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50 Ideas to Get Organized and
Enjoy Your Scrapbooking Hobby
by Maria Gracia
Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby! Besides being
relaxing and fun, it also allows you to be creative
and to spend quality time with your family and
friends. Plus, it results in a storybook of lifelong
memories. One very important element of
scrapbooking is getting it all organized. This
includes, but is not limited to:
storing all of your supplies in an organized fashion so they can be
found instantly when you need them.
remembering what supplies to pick up at the store, and eliminating
duplicate purchases.
finding time to research new and creative ways to spruce up your
scrapbooks.
finding enough time to enjoy the art of scrapbooking in your busy life.
TELL A STORY. Plan your photos, before you shoot. Instead of taking
random shots of someone standing here, or someone else sitting
there, tell a story. For example, let’s say it’s Halloween. You may plan
on taking four photos of your child:
on the hayride taking him/her to the pumpkin field.
looking for a pumpkin.
finding a pumpkin.
with the carved pumpkin later.
GREAT PHOTOS. Photos for your scrapbooks can be extra nice if
you take a little bit of time to learn some basic photography. Getting
organized has a lot to do with preparation. Read everything you can
from photography sources.
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN. Organized documentation is
important for the serious scrapbooker. The main goal is to eliminate
future questions such as "Who or what is that?", "Where and when
was this photo taken?", and so on. Click here for a printable
Scrapbook Documentation Form to help you document photos as
you’re taking them, so you’ll know exactly what is on each roll of film.
That way you’ll be prepared when you’re ready to organize the photos
in your scrapbooks.
TAKE CARE OF THAT UNDEVELOPED FILM. If you find rolls of film
around your house that are ready to go to the developer, bring them
today. You may consider mailing all of your film to a supplier such as
http://www.yorkphoto.com/ so you don’t have to spend time dropping
off film or picking up photos. Simply mail your film out, and you’ll get
your photos back in the mail a week later. From now on, always get
your film developed as soon as you take the used rolls out of your
camera.
STORING PHOTOGRAPHS. Once your photos are developed, you
need a place to store them until you’re ready to put them in your
scrapbook. Keep them separated by year or event, in Ziplock bags.
Label each bag with a number, and put a corresponding number on
your Documentation Form. Then, store them in a photo box. Keep the
box in a dry, cool place to protect your photos until you’re ready to put
the photos into your scrapbook.
ORGANIZING BOXES OF PHOTOS. If you have boxes of photos
that span from the beginning of the 1900’s to now, it’s time to start
getting them organized. Schedule a day and time to begin sorting
through them and stick with your appointment when the day rolls
around. Get your kids, or friends, to help out. Begin by making piles,
categorized by event or year. If you don’t know the exact year, at least
sort them by decade. This may take a little while, but once everything
is separated, scrapbooking your photos will be much easier and more
pleasant. Once they’re all sorted, store your photographs as
mentioned above.
WORK BACKWARDS. If you’re planning to scrapbook lots of photos
from way back, start with the most recent photos you have, and work
backwards. Chances are, you have a journal describing recent
photos, and even if you don’t, you can probably recall the details more
easily. Older photos--the ones that you don’t have a journal for--will
take a little more thinking.
BABY STEPS. If your scrapbooking hobby seems like a colossal job
to you, it’s not going to be fun. Don’t feel like you have to put ALL of
your photos into scrapbooks. You can always put the majority of your
photos in acid-free photo albums or photo boxes where they will be
safe. Choose a small set of photos to begin scrapbooking. Once
you’re done with this small set, you can then decide whether you want
to dig into your photo albums or photo boxes and continue
scrapbooking them, or leave those photos where they are, and simply
scrapbook any new photos in the future.
DOUBLE PRINTS. Double prints will do you no good if they’re just
sitting in your photo box taking up space. Do something with them.
Perhaps send them to someone who is in the photograph. It’s a great
way to keep in touch. Or, pass the doubles onto your young children
who may like to create their own scrapbooks. It’s a great way for them
to learn your beloved hobby and decide if they would like it to be a
hobby of their own.
RELATED STUFF. Sometimes, for the purpose of creatively
decorating your scrapbook, you may wish to keep tickets, brochures,
maps, postcards, and so on, that are related to a particular trip or
event. Use manila file folders or catalog envelopes for this purpose.
Label the folder/envelope so that you know which
photos/Documentation Form it corresponds to. File these until they’re
ready to be used.
KEEPING IT ALL TOGETHER. Already have a pretty good idea of
stickers, diecuts, etc. that you’re planning to use with a particular set
of photographs? Keep them in the same Ziplock bag with the photos
until you’re ready to put them into your scrapbook. This way,
everything will be in one place and ready to use.
STICKERS AND SHAPES. Stickers and punched shapes can be
kept in acid-free sheet protectors, plastic baseball card sheets,
business card sheets, or even Ziplock bags that are 3-hole punched.
Each sheet should be categorized and labeled by theme: birthday,
Christmas, Halloween, wedding, springtime, etc. Insert these sheets
into a 3-ring binder. If you have a large number of stickers and
shapes, you may want to use index dividers labeled with general
categories. For example, a general HOLIDAY category, may hold
Easter, Christmas/Hanukkah, Halloween, etc., a general SEASONS
category, may hold Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and so on.
TINY STUFF. For very tiny diecuts and other small items, consider
storing then in empty film canisters. The clear ones are best, but if you
only have opaque ones, simply stick a label--or the actual diecut
attached with a piece of tape--on the canister indicating what is inside.
Baby food jars serve the same purpose well.
PAPER. Where do you keep all of that cool paper until you’re ready to
use it? You can get a plastic, portable filing container--research its
composition to assure archival safety--that holds hanging file folders.
Label the hanging files by theme or color. You may want to place a
manila file folder into each hanging file folder, to keep your papers
from curling. Or, you may buy file folder pockets or sheet protectors
that fit into a 3-ring binder and store your papers inside each pocket,
categorized and labeled. By the way, be very careful not to store acid-
free paper with other paper.
STORAGE CONTAINERS. Do a little bit of research and purchase a
scrapbooking organizer, which will hold papers, supplies, etc. There
are many products on the market that can help you keep it all
together. Many office supply stores carry six-drawer organization
stations. They’re vertical and have 6 see-through drawers of equal
size. Each drawer can be designated for a different purpose--papers,
templates/diecuts, stickers, etc. Plus, they have wheels, which makes
them very easy to transport from one room to another. Or, if you often
bring your scrapbooking supplies outside of your home, such as to a
friend’s house, use a portable system that isn’t too heavy or
cumbersome, and comes with a handle.
STENCILS. Put your stencils/templates into sheet protectors that can
be purchased at any office supplies store. Then insert them into a 3-
ring binder for easy access. By the way, you can store two templates
in one sheet protector with a piece of paper in between each--white or
colored depending on the color of your template. This will make it
easier to see the designs and eliminate them from catching onto each
other.
SUPPLY CADDY. If you always scrapbook at home, use a kitchen
utensil caddy with a number of divided compartments, like those you
normally keep tall kitchen spoons, ladles, and spatulas in. The ones
that spin will keep everything you need at your fingertips.
HANG IT UP. If you’re lucky enough to have a room specifically
designated for your scrapbooking hobby, hang a large pegboard
above your work area. You can then attach scissors, templates,
crimpers, rulers, stencils and more, all within easy sight and reach. In
addition, you might hang a small ledge or shelf nearby, to store all of
your corner rounders, photo corners, and so on. If you prefer
everything out in the open, this system will work like a charm.
RUBBER STAMPS. Store rubber stamps in shallow, plastic
containers, a rubber stamping organizer, or a plastic organizer with
shallow drawers. Don’t stack stamps. They should be stored in a
single layer, so that you can always see the top of the stamp showing
the design.
OTHER STORAGE IDEAS. Fishing tackle boxes-- with
compartments and levels that expand and collapse-- are wonderful for
storing scrapbooking supplies and tools. Plastic tool boxes, with many
see-through drawers are also great for this purpose.
SCRAPBOOKING MAGAZINES. Is your closet full of scrapbooking
magazines? There are a few things to do about this dilemma. 1) You
can go through your magazines, find the articles you wish to keep and
organize them into file folders by category. In other words, keep the
article, toss the magazine. 2) Or you can keep the magazines in
cardboard magazine boxes. If you do this, you should always keep a
list of the title/issue of the magazine, the pages that interest you, and
a few words describing why they interested you. This way, you can
just scan your list, instead of going through the entire magazine to find
what you’re looking for. You can even use your computer and create
the list in a word processing file. Then using the Find feature, you can
simply search for key words in your document.
HOLD THAT THOUGHT. Rather than keeping all those great
scrapbooking ideas and tips in your head--you know, the ones you
pick up from magazines, web sites, etc.-- keep a 3-ring binder with
some notepaper inside for all your thoughts and ideas. Plus, when
you see something in a magazine, you can simply tear the page out of
the magazine, 3-hold punch it, and place it in your binder. The same
goes if you see something on a web site that you wish to refer to later;
just print it out and insert it into your binder. You can even separate
the binder into a few different sections, such as page layout ideas,
organizing ideas, neat tools/supplies, etc.
CHOOSE A DESIGNATED WORK AREA. Scrapbooking is more fun
and less of a chore, when everything is in one place and in close,
accessible proximity to your working area. Designate a room, or a
portion of a room, in your home for this activity. You should be able to
retrieve your supplies, photos, etc. in seconds, without having to walk
into another room, or rummage through a closet.
SHOPPING. Use an organized shopping system so you remember
what you want to pick up for your hobby -- scissors, crimpers, papers,
etc. This will also eliminate purchasing items that you already have.
When you think of something you need, immediately put it on a
SCRAPBOOKING PICK UP list, and bring this list with you when you
go shopping. Using 3 inch x 5 inch index cards, make examples of
your cuts and punches on them. Label and keep them in your day
timer, or a tiny 3-ring binder. Bring these cards with you when
shopping for scrapbooking items, and you’ll never buy duplicates. This
also works great for remembering what color pens/pencils you have.
Just draw a line on your index cards and label them.
USE WHAT YOU HAVE FIRST. Resist the urge to buy a million new
papers, punches, and so on, until you’ve used some of the craft
supplies you already have. Unless you’re planning on opening a
scrapbooking warehouse, it’s best to be choosy before emptying your
wallet on new items, when you already have items you could use in
your current supply.
SHOP ONLINE. You’ll save a lot of time running back and forth to the
store, if you commit instead to making your purchases online.
TRADE. If you have something that you haven’t used in a year or
more, such as craft scissors, stickers, etc., swap them with a friend.
Who knows? Perhaps your friend will find immediate use for this item,
and you will get something you can use right now in return.
GOALS. Always set goals for your scrapbooking hobby, perhaps one
to two pages a week. This is especially necessary if you’re creating a
scrapbook for an upcoming special occasion.
PLAN. Before you start working on your pages, plan ahead. Arrange
your photos in chronological order and gather stickers, diecuts, etc.
that correspond with your photos. Think about your layout and how
you plan to document each photo. This will ensure you’re going to be
happy with the final results, and will reduce the need to redo things.
DO THE TWO STEP.
Step One: Assemble your pages with your photos, documentation and
critical diecuts.
Step Two: Decorate with stickers, stamps, etc. The two-step process
will help you get the critical part (step one) done faster, and then you
can continue with the second step (less important) later on.
KEEP YOUR PAGES SIMPLE. Although you may really feel the need
for creating a work of art on occasion, if your goal is to get a
scrapbook done as quickly as possible, keep it simple. Getting photos
and documentation in the album is the main goal. Save your really
creative moments for extra special scrapbooking projects. And
remember, too much stuff on any one page, takes away from the
photos.
QUICK COLOR SCHEMES. Quickly, organize your scrapbooks with
colors that compliment each other, by referencing a good color
harmony book. You can pick one up at your local bookstore. They
include hundreds of color combination examples. Color Harmony, by
Hideaki Chijiiwa, is an excellent book for this purpose.
MULTI-TASKING. Looking for a few minutes here or there to catch up
on your scrapbooking? Take and make all your phone calls in the
same room as your designated scrapbooking work area. Then, while
you’re on the phone with your friends or family, you can crop, frame or
mount at the same time. Or, instead of making punches when you
need them, make a bunch of punches at once while you’re watching
television, or are on the telephone, or when you’re waiting for a pot of
water to boil. This will save time later because your punches will be
ready when you need them.
GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED. Many people like to get their kids
involved with the actual project, such as arranging stickers, applying
diecuts, etc. If you would rather your kids were not involved with the
actual project, give them a project of their own. You can always find a
few photos that you’re not going to use in your scrapbook, some
inexpensive paper, kid scissors, etc. Then have each child make their
very own scrapbook. Either way, the kids will be occupied, which will
give you time to enjoy your hobby.
ELIMINATE BICKERING. If you have more than one child that is
involved with a scrapbooking activity, get them each their own plastic
storage box and/or accordion files to keep their own supplies in. This
way, when they want to work on their scrapbook, all of their supplies
will already be separated. You may even color code their supplies,
plastic boxes, etc. so they always know which stuff belongs to them.
For example, blue container, blue scissors and markers labeled in
blue for Billy, and all pink for Sally.
FAMILY TIME. Scrapbooking is a great way to spend some time with
your family. Get the whole family involved and around the table at the
same time. It’s a great time to share ideas and dreams with each
other. Can’t seem to get the male family members involved? Perhaps
they can sit at the table while the females are scrapbooking, and they
could do something they enjoy at the same time. At least everyone will
be together and having fun.
TEAM UP. Scrapbooking is a great way to spend time with your
friends and catch up with each other. Start a scrapbooking club and
meet at each other’s homes one day every few weeks. Make a party
of it!
IDENTIFY. The next time you get together with friends, or a
scrapbooking club, put a little piece of colored tape on your scissors’
handles, the sides of your punch tools, pens, etc. Then, everyone
could share, but you’ll be sure to get your tools back when it’s time to
go home.
DON’T TAKE THE KITCHEN SINK. If you’re going to be
scrapbooking at a friend’s home, take a few minutes to plan what you
want to work on. By doing this, you will only have to carry those
supplies you’re going to use. In other words, if you’re going to be
working on a wedding theme, there’s no reason to be carrying all of
your holiday items with you.
CLEAR THE WAY. If you are spending too much time looking for
supplies, background papers, photos, frames, that great rubber stamp
and so on, then, it’s time to organize your work station. Declutter and
toss out or trade those items you don’t need, you don’t like, etc.
Organize your supplies into binders and storage containers. You
should always be working on a clear surface, with only the current
project in front of you.
CLEAN UP THE SCRAPS. If there is a wastepaper basket right near
your work station, all of the scraps that you’re not planning on using
can be tossed immediately. Don’t leave trash on your work surface. If
you visit a friend’s home, you may want to carry along an empty tissue
box so that all scraps can be discarded immediately, and make clean-
up for your host quick and easy.
PUT IT AWAY. Always have a home for your supplies, and when
you’re finished using them, take a few moments to put everything
away. You should be able to start fresh with a clear mind and a clear
surface.
BIG ITEM/SMALL ITEM. Never place a big item over a smaller item,
because if you do, it will be out of sight, and difficult to find quickly.
ERGONOMICS. Organize your work area for increased productivity.
Make sure it’s well lit. Have a comfortable chair to sit on. Your
supplies and tools should be within arms reach.
SAFETY. Organize your scrapbooking with safety in mind. Use a
protective covering for your table. Craft mats are great for cutting on.
Scissors and other sharp tools should be face down in a holder, and
out of a young child’s reach.
MAKE IT EASY. Different personality styles require different
organization systems. Make sure you use an organization system you
can live with--one that works with your style and that allows you to find
things without delay. If you find things easier when they’re
alphabetized, then use that type of system. Perhaps you’re better at
finding things by color. Then use that system. Your organization
system must work in harmony with your personality.
DON’T DO SO MUCH. Finding the time for your scrapbooking and/or
rubberstamping hobby can be difficult if you have too many things
going on in your life. Reduce or eliminate the activities you don’t truly
enjoy. Reduce the activities of your children. Get on an organized
cleaning schedule, so you’re not wasting the entire weekend cleaning
up. Make easier dinners that are healthy, but take half the time to
prepare. Get your family to help out with household chores and
obligations.
SPARE TIME. Those spare minutes that we all have can be put to
good use. Have to wait at the doctor’s office for your appointment?
Sketch out a quick layout idea. Waiting for the wash cycle to finish?
Sort out some photos, or gather supplies for tomorrow’s scrapbooking
project.
WRITE IT DOWN. Don’t ever leave your home without a small
notebook in hand. You’re bound to come up with a thought, or a cute
caption, for your scrapbook. If you don’t write it down right away, you
may forget about it. You may also want to keep a small pad and a pen
right near your bedside, in case you have a bright idea in the middle
of the night.
ENJOY! Plan, organize and schedule some time to enjoy your
creations with family and friends. Scrapbooking is all about fun,
laughter, memories, and touching moments!
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