Organizing Your Scrapbook Paper
Okay, I’ll admit it. I have a weakness for papers. If you’re already into scrapbooking, then you probably know exactly what I mean. Whenever I discover some interesting paper, I want to buy it — whether I have a current project in the works or not. It doesn’t matter if the paper is patterned or plain, boldly-colored or winter white, a voice inside me whispers “if you buy it, the project will come.”
The problem with all of this, besides the impact on my budget, is that I end up with a lot of papers laying around. If I let them just pile up on my table, there’s a better than even chance I won’t be able to find what I need when I actually do start a scrapbook album. Even worse, papers can easily become damaged or get dirty as they lie there waiting for me to return. Unorganized scrapbook paper is a wasted investment. So what’s the best way to organize it?
First of all, organization needs to work for you. It needs to match your own personal organizing style. Luckily, even if you don’t know what your personal organizing style is, they are really only two choices when it comes to organizing paper: horizontal or vertical. That’s right, you can store paper horizontally or vertically. Let’s take a look at how these systems might work.
Scrapbooking supply stores usually go with horizontal organization. This serves the store’s purpose because it’s easier to display the papers this way. Plus, they have the advantage of space. And that’s the disadvantage of horizontal stacking for you and me — it takes a lot of space. If you want to store your papers horizontally without taking up a lot of room, you might be able to find some snap top cases. You could organize different types of paper into different cases, and then stack the cases one on top of the other.
For home organization of scrapbook paper, vertical systems work very well. If you can imagine a shelf with vertical dividers, then you understand how papers could be stored vertically. Card stocks and heavier weight papers are easier to store this way. Thinner papers have a tendency to curl up. One option is to put the lighter weight papers inside file folders, and then store the file folders between the dividers.
Choose a system that works in your space and stick with it. Not only will you protect your investment, but when inspiration arrives, you and your paper will be ready.
