Every year I host an organization challenge beginning on January 1st. I just realized I should post it here for those of you not in the Crafting Made Simple group. Although the challenge says scrapbooking I believe many of the challenges will work for just about any craft. So are you ready? Here is the week #1 challenge:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
I know everyone is anxious to get their scrapzones in order, and as a result get more accomplished and get more enjoyment out of their scrapbooking goodies. If you aren 't a scrapper but enjoy other crafts, many of the suggestions in this challenge will be helpful to you as well.
So - what I want you to do, right NOW is take a photo of your scrap zone - no, leave the dirty coffee cup where it is....yes, I know you let your cat sleep on your keyboard.....do not touch ANYTHING - go take a photo, and share it with us by posting a link to it.
No shame here - just hope. If I can get MY MESS fixed, ANYONE can follow the ten challenges to organization.
The first challenge of the GET ORGANIZED CHALLENGE is to clear off your scrapping workspace. Before you get started, take a "before" photo, and post it to the group, we wanna see just how bad it is
Maybe you have a desk committed as your scrapping space, or maybe you have taken over the dining room table. Wherever you scrap, completely clear off the entire surface, dumping everything into a big box. Give your surface a good scrub and polish, removing every spec of paint, adhesive, and uh.... is that chocolate????
Okay, now let's get to work on that big box of stuff. Now is the time to learn that you need S.P.A.C.E. to scrapbook:
* Sort * Purge * Assign * Containerize * Equalize *
We're going to use this very same method for each and every challenge of the Organization Challenge. So, let's go over this method:
SORT:
Going object by object, divide everything in the big box into categories that make sense to you. You may want to have some baskets laid out and labelled: SELL, DONATE, TRASH, STORAGE (for stuff you want to keep, but doesn't belong on or in your desk/word surface) NOT IN HERE (for items that sneak their way into your scrap studio, but belong elsewhere in the house) and ACTION (for items that you want to keep in or on your desk)
PURGE:
This is a no-brainer.
1) Throw out everything in the TRASH pile - all the ripped, broken, dried up, crumpled STUFF.
2) Bag up and assign a price and your initials to everything in the SELL pile, and put in your sale box.
3) Call the person who could use the DONATE pile, and immediately set up a time to drop off, bag it up, and hang on the door knob so it doesn't sneak back into your studio area.
4) Put the NOT IN HERE stuff where it belongs (I'd make the kids do it, it's probably their junk anyway)
ASSIGN:
You have a couple of options here for your STORAGE pile: put the stuff aside to be organized when we work on other areas, or (and I strongly suggest this alternative) put the items away where they belong using your current organization system.
CONTAINERIZE:
Sort all of your ACTION items into the appropriate drawer, container, boxes. Containerizing gives you a chance to make everything pretty and inspirational to you. You may need to make a shopping trip to make new purchases of containers that you love, love to look at, and are sturdy enough to withstand repeated openings and closings, and are the right size. Make a list and take measurements. Label everything.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
I know everyone is anxious to get their scrapzones in order, and as a result get more accomplished and get more enjoyment out of their scrapbooking goodies. If you aren 't a scrapper but enjoy other crafts, many of the suggestions in this challenge will be helpful to you as well.
So - what I want you to do, right NOW is take a photo of your scrap zone - no, leave the dirty coffee cup where it is....yes, I know you let your cat sleep on your keyboard.....do not touch ANYTHING - go take a photo, and share it with us by posting a link to it.
No shame here - just hope. If I can get MY MESS fixed, ANYONE can follow the ten challenges to organization.
The first challenge of the GET ORGANIZED CHALLENGE is to clear off your scrapping workspace. Before you get started, take a "before" photo, and post it to the group, we wanna see just how bad it is
Maybe you have a desk committed as your scrapping space, or maybe you have taken over the dining room table. Wherever you scrap, completely clear off the entire surface, dumping everything into a big box. Give your surface a good scrub and polish, removing every spec of paint, adhesive, and uh.... is that chocolate????
Okay, now let's get to work on that big box of stuff. Now is the time to learn that you need S.P.A.C.E. to scrapbook:
* Sort * Purge * Assign * Containerize * Equalize *
We're going to use this very same method for each and every challenge of the Organization Challenge. So, let's go over this method:
SORT:
Going object by object, divide everything in the big box into categories that make sense to you. You may want to have some baskets laid out and labelled: SELL, DONATE, TRASH, STORAGE (for stuff you want to keep, but doesn't belong on or in your desk/word surface) NOT IN HERE (for items that sneak their way into your scrap studio, but belong elsewhere in the house) and ACTION (for items that you want to keep in or on your desk)
PURGE:
This is a no-brainer.
1) Throw out everything in the TRASH pile - all the ripped, broken, dried up, crumpled STUFF.
2) Bag up and assign a price and your initials to everything in the SELL pile, and put in your sale box.
3) Call the person who could use the DONATE pile, and immediately set up a time to drop off, bag it up, and hang on the door knob so it doesn't sneak back into your studio area.
4) Put the NOT IN HERE stuff where it belongs (I'd make the kids do it, it's probably their junk anyway)
ASSIGN:
You have a couple of options here for your STORAGE pile: put the stuff aside to be organized when we work on other areas, or (and I strongly suggest this alternative) put the items away where they belong using your current organization system.
CONTAINERIZE:
Sort all of your ACTION items into the appropriate drawer, container, boxes. Containerizing gives you a chance to make everything pretty and inspirational to you. You may need to make a shopping trip to make new purchases of containers that you love, love to look at, and are sturdy enough to withstand repeated openings and closings, and are the right size. Make a list and take measurements. Label everything.
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