As you know, I have been working on a plan of organization in my own scraproom as a kind of New Year's resolution. I have kept my eye out on some amazing efforts out on Facebook and the blogosphere and asked a few Fiskateers to share what they have been doing to get their crafting spaces back on track.This week, I'm happy to share my friend Wendy's amazing post. If you are following her blog, you'll know she is tackling quite a few ambitious projects including fitness and "Project Life" and is definitely worth a click on her RSS feed. Here's a bit of wisdom from Wendy and don't forget to check out the full collection of ideas and photos on her blog:

or·ga·nizeverb

 

ˈȯr-gə-ˌnīz

 

Definition of ORGANIZE 

transitive verb

1:

to cause to develop an organic structure

2:

to form into a coherent unity or functioning whole : integrateorganize her thoughts>

3a

: to set up an administrative structure for

b : to persuade to associate in an

organization ; especially : unionize

4:

to arrange by systematic planning and united effort 

Definitely #4! Organizing has been a sort of {love} of mine for many many years. There’s just something my heart finds so twitterpating about a beautiful collection of items in their perfect little spot. I can pretty much make anything work to organize (if you saw my garage right now you’d get it). Its kind of an out of mind thought if there is such a thing, it’s visual for sure. There are many books/stores/websites out there to help you along with ideas, some I log in memory, and most I don’t. I like to figure it out on my own and see what clever vessels I can come up with to use. 

If you’re looking to organize a room, let’s use your scrapbook room as an example… How do you visualize it? Ask yourself these questions and jot your answers down: 

  • How do I want to use this space? Do I need things within reach?

  • Do I want it tidy looking? I.e. closed opaque containers

  • Do I want to use baskets, metal/wire bins, boxes, plastic containers, glass?

  • What can I remove from the room? (Possibly things you may rarely use could go in a hall closet)

  • What current problems am I having with the way the room is now?

  • What habits of mine do I need to change to make my vision work? 

Next, on a clean sheet of paper you want to take note of “collections”. Meaning what items/products do you want to have together, possibly in one container and how much of that do you have. For example, I have all my ribbon in one container, my stamps in one, chipboard albums in one, etc. You get the idea. Before I head to the store, I dig through my house. Closets, kitchen, bedrooms, garage… you never know what you’ll find that could work and hey, if you already have it why not use it? Once I’ve done that and crossed items off my list I no longer need containers/storage for I take measurements. That’s a great tip! You may get to the store and think you’ve found the perfect container for something and get home and it doesn’t quite fit. You can always look online or at magazines for inspiration before you head out! There are so many websites on organizing you could get lost in it for hours. 

Once I have those details I head to the store. My FAVORITE store? Target! I love their $1 bin area and that is where a lot of my boxes/bins/containers came from. Who doesn’t love a good deal? I’ve also found some other containers within the store, which I love. Target carries super cool lines! Now it’s time to think outside of the box. A visual thought process I tend to struggle with, but if you can do it you’ll come up with some clever ways to organize your stuff. Don’t be afraid to hit every aisle! When I say every isle, I mean EVERY AISLE! You never know what you’ll find…  

Makeup aisle – brush holder can be used for pens or scissor 

Kitchen supplies aisle – 3-tier pasty stand could hold stamps, paint, inks 

Closet aisle – jewelry or sock divider can hold small embellishments, tapes, punches 

Bathroom aisle – 4 hook towel bar could become a ribbon holder 

Décor aisle – boot tray can hold dividers and many other things 

Use your imagination! I take pictures of my items and my room to take with me also. Sometimes it helps with visualizing how something would look in that space. I always say… buy what catches your eye and you can always return it! I hope this helped a little in your organizing! Join me at my blog for some more tips and pics! 

Smiles, 

Wendy 

www.wendyhammersblog.typepad.com