Sorry ladies, I completely forgot to draw a winner yesterday. I am the secretary of a chapter of my Alma Mater's booster club and we are having a chorus and band concert on Monday night. I have been trying to arrange a dinner for 200 people and get all of the RSVP info compiled and counted for the caterer today. I'm really sorry, picking a winner got lost in my head yesterday afternoon.....but I've finalized everything with the caterer, so I am free this afternoon to go back to hanging out here with my favorite ladies at Studio Calico.
OK - first order of business - a winner!
Per Random.org comment number 103 - Moon69 is our winner! She will be receiving a free Footnotes Add ON. Here is what she had to say about organizing paper:
I store my papers on company en my cardstock on colour and keep them in pizzaboxes. I think the Cropper Hopper should be a great idea for me. Thanks for all the idea's.
Moon69
Please send me an email at lorie@studiocalico.com and I will make sure that we get your free add on out to you in the mail! I also wanted to thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. It seems that the Cropper Hopper is very popular and functional. Parker and Emma's Mom gave me an idea though....my Dad is a retired carpenter and he is always looking for little projects to keep busy. I may just ask for a homemade wooden 12x12 paper holder for my birthday!!!
Today I am looking for tips for storing buttons, trims and ribbon. I currently have all of my buttons in a couple of cute little jars that I bought at IKEA. I like this method, except that you have to pour all of them out every time you need something specific. I have been keeping ribbons and trims in baby wipe boxes. Again, it is okay for storage, but hard to see what you have and even harder to get in there and dig it out without dumping the whole thing every time you are looking for something specific.
I also have this little miscellaneous pile that tends to accumulate on my desk. Things like tickets, strips of paper, stray chipboard and other little things keep finding their way there. Please, I'm begging you, help me figure out a good way to organize all of these little strays!! 
OK, there is your challenge for the day. Comment on the blog and give me your tips for organizing buttons, trims, ribbon and strays. I'll draw a winner tomorrow evening and post it to the blog. The winner tomorrow will receive a free Glossary Add On.
I'm looking forward to your comments.....you've helped me bunches so far, we are on the last hurdle now!! My scrap space will be in tip top shape before you know it and I'll be posting new pictures to show you the before and after effect!!!
79 comments:
My ribbons - I have the ribbon ring - love it. My buttons I store in small glass jars.
The best thing I have found so far for ribbons is a HUGE glass jar with each ribbon wound around a wooden clothes hanger. It's colorful and although you may have to dig a little, everything stays seperated.
I love the snap n' store containers, I have some that are four compartments tall and they lock together and have a handle on the lid so I can pick it up and take them with me! They are clear so you can see what you have, which is always a plus! I have my different little bits divided out into... paper bits & tags, metal, epoxy's, chipboard... that way when I have a great spot for an embellishment I know where to go to find it!
I store my buttons in tiny jars by color so I can easily grab it when I want a certain color. My ribbon is stored in my top drawer (again organized by color). They are all wound up in small bundles and just placed in a row. When I open my top drawer, I just seek out what color I'm looking for and grab. As for all my little knick knacks like tickets, ect. - I put them in clear little baggies and then add it to my Clip it Up.
I wish I had sage advice for you, but I think I'm likely as disorganized as you are (were). However, that being said my buttons and ribbon is in somewhat decent shape. Buttons are in clear jars grouped in colour families..that mysteriously match the recent Making Memories buttons and Flower packs. I just dumped each one (5) in a jar and have since kept adding to it. For on the go, I have a sortables just for buttons, one for brads, and one for eyelets.
My ribbon is kept in the ribbon keeper that looks like a giant clear makeup bag with a zillion ribbon pieces sticking out. It took about 4 hours to put it together. I haven't decided if I love it or not yet.
Happy organizing!
I have a little suitcase that stores my ribbon reels on their sides so I can see them! My buttons are in colour shades in a large organiser clear box with sections. A wire basket would be perfect for the tickets and bits and bobs!
my ribbons are wound onto pegs and secured with pins. My Buttons are in fishing accesory boxes. Loved this week on the blog. Great tips.- hera
For all those little buttons, ribbons, and other accessories I look for containers in the sewing and the fishing departments at Walmart! Fishing tackle boxes make great organizers!
