pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 6,239 
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Post by pantsonfire on Feb 15, 2024 15:32:57 GMT
I became particular about what scraps I keep. I have learned that pieces smaller than 4x6 will not be used and if I have no matching paper (either a full sheet or pieces from the collection) it will not be used.
I keep my scraps with my paper. I know if it was in a separate area or drawer or space it wouldn't be used.
Because I keep my paper in Iris containers by subject or persons (winter/Christmas, fall/Halloween, dd, ds), I need to keep papers together because as I am filing through my paper, I see the smaller pieces.
Doing it this way helps me use up the scraps. And then once smaller or does not match anything else, it gets thrown away with no guilt.
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Post by boymom5 on Feb 15, 2024 20:20:10 GMT
I have two sets (so 6 drawers) of sterile three drawer organizer (about 8.5x 11). I sort according to color. I’ve tried other things before but I didn’t use the scraps. With this I easily find and use them fairly often. Patterns in with the solids by dominant color in the pattern? That's not what I've done, but it's a change I'm considering.... Pretty much. If it’s double sided I choose the side I’d more likely use and store it in that drawer with that side up. If it’s multi colored it’s either the primary color scheme or where I think I’d look for it to pair with something else. |
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,395
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Post by artbabe on Feb 16, 2024 14:55:00 GMT
I keep my collections in a plastic bag with all of the matching stuff, so if I have patterned paper scraps they just go in the bag with the rest of the collection.
I have nice Totally Tiffany like holders for cardstock scraps and they are stored along with my whole pieces. I just put a envelope/holder in front of each color. So blue scrap holder, blue whole pieces, green scrap holder, green whole pieces, etc.
I do have a bag with all of the scraps I've used recently. I work from that bag most of the time- if it doesn't contain the piece I need then I go to my big cardstock storage system.
Random small scraps go in another bag. Every once in awhile I make a layout with lots of random punched hearts, stars, etc. and use up all of those pieces.
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Post by joblackford on Feb 16, 2024 19:44:46 GMT
For the most part scraps go with their respective full sized papers, but as I was typing out a longer version of this answer I realized that I had certain kinds of scraps in certain other places, which isn't good for my space or brain. I'm going to work on that.
My preferred answer is: on a card! So you're motivating me to make something with the random patterned bits that I should've just used up or tossed ages ago.
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Post by refugeepea on Feb 16, 2024 20:52:43 GMT
I bought a grocery basket at a yard sale that kind of looks like this
I organize my scraps and 8.5x11 cardstock by ROYGBIV order. Black, tan, white, pink, and misc (stripes, florals) are at the back. I use gallon bags or sheet protectors to store my scraps; paper and cardstock.
When a sheet protector or bag gets too full and annoying to rummage through, I'll throw some scraps away.
This works best for me because I do use tiny bits of paper all the time. It's easy to sort through and fits in a Kallax cube.
ETA: Paper scraps bigger than 8.5x11 are in file folders stored with my 12x12 paper.
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Post by nicolecardella on Feb 17, 2024 2:08:12 GMT
I use hanging files…one for each color. Used to use sterilite drawers…again, one for each color. Made it easy to grab a scrap before cutting into a full sheet easier
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Post by caspad on Feb 17, 2024 16:11:12 GMT
I use 8.5x11 page protectors and stack them in a big drawer in my Iris cart. I do put multiple colors in each page protector: green/blue, red/pink/purple, yellow/orange/red, black/white. I keep the colors organized by putting the green in the front, the blue in the back. I like that I can see all the scraps at once but I don't have to do too much digging or dumping. My rule of thumb is that the scrap has to be at least big enough to be a card front OR a long strip. |
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,011
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Feb 17, 2024 20:46:26 GMT
I'm guessing that "all over my scrap desk" is not the answer you were looking for??   Seriously, (when my room/desk is clean) I keep scraps in several places. Cardstock: - The smallest scraps (of any color) are in a small basket on top of the desktop hutch that sits on my craft work table. Sometimes this includes small punched shapes if I've made too many of one color/shape and don't have an immediate use for them on that project - generic shapes only like banners, tags, circles, hearts, flowers, etc. Since they're nearby and don't take up much space I can pull from that basket when I need a small generic shape or a small scrap to punch other small shapes. I often can find just the color/shape I need in there.
- Larger plain CS scraps go in a long shallow old Longaberger basket that sits under my craft desk (stacked on some file drawers) so I can easily reach it for either adding new scraps or rummaging through when something is needed. It's shallow so I am forced to go through it and/or clear it out before it becomes unmanageable.
Patterned paper:
- Patterned paper scraps that go with a particular theme/project stay with the project in the Iris case for that project.
- If it's almost a full sheet of PP it gets put back into the paper pad (most are stored upright upside down to keep large scraps contained) or storage envelope with the rest of the related collection.
- Smaller scraps of "generic" PP that are not specific to a project or collection go into one of 3 plastic storage envelopes. I have these separated by warm colors, cool colors, and neutrals, based on their predominant colors.
- All Christmas PP gets stored together in my big cube of Christmas supplies that goes into my Kallax. Smaller Christmas scraps are in a gallon-sized Ziploc and larger ones stay with the paper pad/collection they go with (same as above).
