Craft Room Organization Challenge ~ #2 Paper

How did you make out on the first challenge?  It's not too late to share photos of your messy surface and your clean surface.  Doesn't it feel great to start the new year with a clean work surface?

Let's move on to the next challenge . . . 

Challenge #2

Your challenge this week is to S.P.A.C.E. your paper - - and I mean ALL of your paper: cardstock, patterned paper, specialty papers, and all those SCRAPS!

If you are a quilting, knitter, or other type of hobbyist, this challenge can be to organize your material, yarn stash, or whatever your most used supplies are.  

SORT: Bring all of your paper to one area. Sort it all into piles: KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH

Always ask yourself this question . . . Do I really need this?

Yes . . . will you use it in the next 12 months?

No . . . it needs to go.

Will you use it in the next 12 months?

Yes . . . go on to the next step.

No . . . it needs to go.

PURGE: bag up, and assign a price to paper bundles that you want to SELL at a garage sale or online, and put the bags in the garage sale box. Throw out the TRASH pile. Bag up the DONATE pile and immediately make arrangements for drop-off/pick-up or put in your vehicle.

ASSIGN: separate your paper into categories that make sense to you. For example, you may want to divide it simply into cardstock and patterned paper. If you have a huge stash of paper, you may want to divide it by colour, theme, or manufacturer.

Another way to sort your paper is in page kits. Package matching patterned papers in a zip lock or similar bag, add matching cardstocks and embellishments to create kits.

CONTAINERIZE: store you paper in a way that makes sense to you:

- vertical paper holders
- hanging vertical file folders
- wire cubes
- paper trays
- paper organizers
- bookcases with adjustable shelves

Click here to see lots of different storage ideas.

EQUALIZE: each time you finish a scrap session, return from a crop, or bring home new papers, spend a few minutes putting your paper away where it belongs.

We have started a Facebook group as a place for us to share photos, accomplishments, encouragement, tips and tricks as we work through the Fall 2019 Craft Space Organization Challenge.  You are welcome to post before and after photos of your paper challenge.

Take some time to get to know our other organizers and cheer them on.  Feel free to ask questions.  Someone will have a good answer.