Michele Bailey
Those little odds and ends always accumulate on my craft table too! I gather them up and keep them in a basket that I leave next to me. I find that if I put them away, they never get used. From time to time I sort through the basket and throw things out or give them away!
My buttons go into a small plastic container that is divided into small sections. I picked it up at the Dollar store. I am about to get another! I am still working on organizing my ribbon; until now I did not have enough to worry about it!
my buttons go in one big jar - looks very pretty!
I have the ribbon purse which can store hundreds of ribbon and looks cute with them all poking out and you can see everything at once. not great for wide ribbons though--those I store in large jars. I do buttons in the same little jars you do so I am no help to ya there. Strays I put in my making memories desk organizer. It has a spot for 12x12 papers, another slot for stickers or other slightly smaller embellies and three drawers which get little things dumped in them. I try to continuously clean it out especially when I get new stuff.
This is so funny, but I have the same Ikea jars and I stuff my ribbon into it. I have one for each color of the rainbow. It works for me and keeps me from over buying ribbon! (Sort of! haha!)
I can't recall where i saw it but , i saw on a blog someone had taken a lamp shade and removed all of the shade material and used the bare frame to clip on ribbon scraps and it was VERY cute. For bits and pieces of small items i use little clear plastic containers that fit into a tray where the clear plastic part extends down thru the tray . The rim at the top keeps it from falling thru. The tray slips into a cube ,that i bought at Target, made just for scrapbookers. My whole scraproom area is made of these cubes. Some have drawers others have vertical storage. Two of them are file drawers. Anyway they all fit together and they look pretty cool too.
Hope this helps some and thanks for the giveaway, ms.cheryl
I keep my ribbon spools lined up in a narrow clear plastic container that I think was one of those extra compartments that came with our refrigerator... The ribbon scraps get shoved in a drawer, though!
One of these days I intend to get those jewelry/bead organizer boxes (clear, with individual compartments) to organize my buttons, brads, and other things. And a couple so that I can keep each letter of alphabet embellishments separate (and then I know what letters I have!)
For my ribbon I wind each length onto wooden boards that are about 4x7 and then pin it. I organise by colour and so far this has been the best method for me, loving it!
I use the Making Memories jars for all my ribbon and buttons...all divided out by color. Love them! I can see everything eprfectly on my shelf, and they look so pretty too!
All my buttons are in one of those tall glass jars, so I can look at them easily. I used the Ribbon Ring for all of my ribbons and trims. Have it organized by color-- one to a ring.
I hang my ribbon on a pants hanger. Which may be hard to imagine. Buttons are in tiny spice jars.
I have jars and such for most of my buttons - like you. I organize them by size. I am really weird and think that there is nothing better than sifting through a pile of buttons, so that's a non-issue for me. My ribbons however I organize the way that Jennifer McGuire does - on an old school clothes pin. I use the red package tape to hold it onto the spools. Right now they are shoved into jars, but I would really love to find the perfect basket to house them in. Then I can just sift through them to find the one I need! HTH! :)
Ribbons are on rings by color and then all on a huge ring. Buttons are all mixed together in a large glass jar...but I might to have to sort these soon by color. And the little bits are kept in a basket that I clean out periodically.
Buttons are my favorite! I use little spice jars to hold my buttons and sort it by color. It's so decorative lined up on my scrap shelf. I wind all my ribbons on embroidery floss cards and house them in a mini floss box. That way when I need a ribbon I just pull out the card. Have a great weekend!
Okay, for buttons, I found a craft plastic box for beads, I separate by color and can stack 3 or 4 in a drawer.
For ribbon and other trims, emb. floss, etc, I separate by color in gallon plastic Ziploc bags. I can then put all 12 of the bags in a drawer. (Warning, this is NOT pretty, but it's super for organizing) PLUS when I'm packing for a crop I can throw a whole blue ribbon bag or whatever color I'm working on, have the flexibility to pick my ribbon at the crop, and it squishes-packs nicely in my crop in style.
For my buttons I store them by major color in small jelly size canning jars. For my ribbon I have dowels that I use and store them again by color sort of. They are harder to sort by color than the buttons.
