Get It Together: "Organizing with Style" Week 5

Good Morning! Welcome to Week #5 of our "Get it Together" Orgnization Feature.  Rhonda Merry here, and I will be sharing with you some great storage solutions for your

Lotions & Potions.

Lotions and potions is what we at the LBH call all of those 

fun additions to our supplies that

add color, sparkle, and texture to our projects!

This includes products like Alcohol Inks, pens, glitters, embossing powders, stickles, paints, mists, adhesives

and so much more!

Now I must confess that my storage is lacking

in style but oozes with practicality.  

But while working on this post the LBH Gals

and I have found some great ideas to pass on to you. 

Check out this link to LollyChops.com and see

 her storage method.  She has a craft room full of fun and she uses Spice Racks as an awesome storage solution...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollychops/4414337001/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollychops/4415104444/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollychops/4252093479/
Here is a  Stylish idea using a Kaiser Craft Organizer.

It comes plain are ready to decorate.

Make it your own by using papers and paints to

match your craft space.

 It can hold all sorts of L&P's

http://dianesalter.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

I would love a room with usable wall space like the one here.

Everything where you can see it.

Velcro is a crafters friend!

This home made pen holder keeps things close and visible. It stores the pens on their side, is made of PVC pipe and they used some Tule to dress it up.

I love this idea. Keep your Stickles or Liquid Pearls close to the top and ready to use by burrowing them in to a styrofoam block.
http://clubcreatingkeepsakes.com/forums/p/5636/44492.aspx

And of course our pal Tim Holtz has a line of

storage items that can be altered or decorated too.

*******

Follow these simple steps to get your L&P's in order:

• First collect ALL of the Lotions & Potions that you have and bring them into one area for sorting.

• Second, check each bottle to make sure it is still usable. 

If it is dried up or leaking,

smells tainted rather then its normal chemical self

('cause yes, some adhesives do go bad), the pump sticks or falls off,

or the lid is clogged beyond reason,

(you know its frustrating and then... do you really use it? No.)

 Now, throw it away. 

Clear it out and make the space so that you can easily

find the product that you will actually use. 

(Make sure that you dispose of these properly.

L&P's usually need to be sent to an Environmental

Collection Center rathan then to the dump.)

• Third, decide if there are any L&P's that you just don't use anymore.  Consider giving them  to a crafty friend or place them in your Blessing (donation) Box. 

• Next, let's sort.

Separate the L&P's into groups with like items.

 Adhesives

Paints

Glitter

Glittler Glues, Stickles

Alcohol Inks and their tools

Embossing Powders
Mists
and so on...

Once you have sorted, ask yourself a few questions.

• What do I use the most?

Having those items close by will help you decide how to store them for easy access.

• How much room will it take to store my L&P's?

Very small selections can use a small storage system.

And of course larger collections will require

a larger system of storage.

Here is a link to Creations by Christie

http://creationsbychristie.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Scroll down and watch here video on how she stores

her Alcohol Inks.



If you stack things on shelves or in closests

then containers with lids may be the thing to use.

Susan has her paints in a Crop in Style type stacking cube

(This one is from Michael's - the one with a deeper

drawer and one open shelf).

If you have lots of a like item, choose a container

that will hold them all in one spot.

If there are too many for one container, then it may be better for you to store them in color families.

 I hope these ideas have inspired you to organize your L&P's in a unique creative style that suits your needs. 
Scrappy Do list for this week:
Sort and Organize your Lotions & Potions
 Please share with us what's working well for you when it comes to your L&P storage. All commenters will be entered into a chance to win a goodie bag from Ranger Ink!  I also want to congratulate the winner from Week #4.....
Dettao aka Detta Owens
Thanks for leaving your comment Detta! Please contact the LBH to claim your prize. 

Merry Organizing!

Rhonda