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Organizing your scrapbook area to make it easier and more fun to create your projects

by Wayne Wargo (PenWay.org)

The art of having your scrap booking area organized and compact is of great importance. You can then easily find what you need. The size of the area should be determined by how many supplies you think you will use.

Since there are literally thousands of different types of scrap booking papers and other accessories, you will find that it can be overwhelming to choose. Since there are so many options, you will find that it can be difficult for a person to scrapbook when they are in a small apartment or dorm room. However, this not a hindrance to your creativity and you can get organized and keep things looking good and clean and therefore help you to scrapbook more efficiently.

A good option getting your papers organized for is a paper saver, which is made by most of the larger scrap booking companies. These folders are made of plastic most of the time and they can be tagged and hold hundreds of papers. This will help you to categorize your papers. If you find that you do not have enough room in a paper saver, you might also find it useful to invest in a filing cabinet or one of the sets of drawers made especially for scrap booking. You can purchase these in any of the local craft stores or you can go online as well.

Once you own a tool for organization, the next step is to decide how you want to categorize your supplies. You will find that color is most often used, but you can make it into a theme like a certain day or holiday. You may also want to think about making patterns like stripes. You can also use this system to organize flat embellishments, such as die cuts or stickers.

You also need a place to store your tools and embellishments that are not easily filed. You will find that one good way is to use baskets and a shelving system to help your to store and organize your tools and embellishments. Store cutting tools in one basket, glues in another, markers and paint in a third, and so on is a good way of approaching the art of organization. By buying baskets in bulk, you will save more money then if you use photo boxes, and the display will be uniform and attractive. Make sure that you label your baskets or shelving so that you can find everything quickly.

If you need to save space, however, a basket and shelving system may not work for you. You will want to make a kit of some of your most often used tools and supplies so that you can keep them close and you won't have to dig or look around. That way when you only have time to do a quick page or two, you can use your kit to complete it and then quickly clean up.

It will be important that the space that you use to scrapbook be clean and organized. This will allow you to enjoy your time scrap booking.

After you have your own system of labeling your storage containers and have your papers organized, you will be able to quickly find and use the tools and materials that you need. Initially, of course, it will take some time to label your storage containers and then fill them. With a comfortable setting and using your creativity, you will begin to enjoy the art of scrap booking.

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Organizing your scrapbook area to make it easier and more fun to create your projects