Buttons - I've got a flat, lidded, plastic container with dividers in it and they all go in there, sorted by colour. Really easy to store and to find things. I use these for flowers too.
Ribbons/trims (I have LOTS) - I covered a big shoe box in PP and then cut chipboard strips, a little bit narrower than the width of the shoe box and about 25cm high. I wind all my ribbons/twins around these chipboard 'dividers' and then stick them all, by colour, in the shoe box (pinning the ends of the ribbon so they don't come loose). Like a little filing cabinet of ribbons. When I need to use ribbon/trims, all I do is take the box off it's shelf, find the ribbon I want and then unwind the bit I need. Couldn't be easier.
The 'bits' that collect on my desk - I've got a pretty basket where I put all these things. They tend to stay in there for a month or so (until the next kit comes!) and then I sort them in with my stash again.
Hope this helps! Best wishes, Helen
I have a plastic storage container the has multiple dividers inside that I purchased at a fabric store. I store my buttons in there by color.
My ribbons are on a spool organized by color. I keep a hat box below my table to store scraps of ribbon that are no longer on spools.
i have a basket on the shelf behind me for all those miscellaneous things. and i try to look in there often as to not forget what is there, and use them of course!
as for buttons. i divided them into little baggies by color. and all the little baggies fit in the jar where the buttons were initially. I also did this for beads.
trims i have in a shoebox. i dont have too many of them.
Ribbon still on the spools i have in a shoebox sized box, they stand up on their sides so i can see everyone of them. and loose ribbon is all in a large plastic container, and i just dig for what i want.
for the strays I use bowls. i have a couple of cool vintagey bowls that i just dump stuff like that into. i always reach for them when i need that final piece so stuff cycles thru them pretty often
My buttons are in jars, some are color coded in spice jars and I have 2 large jars of random unsorted buttons (I have a lot of buttons). I keep most of my ribbons and trims wrapped on embroidery floss cards and stored in bead boxes. I do also have a basket of my favorite ribbons and trims on top of my scrap desk. For miscellaneous items, I have a wall mounted cabinet (it's a bathroom storage cabinet from Target) in which I have put several small metal bins found in the Target dollar spot. I have these separated into labels/tags, flowers, bling, brads and assorted fasteners, felt, and misc. stuff.
I have my ribbons in jars... love to look at all the pretty colors together like that! as for other general embellys, i keep them in baskets... one basket of new goodies just purchased, a basket of MM stuff (I have way too much), and a few little tin baskets with somewhat like items... they probably wouldn't make much sense to anybody but me :)
I have too much ribbon to be able to afford the ribbon ring, so I just use safety pins through the end of the ribbon and hook them to loose binder rings. They are all hung up on a white tie rack attached to my wall.
For buttons I got some cute little lime green metal pails from the dollar section at target and I sort them by color and have them on the lime green three tier rack also from target (I think the three tier thing was supposed to be for cupcakes). I like having them open but still diggable.
I store my ribbon wrapped around paper towel rolls and pinned. That way I can see everything I have and it is easy to unravel just a bit and cut off. I keep my buttons in different vintage jars (not by color or anything, seems to work ok for now). I store my teeny items in a plastic snap & store container & each container inside has a separate item (pins, metal embellishments, journal cards/tags, rhinestones, brads).
My buttons are all sorted in various clear jars; as for my ribbons, they're all wound up in their original spool thing and I have them stored in a box.
My scrapping friend gave me a ribbon storage container that has 3 rows to put ribbon on, but I have always loved scraprooms where the ribbon is hanging on a hoop on the wall (I have an adventurous cat so that would be pure disaster for me). Buttons are stored in jars and miscellaneous items are stored in a cute wooden box on a shelf on my Expedit...
Ribbons are organized on Ribbon rings, grouped by colours....But I put them in clear jars!And my buttons are grouped the same way, in smaller jars.Makes it very colorful on my shelves!
I have a collection of old mason jars and I separate all embellishments by color in them. I Love how they look!!
I put my small items in glass jars separated by type and color. ribbon bits and other scraps are in a small bowl.
