Sorting..how do you organize your paper?

That's a very good question and one I'm really interested in. I have the vertical croper units and use those for my cardstock and like you they are by color. Next to them are my slabs. As for my other patterened paper, my TLC ones are in a 3-ring scrapbook by family and color. Then I have my other papers sort of and I do mean sort of, by type. Wedding, travel, and also by the project I purchased it for. Basically it's sort of organized, LOL!

M-C

My limited cardstock is by color and in a hanging file folder system. My 8 1/2 x11 paper is sorted by theme and/or color. My 12x12 paper are sorted by color and theme in a vertical tower thingy I got at AC Moore. If I'm working on a layout or such I keep the paper in a 12x12 cropper keeper folder.

HTH Kate

I would like to know also. I have 4 cropper hopper vertical holders, but mine aren't in any order. It's hard looking through trying to find what I'm in the mood for.

My cardstock is kept in two vertical containers - one is for 'bulk' cardstock (anything I have five or more sheets of) that I can use for doing swaps, and the other is for everything else... I use the small cropper hopper containers for double-sided paper/cardstock and 'fancy' papers (vellum, metallics etc.)

I have a couple of verticle files for my 8 1/2x11. They're sorted by color (of course) in order of shade, lighter to darker. I also have each colors patterned paper filed w/ the cardstock. Blue cs, blue pattern, red cs, red pattern etc. I have a couple of 12x12 verticle files too. One is sorted the same way as above. The other has all of my coordinating papers together. I was so happy when I finally figured out how to store these. I made kits, sorta, by putting all of them together and slipping a paper clip on them. If I use some I still slip the scraps under the clip w/ the rest of the papers. I have one clip for all the papers I've bought for collaging/atcs. In this same file I have my only two slabs and some smaller books of paper. Now I'll tell you what I do w/ my scraps. I have a folding file that I keep large/ medium scraps in according to color. I have envelopes, each labeled, for my small scraps. I believe that covers it all. Good question, by the way.

Katrina in KS

Karen AKA Kajikit:

**** I only own one paper stack and I kept it all together until I'd used more than half of it, then I broke it up into colours and put it with the rest of my paper.****

I have been thinking about breaking up my stacks (I only have 4) and sorting them out into colors, but so many of the papers are coordinated patterns, and one set I have came with tags, and borders strips and diecuts to match. The tablets fall over if I remove something off of the shelf to search for paper, and it can get irritating..lol

I like Katrina's idea of using a paper clip to keep matching sets of paper and CS together.

Kate, I do that too with the cropper hopper keeper. When I am working with a set of papers or a theme for several pages, I keep them in one of those while I am working on them.

M-C do you keep your slabs all stuck together until you use them up?I like your ideas too! Everyone has good ideas! Linda

I have the clear three drawer organizers that my 12x12 paper fit into. I have one for cardstock and one for prints. Then I have two ot the 4 drawer acid free cardboard drawer organizers that 12x12 fit into also. I keep my stacks in those drawers even after they fall apart bacause I have the matching cardstock packs to go with them and sometimes the stickers and mat stacks. When I buy paper and cardstock that go together I use the bags from clearbags.com that fit 12x12 and keep the set together. I also use the 8.5x11 clear drawer sets for my embellishments and sort them by season. Sandy

Great Post! Hi everyone, I am one of your resident lurkers. I really need to post more because I feel like I know many of you! I love looking at your layouts!

I have the Crop-in-Style Paper Taker that I keep all my 12x12 paper - patterned and solid. It's sorted by color. For 8.5x11 cardstock that I use for matting and cards, I keep in a cabinet above my desk in plastic stacking shelves. Once either of those sizes have been trimmed, they then go into an accordion "scrap" file.

I would love to have my 12x12 paper stacked by color or style in those cool shelves that sit along a wall or on a desk but I don't like clutter. So I keep it away, out of sight until needed. This works but sometimes I forget what I have!

Brandi

That's a really good question Linda.....I am looking at being able to expand my crafting area to the entire room (I nearly have it all now exept DH's things are in the way!! LOL) this summer and will be looking at ways to organize my paper too.

Currently I have my 12x12 paper in hanging files, as well as most of my patterned paper. I have more slabs than anything as far as patterned paper goes so I keep them together. I keep my Stampin' Up cardstock, 81/2x11, in the clear plastic storage envelopes (from Michaels). I keep them stored on a shelf on a book case. I use SU CS more for cards as I've decided I love the quality of it, FAR better than what I can by locally.

I too have the Cropper Hopper vertical files. I broke up my slabs and sorted them by color and they are in three files. I'm not happy with the way the patterned paper is sorted, so I'm trying to come up with a solution. My cardstock is also sorted by color with the Bazzill in one file and the other cardstock in another file. I have two large Iris boxes that hold my scraps, one for patterned paper and two for cardstock.

I want to break up my slabs, but still keep the papers together for easier sorting through. That way I dont have to haul out the whole slab, and flip through it, I can just keep it in the Cropper Hopper, to sift through, and still keep the coordinating patterns together. With everyones input on this, I am hoping for a better solution to sorting my patterned paper too! Thanks everyone for your input on this subject. It has been very helpful Linda

Good question Linda! I have 6 Cropper Hopper vertical storage things. I sort most of my paper by color, as long as it's not a particular theme.....red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black. Then I have themed paper together....school, tooth fairy, VBS, Easter, etc. I also keep vellums, double sided paper, and page kits together. Most of my slabs get broken up and sorted by color, unless the paper in the slab coordinates together so nicely, or is too pretty to break up. LOL So I have my "Inspirations", "Everyday Tango", and "Old World" slabs together in the vertical Hoppers. I did sort through those 3 slabs and put the duplicates together, though. My scraps are in 3 of the Cropper Hopper pocket things....cardstock in one, vellum in another, patterned paper in a third.

I also have one of the 12 x 12 drawer sets, the 3 drawer ones. Two of the drawers hold paper and items for a couple albums I'm supposed to be working on. The third hold Christmas paper.

My SU cardstock and paper is all by itself on a shelf. Most of it is in gallon ziplock bags, but I'm working on moving those over to the 12 x 12 craft keepers that open up to almost an inch thick. 48 colors of cardstock, plus 3 of the "In Colors", plus several patterned paper sets, plus 2 or 3 of the scrapping kits....that's a lot of craft keepers! LOL

I may be one of the only ones who organizes according to themes with the designer papers, and according to colors with the solid cardstocks. Some of the themes I use are holidays, baby, boys, girls, heritage, geometric designs (stripes, circles, squares, hearts, etc.), words, ocean/water, bugs/butterflies, flowers, leaves--that's all I can think of off hand.

I have two different storage racks I got for a steal from some ladies I crop with, one for 12x12 papers (30 slots) and 8.5X11 papers (18 slots). I keep solid cardstock in a metal shelf unit I got at Costco, mostly in ROYGBPBBW order (Maya's allowed into this stash so sometimes it gets messy a little bit).

Carolyne in TX