New Year 2023 Craft Space Organization Challenge #2 ~ Paper!

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

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

Did you know that a 1” high stack of patterned paper equals as many as 250 sheets of patterned paper? That’s a lot of paper. I don't know about you, but I have a lot more than 1" of paper. 

So here is this week's challenge: 

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 quilter you need to S.P.A.C.E. your fabric. A knitter -- your wool. I think you get the picture. This challenge is for everybody! 

SORT: 

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

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. If you bought paper for a specific project (in my case our recent trip to the east coast) keep it kitted together. 

I have separated out Christmas and sports papers in their own containers.  

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. Most of my patterned papers and embellishments are sorted in this way. If/when the opportunity for some scrappin’ time presents, I just have to grab my tool pouch and a kit and I’m ready to go. 

Do you buy a lot of paper “stacks” or kits? I don’t recommend taking them apart. They are perfect for building page kits. 

Do you save your leftover scraps? Decide on a minimum size that you are willing to keep. I usually throw out anything smaller than 4 x 6”. 

These photos are from the 2020 fall challenge but I will post updated photos of the results of S.P.A.C.E.-ing my paper when I post Challenge #3.

CONTAINERIZE: 

Store your 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 

I use vertical paper holders for my cardstocks (which I personally feel I do not have enough of), hanging file folders for my scraps, and banker boxes for my page kits. 

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 this SPEED ROUND Challenge. When you have completed this challenge please share your photos in our challenge #2 album.