I have my ribbon stored in a truffle bowl and a huge apothecary jar. They are both clear so I can pretty much see what's in it. My buttons are in smaller jars sorted by color families (warm colors, cool colors, neutrals). It really doesn't take much to dig through and get what you want. I didn't think I'd like it at first, but I love it. The smaller containers sit on my desk where I can see them, making me more likely to grab them. Plus they just look so pretty like that!
I should own Ikea stock as that is where I get most of my organization items from there. I store my ribbon in Ikea jars - most in the largest size. One glass jar for each color. This one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50081452
Buttons. I have smaller glass jars that fits a rack also at Ikea. I got those from Ikea, too. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40064702
All of my buttons and ribbons and such are in separate baggies. And stored in cropper hopper and CM cases. My scrapping area is mobile and it is easy to just whip out a case and thumb through the snack sized baggies. No spills!!!
i have all my ribbon in a bag...but i don't use it much, so it works for me. (one day when i finish organizing my space, i plan on using jars too...but mostly because ribbon and buttons are pretty to me, but not my go-to embellishments, so i don't mind digging when i need to!)
as for all the little bits/strays, i have a fun basket on my desk that collects all those odds and ends.
I keep all my buttons in a big glass jar from target that I can stick my hand down in. I love the feel of stirring around the buttons until I find the perfect one! I keep my ribbon tied on metal pants hangers--the kind that holds multiple pairs. Each "rung" holds 1-2 colors. Though what I'd really like to do if I had the wall space, is hand curtain rods and multiple levels and tie them on there by color.
I have large shoe containers that each hold only one color. My embelishments & ribbons are put in these containers & this is where I also seperate my bits & pieces too. I love having things color coded...it makes things easier to find a certain color of ribon or button.
i store all my color buttons in a HUGE jar all together, but I keep my clear, shaped, vintage, special buttons, etsy bought into little containers. For misc things, i put together in another large jar. I got mine at target (glass canisters) but i've seen these cool jars w/ the blackboard paint on the front. Also at Pier 1(or ikea, i'm sure), they have these little bowls that you can put little odd and ends in :) Ps- these jars are on my blog at www.landerson.typepad.com
I never seem to use everything when I buy some type of emblishment package. What I have started doing is putting the leftovers in a bucket. Then when I start a mini book I tend to look in the bucket for emblishments. I always seem to find something that will work and now I use my leftovers. Hope this works for you. Patty
I'm a fan of using canning jars for my ribbons and buttons sorting by color or sometimes manufacturer.
Since I store my papers in kits, I take a lot of my buttons and put them in snack baggies with my kits. Just grab a bunch that go with them.
And the rest are in a mini file box with snap open lid or the original packaging and in with my embellishments.
My buttons I place in small clear jars arranged by color. And my odd and ends go in a cute basket on my table :)
I have sort of become the ziploc queen. I buy from a local packaging supply warehouse & can get any size I need. All my buttons are sorted by color & in the bags. I have a stack of drawers under my table i keep them in. My ribbon is also in bags by color. I wrap it around my hand & then hold it tight with the little mini hair rubberbands (you gat hundreds in a baggie for $1 or so in the hair clip aisles)
I store my paper mainly by brand, so all my scraps are in bags also by brand. I keep a cute little bowl on my table for totally stray items. This helps me use them up much faster. I'm all about clear & portable storage. :o)
I organize them in a box with divisions!!
i use the divided containers for things like embroidery floss. for buttons, each color gets its own hole. some shades of blue i have tons of and they get their own hole as well. i even arrange the colors so they "bleed" into one another. its pretty. i have several other of these containers for other bits of odds and ends. the randomness of the containers can be quite inspiring sometimes. ribbon is a bit harder. i have one LARGE ball jar full of lengths (i also have a matching jar full of flowers) and then i have one of those ribbon organizer bags (you know, the plastic ones with the holes all over it) but instead of of putting ribbons through the holes, i organized the ribbons by type (i.e. grossgrain, satin, lace, velvet, etc) into little baggies and then put them into the larger bag to keep them in place. this isnt exactly permanent storage, but i can find things until i come up with something better.
good luck!
