Challenge #4 - Organizing Basic Supplies, Tools and Adhesives

Organizing Basic Supplies,

Tools and Adhesives

Tools and adhesives are some of the most important items in scrapbooking. There are many things that you don’t necessarily need to create a page, but these are essential to each and every layout you do. So, how to store them so that they are always at your fingertips but not in the way?

First, decide what tools are the most essential to you, and also which adhesives you can’t live without. Think about the things that you reach for every single time you scrap. Those things need to be the closest to you, while the things you use occasionally are placed a bit further out of reach, and the items you use the least often are stored away or purged. Here are some ideas for each of those types of supplies:

Most often used:

· Use a Cropper Hopper Flat Pack. This will store your trimmer, scissors, pens, and adhesive and still have room for your most used embellishments. You can store this on your desk, and when it’s time to leave for a crop, just grab it and go! With a Flat Pack – you can easily carry all you need for crops and classes.

· Store in a basket on your desk. Whether one small basket or a silverware-type basket with dividers, this will keep your most-used items right in front of you.

· On a peg board or wall-mounted modular organizational system. There are so many hooks, cups, and holders available for these systems that all of your essentials can be stored within easy reach.

Occasional use:

· A peg board or wall system is also good for these items, keeping them accessible but out of the way.

· Eye-level drawer of your storage unit, whether it’s an Iris cart, a dresser, or your shelving unit. The closer the drawer or shelf is to eye level; the easier it will be to retrieve these items.

Rarely used:

· Store these items (extra trimmers, gadgets used infrequently, extra adhesives) up on your highest shelf or down below your desk or on your lowest shelf. These items should be stored in the most inconvenient place; so that they don’t get in the way of the things you use the most. Use a Cropper Hopper Supply Case to store these items.

o Consider purging some of these items. If you tried embossing but find it’s not your cup of tea, sell your heat gun. If you are hanging on to that adhesive you don’t really like just in case you run out of your favorite, give it to your friend, your child, or your local school and stock up on the supplies you’ll actually want to use. Now is the time to purge those supplies that are just taking up space. You’ll be glad you did!

Once you have a system in place for your essentials, putting them back in the same place every time will become a reflex, and you will never have to hunt for your favorite scissors again!