"Get it Together" Organizing with Style: Week 7

It's Week #7 in the LBH Organizing with Style Series.  The challenge this week is Tools, Dies, Embossing Folders, Cricut Cartridges and Punches.  Yes, I (Elaine) got the short straw on this one but thanks to the LBH Gals we have some solutions for you. This is a long post..so grab your cup of coffee or Diet Coke.

HERE WE GO!!

Let's start with Punches...

This is Tracy's solution....

Miss Tracy here, I just wanted to share one of my organizational fav's with you...It's my Punch Racks!

 (designed by my hubby):

Punches are so bulky and I hated keeping mine stuffed in a drawer or box because for me "out of sight" means "out of mind". I am such a visual person...I like to SEE all of my stuff. So my hubby came up with this amazing idea. He went to Lowes (or maybe it was Home Depot) and bought a piece of metal, then he measured the depth of the punches agaist the wall and cleverly bent the metal into shape with the help of his handy vice. He then attached it to the wall with screws and loaded it with my punches.

I currently have 3 punch bars in the Shack and I love them. Now, all of my punches are right there within arm's reach and I find that I use them so much more now.

If you aren't inclined to make one for yourself...you'll be happy to know that my dear hubby will make one for you. We will have these punch bars for sale at the LBH if you would like to purchase them for your scrap space.

This is Susan's solution:

Use an over the door shoe hanger (found at Walmart,Target or Bed Bath and Beyond etc.)  this is a great system to keep the punches handy but out of the way.

My solution put them in drawers by type.

My occasionally used ones go together, then border punches & big shapes and finally Martha's.  The borders and shapes are located in a cart closest to my scrapping table.

CRICUT CARTRIDGES

This one is a little easier.  You can stack the boxes on a shelf,there are clear plastic containers made by Scraponizer (about $12ea - stores 4 cartridges with books & keypads).



 My solution - use the ever versatile photo storage box - put a velcro dot on the back of each cartridge, put corresponding velcro on the inside of the photo box lid.  You have plenty of room for books and keypads.  You'll notice on my cartridges they have large labels - I printed these on my handy label maker   because my old eyes had trouble reading those Cricut labels.  My method allows you to store 20 cartridges for about $2.50 if you get your box on sale.  YEA!!

EMBOSSING FOLDERS

These are pretty standard sized so they are pretty easy to store. At the LBH we put them in a plastic shoe box with the plates for the Cuttlebug and Big Shot.  At home I have them in a tote that is easy to grab when I head off to the LBH or a crop.  I also put my Nestabilities in the same tote. Plastic recipe boxes also work well for the folders but will not hold the plates.

 

DIES

Depending on the number you have will depend on how you want to store them.  Sizzix makes a tower which holds all sizes of dies.  You can just line them up on a shelf.  If you search "organizing Sizzix dies" you will also find a variety of storage boxes similar to our fav photo box.  I have my Tim Holtz dies in that tote with the embossing folders since I am using them more frequently.

TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS

I saved this for last as I really don't think there is a great way to store these items.  The shapes and sizes are not consistent and how you store them will depend a lot on how you create.  I keep my embossing gun, glue gun and Crop-a-Dile close to my work area on hooks.  I keep an empty tote to drop them in if I am headed to LBH or a crop.  One of our customers Lynette, keeps all of her items in a large art bin.  The compartments are segregated by item type.   She keeps this next to her work table and then when she heads out to the LBH, she closes up the bin and off she goes.  

Here's a picture of her tote.

Thanks for hanging in there on a very long post.  A few suggestions...before you invest in new storage items take a minute and sit at your creative area.  Think about how you work and in some cases where you work.  You also have to consider if you travel to crops, the LBH or other locations.  A storage system that is portable and that you do not have to pack and unpack is great for the scrapper on the move.  

Next week will be fun...we will talk about creative ways to know what you already have.  Good luck this week. :)

Post a comment and let us know how you are doing and if you have encountered some great solutions or challenges.

We will post last week's winner early in the week. 

Tracy is out of town at her Grandmother's funeral and she has those details.  Keep her and her family in your prayers.