I use a few plastic boxes with dividers to store my buttons, flowers and brads. My ribbons are stored in a big glass jar its a litle bit messy but i like to see all the colours together. Moon69
ok im a bit of a - use what you have to accomadate what you need sort of person.... i have an altered spice rack to organise my buttons by colour, my ribbons get stored on a keyring chain by colour to every keyring and my bits and bobs go in a childs over the door storage organiser type thingy it works for me as i can see what i have and it keeps them all neat
I put all the little things in MAYA ROAD boxes !! and ribbons in a big metal box
For new ribbon, I have containers made to fit spools of ribbon. Works well until you run out of room! Once I'm down to scraps of ribbon I too put them in glass jars by color. As for buttons and other small items, I use storage bins with little clear drawers that I can easily pull out and grab what I want. For trim, stickers and other random things, I use the Clip It Up system by Simply Renee. I love it. I can see everything, but it still looks orderly! Thanks for the chance to win the kit.
I store my ribbon and my buttons in jars, too. Please look here.
My buttons and ribbons are both organized by color. Several years ago I bought a fabulous drawer set at The Container Store when I was visiting my daughter. It hangs on the wall in my closet and hold so many embellishments including a drawer for each color of button. My ribbons are stored in the embroidery floss boxes you can pick up at Michaels. I wrap the ribbon around one of the floss holders and the boxes are stacked on my shelf. The rolls of ribbon are kept in larger plastic boxes (also from The Container Store.) Wish there was one near me!
I think here, you have to think about what works best for you. I don't use things if I have them closed up, so I've moved a lot of my embellishments to open containers--stackable bamboo bins (they look pretty!). I have a bin of felt, three for different flowers, and several others. Buttons are in jars (not by color--I have too many), journaling spots/cards are in an open bin arranged by size, and tiny embellishments are in those lockable boxes. Most important (for me) is that I can see and reach them all easily. (I must be a lazy scrapper!) :)
I have the JetMax drawer cube where the ribbon reels can line up in rows by color group. Why don't you ask your carpenter to mount several rods on the wall? (might gather dust but would look colorful! Smaller pieces, purchased by the yard, I put in an embroidery floss organiser wrapped around little cards, sorted by color groups. Buttons are also in one of these clear compartment boxes, sorted by color groups. No dumping required but a little fishing around to get the button I need. I also use these compartment boxes for metal trims and charms, floss, fiber, metal alphabet letters. I have about 10 of them. Miscellaneous bits of things are put vertically (for flipping through) into a clear plastic bin if in packages. Loose die cuts/flat paper trims go in 8 1/2x11 page protectors in a binder for leafing through. And the absolute best thing to get organised...a label maker.
For buttons I have a plasttic case that I think is for sewing - it is about the size of letter paper but it has all these little sections in it so its easy to sort by color. For my ribbon its thrown together in an Ikea box - the cardbord boxes from Ikea are ideal for me because I can sort by item type and they were super cheap - 2 for $5 I think.
i stor emy ribbons in ziploc bags. :) buttons and other small thinsg are sorted in a small compartmentalized plastic case. i also store others in separate empty tin cans. :(
I have white metal storage drawers (on castors) from Ikea and this is handy for my patterned paper bits, plain paper bits, photo paper (and spare photos I've printed and not used) bits and pieces that don't have a home, fabric offcuts (and a little chocolate stash!)
My buttons are stored by colour in clear jars but if I have a matchign set of mixed colours I keep them together in little clear stackable tubs.
I have 2 fabric boxes (again Ikea) that hold ribbon. One id for the plastic packets and the other is for reels. I have clear MM jars that hold loose pieces by colour.
Think it all works well but not so much the reels of ribbon - will move that into a drawer I think.
I store trims and buttons in ArtBin Prism boxes. They have a box with 18 sections which work well for buttons. They have a box with six sections which I use for my ribbons and trims. They majority of my ribbons and trims I buy in one year lengths and I wrap around plastic floss bobbins and then put in the Prism box. I have them organized by color and I have separate boxes for rick rack, silk ribbons and fibers too. I have the ArtBin Mega Tote which you can put six boxes in so the Prism boxes are great for taking supplies on the go too.
I haven't done it yet but it's on my to do list to pin buttons to a big corkboard - it makes for a decorative item and easy to see and pull off - I think I saw it on the amazing Rebecca Sower's blog awhile ago.
