Remember that being flexible is important while sorting and organizing your supplies. You may find that you have outgrown certain things or just have more than you could ever possibly use. When all of your organizing is complete, you can donate the items in your blessing box...and others will be blessed by your generosity! We will be providing you with a list of organizations (right here in our own community) that are greatly in need of craft supplies. Others will be greatly blessed by your donations.
Want a chance to win!
Post a comment about your Small Embellie storage ideas and you will be entered to win some wonderful embellies by WeRMemory Keepers!
...and speaking of winning...
the WINNER for Week #1 is...
Cara Britton
Congratulations Cara! Please contact the LBH to claim your prize!
Let's keep our commitment to
"Get it Together" in 2011!
Happy Organizing!
Miss Tracy :)
Woohoo,,,so excited to read about my next organization project. I'm ready to start sorting small embellishments. Thanks LBH!!
ReplyDeleteAh, the dreaded battle between color and type... I go back and forth between these... color seems easier but then sometimes I want to just look at brads or buttons or whatever and let that inspire me. I obviously need to get it together and commit!!!
ReplyDeleteLots of ideas to store embellishments. One I do when I want to take just a few with me on a retreat weekend or day crop etc. I save the razor containers with the little snap lids - plain sticker on the top and label whats inside (plus they are clear so you can see whats in there) I also use them for taking on trips (good for jewelry too) thanks
ReplyDeletewonderful ideas..thanks for sharing! currently, i am in desperate need of some more containers. it's on my 2011 wish list of things to get done, crafty goals!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas...and I am excited to learn about the places we can send our extra blessings..I am ready to pass some of mine on.I typically sort my embellies by type and then by color.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas!!! I have embellishments every where you look in all kinds of storage containers! I guess along way did like some of other ladies & got confused on how to group, I need to group holidays in totaly seperate containers!!! LLL Trying hard to get act together!!!LLL TFS all neat ideas!!!
ReplyDeleteI have never thought to sort them by color... I have always sorted by type.... what a great idea Rhonda has because I craft by color...
ReplyDeleteI got my ribbons done...now on to embellishments...thanks ladies
And Conrgats to Cara on adding some lovely ribbon to her collection
Okay, I have been needing to get my embellishments organized and you have imspired me. I have all of my Tim Holtz stuff organized in a photo box. I found a plastic photo box with individual plastic 4x6 containers inside and I have organized all my embellies in there. I found it at Costco and am wishing I would have bought more than 2. I will have to go searching for some of the containers you discussed. Thanks for the ideas.
ReplyDeleteI have the best little storage boxes for my embellies. I got them at Big Lots. It is a plastic container that holds four plastic drawers that have dividers and and you can carry it to take with you. It also hangs on the wall and you can pull the drawers out. I love it. I actually have two of them and I put velcro on the bottom and hung my stickles from it.
ReplyDeleteKristyn - Thsnks for the encouragement. Check out my ribbons/rick rack:http://cheryllynchquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/check-out-my-rick-rack-now.html
ReplyDeleteI love your idea for embellishments. I love the clear containers that screw together in a column.
I use all of the above except for the round ones. I also clean out the plastic bottles that I get boullin cubes in and use them to store marbles, pom-pom, pretty rocks, etc... They are all the same size and clear so I can see what is in there. Since I do all of my crafting at home I don't really much that is ready to go. I have them organized by kind them color.
ReplyDeleteStorage is not too much of a problem for me, all my small embellies fit into one of those small plastic storage stacking boxes and i have a couple of small jars, one for small buttons and one for large buttons lol! I love seeing what everyone else has and how they store their treasures though :)
ReplyDeleteWell... I was thinking that the color idea seemed really cool, but I know that with my luck not everything would fit in the boxes... Im actually ok at storing the little things in containers, but I think my stash has grown big enough that I need to get a bigger box.. I am going to try to the sort by type - wish me luck!!
ReplyDeleteI too store mine by type, everything has to be in clear containers and to see everything, I have shelves that hold all the containers. I do have lots of traveling containers for crops that stack on top of each other so it takes up less room when away from home. Heading to Pine Cove this weekend for a crop so better go get busy getting things ready, that happens to not be my favorite part of scrapbooking.
