Organizing patterned paper

When I first started reading on 2peas, paper organization was the first thing I was inspired to do. I had a stack of 12x12 pads, (mostly DCWV) that was over 5' tall. I ripped them all apart. Here is how I now sort my patterned paper.

First by collection. I do keep specific collections/designers together. I have 3 of those 3-drawer stacking bins labeled (masking tape and a sharpie, nothing fancy) with collections in theme. I keep some of them together, like all the Heidi Swapp Wolf Pack and OA Sarsaparilla in a drawer as they are both "outdoorsy".

Second by theme. Loose paper that is not in a specific collection goes with the theme of Beach (ocean), Lake, (yes, beach and lake both have separate bins, lol) travel, camping, kids, baby, food, birthday, winter, fall, Christmas, and "other holidays" (because I have so little, I keep Easter, Halloween, Valentine's day, etc together) Collections that fall under a category like "Winter" do go with the winter stuff.

I then have a IRIS case labeled "Random Story Paper". These are just one of's, but they tell a story. Like a cityscape paper. Or horse paper...they are not just random patterns.

I have another IRIS case labeled, "Random Patterned Paper." These are hearts, stars, stripes, dots, etc....

Then I have two 12x12 crop in style holders that are labeled "Tone on Tone paper". This was a Shimelle idea. These are random papers that are patterned, but *mostly* one color. So it might be a red background, with red stars. This is sorted in ROYGBIV order. I don't have a ton of it, but was surprised at how much there was when I pulled apart those pads and sorted all the paper.

For 6x6 pads, I keep them either with their collection if they have one, or in one of those patterned shoeboxes from M's. I only have about 20 or so of them, and love to flip through them when scrapping, so I keep them handy on my rolly cart.

It took a while to get here, but I can almost always find what I am looking for, and really like my system. Edited to add that with double sided paper, it just depends on what side I like best, or find most prominent as to where it goes. 

My cardstock is organized by color but my patterned paper is by manufacturer and then by line. That is the easiest way for me to find what I need and use it.

Current lines are organized together. When they are mostly depleted, I break up the balance by color and if two sided, pick them side I like most. I also have a number of themes and if a paper or line fits that theme, I keep there.

ETA photo:

This, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I have some by collections, some by theme (including collections), some by color.

When I scrap I like to start picking paper by either theme or collection. As I'm scrapping and need more papers I look at my misc papers and scraps which are organized by color.

I have patterned paper mostly by collection. I have some individual papers and basic patterns by color and manufacturer.

Scrapping over 25 years so I have a lot of paper and I know my lines well. About 5 years ago, I thought it was a good idea to organize by color. I tried it for a year and hated it. Took me days to get it all put together again but I'm much happier. I do have a small section of misc. papers that are organized by color. As a I deplete a line they get sorted there. I do have sections for wood grain, stripes, ledger, grid etc. This is what works for me.

Mine is sorted by color grouping the best I can (Warm or cool), and then I have special boxes for themes: all the different holidays, Fall, Beach, Travel, Farm, Zoo. If there happens to be a sheet of paper where I really like both sides, which is rare, I just lightly mark an arrow with pencil on the little strip at the bottom which tells me to look at the other side too. I go through these papers quite often so feel like I sort of know what's in there, or where to look if I want a paper with flowers or stars, for example.

First - Linda - love the kitty pic

Second - Like many of you, I do everything listed above.
1. New purchases, kept in collection
2. favourite/recent collections together - then as they age - manufacturer/designer together
3. seasons and themes together
4. tone-on-tone papers (for backgrounds etc.) kept in roygbiv
5. "pretty orphans" - one offs than I want to use and will get lost in other organization
6. scraps by colour, 1 bag each

My method is going to make you all twitchy. Cardstock is sorted in rainbow order. Patterned paper has absolutely no organisation, it is all just mixed up in my drawer and the iris case I keep my overflow in.

I usually put the side I think I am mostly likely to use facing up, but when I choose papers I just pull everything out of the drawer and flip through it so I can see both sides in case something I thought I'd never use happens to be the perfect pattern. If I have multiples of a design I try to keep them together. I don't generally buy full collections of anything, and I love mixing manufacturers and collections together, so this method works for me. I've found some really serendipitous combinations simply by how the papers have ended up in my drawer.

All my scraps are thrown into two drawers, one for cardstock and one for patterns. The only organisation in this is that I tend to keep sheets I'm fussy cutting at the top of the drawer, but other than than things just end up wherever I shove them in.

For the record, I have a much smaller paper stash than I suspect a lot of you have. If I stack all my patterned paper up I'd have probably 15cms/6".

Linda that kitten tail made me LOL! So sweet.

I keep collections together, including kits that I make for a crop. I just use everything so much better when it's kitted up. I have a shameful amount of paper kits left from when I was a CTMH consultant a billion years ago, but they are more likely to get used if I leave them with their "friends."

Cardstock and monochrome PP is in a 12x12 drawer by color family. It's not a great system for me, but it works well enough that I don't feel like making up a new one.

Yup, this is exactly how I've done it for years.

I do something similar. It might look disorganized to someone who doesn't know the system, but it really is organized, I promise.

I have mine split up first by whether I have 2 or more of the same paper. 

Secondly, I have a couple of themed categories. My Winter/Hanukkah stuff, baby stuff, and Disney stuff.

Thirdly, of the remaining, a bunch are grouped by designer, but only Shimelle, Vicki, Paige, and PinkFresh get their own Iris Box. The others that I have sorted by designer, in smaller quantities, are in 2 gallon ziplocks. They're all stored along with their scraps and coordinating product.

After that, the rest of my papers are sorted into vertical storage by color, using the color on the side of the paper I feel I'm most likely to use.

Last, the handful of papers that have 2 sides I'm equally likely to use get a special "check me first" spot in my paper storage.


    

Cardstock and scraps are sorted by color.

The pp is in 12 by 12 envelopes that are sorted by theme, collection, color, pattern... just how I thought I would look for it. Some themes have more than one envelope... Then there is a pile of "I've owned this forever I should use it" paper on my desk.

It's a work in progress... literally. I had to downsize my space/move rooms when DH started working from home and the 12 by 12 envelopes take up less room than plastic boxes.

I try not to organize too deeply because my goal is to use it in the short term, not to store it! I'm not a scrapper though so my thinking/process is probably a little different and more project based. I have some 12x12 plastic envelopes to divide up what I have, mostly by project or collection. Cardstock is stored by color family in the same kind of envelopes but if I got it to use for a specific project it's probably going with that project or more likely it's on my desk being used right away.

To answer the question about double sided papers, if you are storing by color you can decide which side is more likely going to be the side you think of using first, or if you like both and have more than one sheet put one in each color, or leave a note in the second color that you have somewhere else to look. I think sorting by color works best for b-sides and leftovers rather than the real "star" papers or when you have a whole collection.

I'm a fan of sorting themey stuff by category and more generic stuff and b-sides by color, but totally agree with others that it's got to be based on how you look for/remember things. And like Chinagirl828 said, serendipity can be your friend. I remember Shimelle talking about not organizing papers too much because she enjoys paging through and finding unexpected things that will work better than the paper she specifically had in mind.