I have a rail from ikea that is from the kitchen section. You can buy hook to hang things or pots that hang over it to then store things in. Well...I haven't actually put it up yet but it will be great when I do. As for those lovely stickers from sealing the kits. I'd get a load of those and some scraps of card. Stick one to a piece of card and cut round. Stick another on the other side and do this a number of times. Put them all on a book ring and hey presto a mini book.
My buttons have found their home in some antique jars my Gma gave me I small,big, and one huge size.
Ribbon strays are in jars sorted by color and the spools are in mini suitcases that are places on a bar/shelf that hold the tops open which is right above my sewing machine.
Would love to see your space once you have it all reorganized.
I put each ribbon individually in a small ziploc bag, put a hole at the bottom of the bag, then thread the bags onto a huge ring. I have a ring for each color. The rings are hanging on a hook, that way I can grab a color, then puruse thru the ribbons and get the one I want without it being tangled up with any other ribbons.
I have my ribbon is wrapped around floss cards or the larger ribbon cards from cropper hopper and stored in DMC cases by color. I have on big jar that has some tiny scraps also. I would love to hang all of it or put it in jar but I have so much I think it would look like one giant mess!!
As for buttons - most are in jars by color, but some are in these other plastic beading organizers I have that house some of my other small embellies all by color.
The best option is just to send your extras to me, and then I'll have to worry about finding a home for them!!!!
I like to look at my stuff in pretty jars. So lots of stuff are in big mason jars or old jam jars, especially buttons and ribbons. I actually don't mind dumping out the containers to find exactly the right one.
I've also used old wooden bobbins to wind pretty ribbon around. Again, I just stick them in a big container, but you could also use one of those thread organizers from JoAnns or Michaels.
I store my ribbons in jars & embellishments in little drawers & boxes. For all the little scraps & off cuts I store them in small organiser trays on my desk, that way I remember about them & often they come in handy to solve any design problems on my LOs.
I store my buttons in Starbucks Frap. bottles. I did sort them by color which makes it easier to find the perfect one. I also store my stray ribbon in class jars and by color. For all the little stay items that find their way on your desk, I am eager to find a solution too! Right now I have a 2-tiered wire basket that I use to collect all the odds and ends that I don't have a home for.
I have by buttons stored in small divided boxes in individual color drawers. That way when I need blue buttons I can quickly find them. Ribbons I have on a homemade clip it up bar created from a round cafe curtain rod, suspended between two shelves and I used the clip it up clips to hang folded lengths of ribbon up. Easy to see and not hidden away.
Darlene
Contact me at LRagon@aol.com
For ribbons I have hooks on the wall that I store the big huge book rings (4-6 inchers) with ribbons of the same color on. Then when I am working on a project I just grab the associated colors I need. Same goes with embellies, all sorted by color in the same little MM jars. Works for me.
I store my favorite ribbons in glass jars so I can look at them!
my buttons and ribbon are stored the same way, by color in small ziplock bags which aren't really ziplock they are 3x4 purchased at michaels. all of the small bags are then stored in a clear plastic container.
I have my buttons,brads, eyelets and such in a fishing tackle box. It has many little compartments. I try and keep sorted these items by color. Ribbon, I keep in a big plastic bag. I have some fibers wrapped on small plastic things and keep them in the tackle box.
Jenny M.
Most of my ribbons and buttons are sorted by color into little baggies or small, clear plastic containers and stored in my color drawers. I have some spools of ribbon in spool organizers near my scrappy table. I also have buttons that I just acquired living on my scrappy table. They will be stored in the color drawers after the newness wears off.
my buttons i keep i a box with dividers, it's a storage for beads? i believe. my ribbon i keep in see thru jars/plastic that i picked up @ walmart in the kitchen area. my scrap paper i keep in a 12x12 ziploc bag.
lynda in calif
I use clear jars from IKEA for ribbon storage (each one has a different color).
Buttons are in an old-fashioned button jar - I love dumping them out to browse.
Eyelets and brads are sorted in a tackle box from wal-mart (with all the little drawers) and labeled with size and type.
For strays I use baskets and IKEA tins and other containers that fit on my shelves.
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