ReplyDeleteEmbellies... Oh, there are SO many! I like to store like items together and then seperate them by color. My biggest problem is trying to figure out which is the best way to organize for someone who crops at home AND goes to crops at local SB stores.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so EXCITED!! Last week was my very first time to blog ANYTHING, ever and I Won!!!
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but I got my ribbon organized too!! What an awesome week. And to think there's so much more...
I think that I will try the color organization technique. ANY technique is better than what I have now, which is "throw it in a bag, box, shelve..." Thanks, Rhonda for showing us your ways.
I also agree with some previous bloggers - trying to decide how to organize for us "take it with us" AND croppers at home. What to do, what to do.
Feeling so ahead of the game this week. I already have my buttons in the little jars on the shelf in the photo. As for brads and eyelets, I have so few and I just keep them all in one of my "button jars." Should I acquire more (should I say "when"), I will use the bead box method. Thanks for another great installment on organizing!!
ReplyDeleteI need to decide the best way to organize my items so I know what I have and use them. Like others, I scrap at home and on the go. Thanks for the great ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI was very inspired today by the post. I got ALL my buttons organized into those bead boxes. My kitchen table was a sea of color! I also had many onlookers. Why do kids love buttons? I used to love looking at and sorting my grandmas buttons when I was young.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Cara on winning last week's prize. My small embellies are in two plastic small drawer containers similar to what you would see in a man's workshop. I purchased my containers at the Container Store. I think they were 15.00 each. They stack great on top of each other and each drawer has a divider in the middle so I can put two colors of something in one drawer. Love It!!!
ReplyDeletelast week i tackled my ribbon & organized it like suggested & was soooo happy! it was so worth it! now, i am definitely gonna try to get my embellies organized too...and the blessing box is a GREAT idea! lord knows i truly need to de-stash! hugs & thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteSo many great ideas! I am just loving all of the inspiration to get it together for 2011!!!!
ReplyDeleteI recently purchased a "girly" soft sided fishing tackle box at Academy that looks a lot like a large lunch box with a shoulder strap. It is pink! Very cool. Inside of it are 4 plastic boxes just like your bead boxes. I have my buttons, brads, small chipboard pieces sorted by color in them. It is so much easier to pick them up and take to crops than when I had them all stored in the hardware cabinet. I still have my cabinet but now have my seasonal or themed embellishments store in there as I don't use them as often.
ReplyDeleteI have tried many different things and never really found the right thing. I've seen these boxes many times in the stores but never bought them as I have enough stuff already.
ReplyDeleteWell, I bought 3 containers today and I think I'm going to like this. However, because I have so much stuff, I need more...AHH!!!!
So many GREAT ideas in this post!! Hadn't thought of organizing embellishments like Rhonda does, but it sounds like a great idea for on the go cropping!! I'm almost finished with my ribbons!!LOL
ReplyDeleteLovely ideas, thanks! I store my items by type, then colour. I have some jars for buttons, sorted into colour groups, big jars for some ribbons, but those on spools sit in a large shallow box-lid that I "repurposed" into a paper-covered storage tray. The brads, eyelets etc are in those little divided bead boxes, again by colour. Metal embellishments have their own jars, as do paper flowers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I go to a crop, or on holiday, I put a selection of tiny embellishments into some mini jam pots, or tiny plastic containers (that I bought buttons and paper flowers in!). Then I have a good selection, without having to take loads of stuff with me.
I still have too much stuff though - maybe that Blessings Box is a good plan for me!
I keep ribbon in a bucket and brads/etc in a tackle box of sorts. I am really considering doing the embellishments by color, I think I might use them more!
ReplyDeleteHad fun organizing last night at LBH. Mom got all her ribbon done and we made or velveeta boxes and cans too. We are super ready to be organized!!! Love it all and was easy too!!
ReplyDeleteI sort mine by type, then by color or holiday. I have a little purple embellishment case that I can take with me that holds my brads and eyelets. I got it from the bead section at Michael's. I keep all my buttons in little glass ikea jars because I like looking at them. I also have small magnet containers with clear fronts that I keep on the wall in my craft room. I have a huge metal/peg board wall system on the back wall in my craft room where I store most of my embellishments. How do you store the ones that match a paper set? I can't seem to figure out how to store my matching sets???
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Cheryl
cfamigletti@gmail.com
Sorry that was a different account above. This is Cheryl and this is my correct account.
ReplyDelete