ETA: When I get ready to make cards I try to remember to pull out my scraps and use them!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,449
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Post by scrapnnana on Feb 17, 2024 22:44:59 GMT
You made me look.
When I moved halfway across the country, I cut all my scraps into photo mats. It saved space, made the scraps easier to use, and I could always use the photo mats for card making if I needed. That was 7 years ago. My craft room now is not nearly as tidy and organized as it was even just a few years ago.
After my earlier reply to this thread, I started really looking at my own scraps, and rethinking what I have been doing. I am now very aware of the overabundance of scraps that are still waiting to be sorted, organized, and/or put away. I’m a care giver, so dealing with scraps hasn’t been the highest priority of how to use my limited time and energy, but because you got me to look at the pile I had avoided for too long, I started sorting and organizing my scraps. It’s also probably time to cut a lot of the bigger card stock scraps into photo sized mats again. Or card mat die cuts.
I’m not done yet, but it’s already easier to find what I want to make cards. I pulled some of the scraps and leftover die cuts, and made a card this morning. I also pulled some other scraps for additional cards. All because you brought up the subject, and made me take a good look at my scraps, something I had been avoiding.
Thank you.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,582
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Feb 18, 2024 4:06:09 GMT
After reading this thread, posting on it, and thinking about it I also decided to redo how I store my scraps. I really prefer vertical storage, because I'm lazy and don't like to dig, so now they are in file folders in an Amazon box (ok two Amazon boxes...) and I'm going to see how I like it this way before buying a permanent file box. Hopefully I can get it narrowed down to one box if I work on using scraps instead of making more... maybe in 2-3 years  |
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Post by marg on Feb 18, 2024 13:45:44 GMT
Thanks, all! For folks who have drawers, what is the area/footprint of them? The solution I saw was A4-sized document boxes, less than an inch deep, lined up on a shelf. They looked very beautiful, but they are pricey! The benefit over envelopes is that it's easier to shuffle through without dumping the whole thing out. But envelopes are way cheaper! But I really hate the idea of running out and buying yet more plastic storage without trying much harder to reuse something I have here or finding a way to make my current system more attractive. Mine are currently in two little three-drawer units made of a paperboard sort of material. I don't mind that they're not translucent or even that I have only 6 drawers -- I'm ok with yellow/orange/red and blue/green being mixed. The small size of each drawer -- 6 x 10 or so -- was a bit of a disadvantage at first, but it's really bugging me lately. When I started, wrapping an 11" or 12" strip around the edge of a drawer worked fine, but as they get more full, it's less workable. I think the best solution would be to convince myself that as a card maker, rather than a scrapbook, it's most likely JUST FINE to trim those strips in half or so. I don't put borders on page layouts. This rarely happens here, but I think you all have helped me really that this is just an instance of "Shiny!" I don't need this now, I may not need it ever, and if I really, really outgrow my current solution, there are many, many options that are cheaper and easier! You anti-enabled! Do you recall where you saw the A4-sized document boxes on a shelf? I was thinking of doing something similar, I'd love to see what someone else has done with it. |
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Post by lasteve1 on Feb 18, 2024 14:35:03 GMT
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,428
Location: New York, NY
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Post by christinec68 on Feb 18, 2024 15:29:33 GMT
If the scraps are from a collection, I keep them with the collection.
Other scraps I keep in a desk drawer. I try to keep the card stock and patterned papers together. I go through them semi regularly to and recycle papers I have passed up for a while.
I’m not all that great at using them up so they are not really something I want ti spend time and money on storing.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
Troubled, complicated, and constant
Posts: 3,240
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Feb 18, 2024 15:32:33 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Feb 18, 2024 18:25:28 GMT
You made me look. When I moved halfway across the country, I cut all my scraps into photo mats. It saved space, made the scraps easier to use, and I could always use the photo mats for card making if I needed. That was 7 years ago. My craft room now is not nearly as tidy and organized as it was even just a few years ago. After my earlier reply to this thread, I started really looking at my own scraps, and rethinking what I have been doing. I am now very aware of the overabundance of scraps that are still waiting to be sorted, organized, and/or put away. I’m a care giver, so dealing with scraps hasn’t been the highest priority of how to use my limited time and energy, but because you got me to look at the pile I had avoided for too long, I started sorting and organizing my scraps. It’s also probably time to cut a lot of the bigger card stock scraps into photo sized mats again. Or card mat die cuts. I’m not done yet, but it’s already easier to find what I want to make cards. I pulled some of the scraps and leftover die cuts, and made a card this morning. I also pulled some other scraps for additional cards. All because you brought up the subject, and made me take a good look at my scraps, something I had been avoiding. Thank you. I am taking a good look at mine too, because of the this discussion. One of my favorite declutter coaches (Dana K White) says “look, look, always look” when you have an overwhelming pile or a box full of stuff even if you’re sure you know what’s inside. She says that often the pile isn’t as bad as we think it is, but even if it is, looking through (and committing to nothing more than throwing obvious trash away if you see any) is the first step to getting unstuck. I think you’re describing exactly what she was saying - re-familiarizing yourself with the stuff, letting your brain mull on what needs doing, but mostly just finding that it’s probably not the huge task we’ve built up in our minds. And bonus, getting inspired to make a card!  |
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