saving stuff

we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have loads
of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the 'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have loads
of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the 'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?

Not trying to be funny here. (Ok, I am. Two guys and a girl walk into a
bar.... Oh never mind).

Have a garage sale. When you need something you sold, go to another garage
sale or Target. I know people who take this stuff and sell it at a flea
market. They end up way ahead.

You'll get whatever you need at the garage sale or Target with the money you
got for all the stuff. And you'll be ahead with the space you save and the
money for things to buy to organize it, you'll ahead in the long run.

Jeff

lee Make & Craft magazines are fun
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

In article ,
enigma wrote:

we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have loads
of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the 'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun

LOL -- I'll note another reason to enjoy being craft-challenged!

The Ikea Trofast bin system might be useful for realia.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:49:26 +0000 (UTC), enigma wrote:
we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have loads
of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the 'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun

Make magazine is our household favorite. :-) We just noticed Craft magazine -
we'll have to get a sample copy.

For storage of large things, we just bought lots of cheap wire shelving and
put them up in any convenient closet. For small/medium sized parts, nothing
beats the small plastic chests intended for nail/screw/fastener storage that
you can get from any home store.

- Rich


--
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

user wrote in
:

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:49:26 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:
we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have
loads of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the
'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun

Make magazine is our household favorite. :-) We just
noticed Craft magazine -
we'll have to get a sample copy.

Craft is new. it's the premire issue out now.

For storage of large things, we just bought lots of
cheap wire shelving and
put them up in any convenient closet. For small/medium
sized parts, nothing beats the small plastic chests
intended for nail/screw/fastener storage that you can get
from any home store.

i have beads sorted by color in the parts drawers, with the
overflow in 2 medium size plastic boxes. i have 550 kilos of
beads...
the things i'm having trouble with currently are Boo's
collection of cardboard tubes & yogurt cups.

the suggestion to sell items & buy more later is not cost
effective in the long run, because the tool someone buys for
$1 at a garage sale cost me $5 originally & will cost me close
to $12 to replace.
i don't need decluttering tips. i know how to do that. i need
storage ideas for the stuff we use on a fairly regular basis,
so that it will be easier to find what we need for a project.
lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

enigma wrote:
[snip]
i have beads sorted by color in the parts drawers, with the
overflow in 2 medium size plastic boxes. i have 550 kilos of
beads...
the things i'm having trouble with currently are Boo's
collection of cardboard tubes & yogurt cups.

the suggestion to sell items & buy more later is not cost
effective in the long run, because the tool someone buys for
$1 at a garage sale cost me $5 originally & will cost me close
to $12 to replace.
i don't need decluttering tips. i know how to do that. i need
storage ideas for the stuff we use on a fairly regular basis,
so that it will be easier to find what we need for a project.
lee

I think it depends on whether its stuff you buy - like beads -
or stuff you acquire like - cardboard tubes.

Actually it doesn't so much. Basically decide how much storage
space you have, and then don't exceed it. If its cardboard tubes,
chuck out the excess, if its beads, don't buy any more. I know
this is a lot easier to say then do :-).

When you are organising it, it might be best to divide it into
"tools" and "supplies". I would tend to keep like with like for
the supplies - ie yarn in one place, fabric in another, ribbon
in another, paper in another etc. You can mix them up when you
want to use them, and put them away afterwards.

For cardboard tubes, you want something fairly tall and narrow
(assuming they are long tubes), if they are short a box would
do.

HTH
--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

"enigma" wrote in message
.. .
user wrote in
:

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:49:26 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:
we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have
loads of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the
'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun

Make magazine is our household favorite. :-) We just
noticed Craft magazine -
we'll have to get a sample copy.

Craft is new. it's the premire issue out now.

For storage of large things, we just bought lots of
cheap wire shelving and
put them up in any convenient closet. For small/medium
sized parts, nothing beats the small plastic chests
intended for nail/screw/fastener storage that you can get
from any home store.

i have beads sorted by color in the parts drawers, with the
overflow in 2 medium size plastic boxes. i have 550 kilos of
beads...
the things i'm having trouble with currently are Boo's
collection of cardboard tubes & yogurt cups.

the suggestion to sell items & buy more later is not cost
effective in the long run, because the tool someone buys for
$1 at a garage sale cost me $5 originally & will cost me close
to $12 to replace.
i don't need decluttering tips. i know how to do that. i need
storage ideas for the stuff we use on a fairly regular basis,
so that it will be easier to find what we need for a project.
lee

ime, you can't find something when you need it, & you only need it once
you've thrown it out anyway ;-)

we don't have this particular problem atm (having just moved), but, what i'm
trying to do here (having just moved ;-) is to try to keep "like" things
together to combat my own disorganisation. i'd be thinking about "does it
stick something to something?" and "is it something decorative you stick
on?" and "would it go with x things (say, woodwork) or y things (say,
papermaking)?" and "do i have enough
cylindrical/cardboard/plastic/square/glittery/metal (whatever) to just put
them all together in a big bin & know that's where i'll find it?"

i think whether you like bins or drawers or folders or boxes or whatever is
your own preference, i'm trying to work out how to know where something
might BE, so the above is my current plan. (unproved at this point). hth -
probably not though ;-)
kylie

I use a food tray, one of the ones with about 6 sections in it and a
dip section in the middle, it comes with a cover that snaps on to the
bottom. I keep this stacked with different crafts supplies, I change
them up occassionally. The bulk of my supplies are poked away in old
card boxes or zip loc baggies and i refil the food tray from them while
DD is sleeping... I have no idea where to keep larger things like
yogurt cups and cardboard tubes... I only keep about 2-3 tubes at a
time anyhow.

Katherine

enigma wrote:
user wrote in
:

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:49:26 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:
we are a household of crafty tinkerers. therefore we have
loads of stuff that "might be useful someday".
anyone else have that problem? how do you store the
'stuff' so
you can find what you need when you need it?
lee Make & Craft magazines are fun

Make magazine is our household favorite. :-) We just
noticed Craft magazine -
we'll have to get a sample copy.

Craft is new. it's the premire issue out now.

For storage of large things, we just bought lots of
cheap wire shelving and
put them up in any convenient closet. For small/medium
sized parts, nothing beats the small plastic chests
intended for nail/screw/fastener storage that you can get
from any home store.

i have beads sorted by color in the parts drawers, with the
overflow in 2 medium size plastic boxes. i have 550 kilos of
beads...
the things i'm having trouble with currently are Boo's
collection of cardboard tubes & yogurt cups.

the suggestion to sell items & buy more later is not cost
effective in the long run, because the tool someone buys for
$1 at a garage sale cost me $5 originally & will cost me close
to $12 to replace.
i don't need decluttering tips. i know how to do that. i need
storage ideas for the stuff we use on a fairly regular basis,
so that it will be easier to find what we need for a project.
lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

Penny Gaines wrote in
:

Actually it doesn't so much. Basically decide how much
storage space you have, and then don't exceed it. If its
cardboard tubes, chuck out the excess, if its beads, don't
buy any more. I know this is a lot easier to say then do
:-).

it *is*, but only because people now give me beads & broken
jewelery because they know i use beads (a lot of the broken
jewelery gets chucked). i have bought a gram or so of a color
i don't have when i need it for some project, but i haven't
gone bonkers since i bought the 75 kilos...

When you are organising it, it might be best to divide it
into "tools" and "supplies". I would tend to keep like
with like for the supplies - ie yarn in one place, fabric
in another, ribbon in another, paper in another etc. You
can mix them up when you want to use them, and put them
away afterwards.

yes, & cardboard boxes, especially unlabelled ones, just
don't work well i like bins, but guess i need covered ones
to keep the kitties from sleeping in the ribbons...

For cardboard tubes, you want something fairly tall and
narrow (assuming they are long tubes), if they are short a
box would do.

ah! those wrapping paper bins... i bet those are out now, with
holidays coming up. good idea. thanks

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

"0tterbot" wrote in
:

ime, you can't find something when you need it, & you only
need it once you've thrown it out anyway ;-)

and you'll find it as soon as you buy a replacement

we don't have this particular problem atm (having just
moved), but, what i'm trying to do here (having just moved
;-) is to try to keep "like" things together to combat my
own disorganisation. i'd be thinking about "does it stick
something to something?" and "is it something decorative
you stick on?" and "would it go with x things (say,
woodwork) or y things (say, papermaking)?" and "do i have
enough cylindrical/cardboard/plastic/square/glittery/metal
(whatever) to just put them all together in a big bin &
know that's where i'll find it?"

part of my problem is that when we moved here 7 years ago,
other people packed up my stuff... with absolutely no regard
for what went with what. if it fit into a space in a box, it
went in... and that included such things as the contents of
trash cans & junk mail. i'm only now getting things organized
so i can actually *work* (i have, over the past years, dug out
a few things here & there, but most are in moving boxes,
untouched, because of the total disaster they are).
once things are in thier place i'm pretty good about making
sure they get put away. right now it's finding the things
*and* thier places. arg!

i think whether you like bins or drawers or folders or
boxes or whatever is your own preference, i'm trying to
work out how to know where something might BE, so the above
is my current plan. (unproved at this point).

i label things in catagories. seems i'm the only one that
*uses* the labels when putting things away again though now
that Boo can read we're making more progress on his stuff
anyway.
once he figures out i'm serious about things back in place,
he's really cooperative.

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson