Hi friends! I love paper, almost as much as stamps and you can’t stamp without paper so there you go (it’s my own personal addiction glue.) I think my obsession with paper is why I prefer watercolor and pastel painting to other media, there is just something about the humble sheet of fibery goodness. If you are like me you have amassed quite a stash of it too so today I will show you all the ways I store it. If you are a sensible person and have far less paper then me I will share some ways to store a smaller stash too. I neglected to mention how I store my 22″x30″ sheets of watercolor paper in the video because they are not it my studio. I keep them in a large flat file under my bed upstairs where it is drier and more consistent in temperature because that stuff is my “precious” but NOT too precious to use. 🙂 Now brace yourself for 20 minutes of action packed paper storage!
I have been preparing to film the rest of the videos in the studio storage series. And by “preparing” I mean cleaning so you do not see what I hot mess I really am LOL! Seriously, I question the way I store things as I consider filming a tutorial and I think it has improved my workflow a bit especially in the die cutting and embossing areas, spoiler alert, that’s the next storage video! How are your craft storage projects coming along? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
😀
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btw Lindsay, i had no luck with the coloring dark yarn 😦 tried bleach for hours, nothing, then added peroxide, it bubbled, lol then after another hour added hair color bleach stuff………it started smoking and terrible odor, lol DONT DO THAT, lol 😀 but still no change sadly in the yarn!!! if you have any other ideas, would love to hear them! thanks 🙂
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Cindy! Please tell me you did not mix all of those chemicals together?!? Hair dye contains ammonia and ammonia and bleach is toxic. Please reply and let me know you are still alive after this experiment.
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uh yeah still alive and ok! but yes did mix it together in same container…not smart i know! the fumes were terrible! and the smoke did scare me, lol! wont be doing that again, lol 😀 just bummed nothing worked!! oh well…and thanks for checking on me and worrying! i appreciate that ❤
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Amazing! I do think I could come close to you in paper amounts – yours is much better organized, tho. What do you use for the art paper? (20×30 arches / reeves etc.)
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I have a big wooden flat box under my bed that houses all of my big sheets of watercolor paper.:)
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For storing my 10×12 cardstock, I luckily kept the CM pods for taking cardstock to workshops and shows. For 12×12 I use a CM file folder, but I need a different system to store the 12×12. I don’t have many of the file folders.
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A fellow crafter after my own heart! I have a huge paper, ink, and embellishment stash too – not quite as large as yours but probably larger than most scrapbookers. I too buy paper and other things on sale and at the thrift stores – where some of my favourite paper has come from. But I also have a huge stash of fabric; paint; beads; mixed media items; polymer clay and other odds and ends. It’s spread out throughout the house – fabric and beads are in the “upper studio” (well, some fabric, okay a lot of fabric, got moved to the spare room closet; and I have one wall in the basement that I refer to as the “lower studio” where I do everything else. After watching your ink pad storage video I did sort and separate my ink pads and restored them into drawers…much better so thank you for that. Because I have so many hobbies sometimes hubby will ask, “So, what hat are you wearing today dear?” In fact when our guilt guild had a challenge to make a small wall-hanging to depict what we are really like I did one of me wearing all the hats that depicted my hobbies – one second prize. I was going to post it here but no photo input button. Then I was going to leave a link to where I posted it on my blog but then I remembered a blogger saying it was “extremely rude” to post your blog on someone else’s. I encourage it on my blog but I don’t want to step on toes!
I wish I had just one room to do everything in – especially one with a window but so far I’ve been able to cram, I mean fit, everything in. I’m a Virgo and I like everything organized! Thanks for sharing your room.
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you can post a link here or on facebook:)
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Thank you. Here’s the link: http://craftyviolet.blogspot.ca/2012/01/happy-new-year-and-what-hat-to-wear.html
Double click on the photo to enlarge it.
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Lindsay, you and I have a lot in common. We both love The $$$ Tree Store and we have more paper than we will ever need or use in a lifetime. My problem with storage is that I have no wall space available to put any more storage bins. I did like those big folder type thing you showed with the 3 different size. You gave us some very good ideas in the video. I have watched the stamp and ink pads also. Keeping them for future reference. Thanks for sharing.
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Love how you store things and you have given us great ideas.
I like that sweater you have on for this video and I assume you
made it. Can you give us the directions for it. It is unique since
it drapes to the side.
chris
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the pattern is here and I used the crochet version of the neck, not the knitted one, I designed it so I hope the pattern is OK, many viewers have made is so it must me somewhat understandable:) https://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/its-like-a-dystopian-hug-a-free-katniss-cowl-wrap-pattern/
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LOL, I don’t really know which of us has more paper!!! I happen to have the same paper addiction that you have, and love it. A support group???? might be interesting…
Thanks for sharing
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I’d like to join your support group, I also have a paper addiction. 🙂 And loving it.
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Love your u tubes. How in the world do you find the time to do all you do? You have such great ideas. I have passed them on to my granddaughter who is 14 and loves crafting and cards also.
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Thanks for your storage tips! I’ve been wondering how to change my paper storage. I’m not happy with how it is but afraid if I change things I might not like that and I don’t think there’s any going back….Right now I have papers saved by kind and supplier. I’m thinking I want to do the solid colors by general color shades. Sigh…. BUT on a brighter note 🙂 my ink is now stored and organized properly which took me watching your video to get inspired. So on to see what you say about paper storage….
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Luv the 6″x6 pads too and easier to manage with projects, Thanks for sharing all your storage tips 😉
Craft supplies hoarder, not just paper lol
*
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LOVE your solutions! I did have a laugh from the 2:50 to 5:00 minutes part of the video. It’s about that red folder, that wouldn’t stay open, it looked so funny, hehe
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Did you ever hear back from the lady that mixed ammonia & bleach? I did that once years ago and had to evacuate the house for several hours. I just love all your hints and bits of info. I’ve learned quite a bit from your blog, and I just enjoy listening to you.
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hey Paula, thanks for the concern! yeah i wont do that again, lol! learned ages ago NOT to mix bleach and ammonia together as it almost killed my lungs, lol 😀 however, being that i never took chemistry, i did not know that adding hydrogen peroxide in my bucket with bleach (hours later) in it would cause a reaction…but still didnt do anything to the yarn! then many hours to that i added in (i cant recall it is called, but the ‘bleach’ to dye hair blond that comes in a bottle by itself, not in a kit) and wow! bubbling, smoking concoction that not only stank, but did scare me! 😀 still shocking IT DID NOT DO ANYTHING THAT YARN, LOL 😀 still dark green, lol 🙂 but i wont be doing that again!!
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I have too much (not enough ) paper too. My shelves kept collapsing until my hubby brought me a school type shelf from the old community building they are tearing down. 5 feet tall and 8 feet long with doors and HEAVY. Sad to say I have not brought all the paper to it yet there is still some in 3 other rooms….. I am afraid I might have to admit it all will not fit. Ignorance is bliss. Support group? I think we would probably enable each other, sharing where we get our best deals. LOL
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Hey guys, ammonia and bleach mixed together makes a LETHAL gas they used in World War I. Stay away from that stuff.
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mentioned the same thing in my blog today too. Love paper
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I don’t have nearly the amount of paper that you do. But I still have quite the stash. Yesterday I was at the Govt Surplus store in my small town. I did not buy it because I thought $25 was a little too much (not the store, of course–excuse the grammar!). But there was a metal vertical file that you might see in a library for magazines. It stood at least 5 feet tall, had about 10 magazine slots, and was about 4 feet (at least) wide. I drooled and caressed it, but finally realized that (a)it was a little expensive, (b)I couldn’t think of where I would actually put the thing, and (c)the paper would be visible but also probably get dusty. But it was very appealing and is still calling my name.
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I was really looking forward to your fabric storage solution. Hope you will share in a future video. Thanks!
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OMG We must be related. I just laughed and laughed. Yes we do need a support group. I’ll bet I could come close to what you have. I use most of my paper for making Paper Beads (that I learned from you), Just how big is your basement area that you use for crafting. We added on a 15 x 17 room and it is just about full. I have been trying to reorganize.
I have 5 book cases full of applique, quilting etc books that I don’t know where to store. They take up almost one wall. I just can not bear to box up and store in garage. I just may need an intervention. HA HA.
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mine is about 12’x16′ I think. I bet if you consolidated half full bins and such you will end up with more space (heaven forbid we throw something away LOL!)
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Love all the ideas that you share with us. This is not a paper question. I love your sweater and would like to know if there are directions available. Thanks
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Aww, thanks! Yes, it is my Katniss cowl wrap with the crochet neck, free pattern here: https://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/its-like-a-dystopian-hug-a-free-katniss-cowl-wrap-pattern/
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I too am an addict with paper and I am trying to organize so I use it. Someone said, ” May we live long enough to use all our supplies ” and at my age that is a good question. I have been saving pizza boxes and painted them white with acrylic paint from Lowes. the little 2.98 bottle does and lot of boxes. I have them labeled by baby, wedding, red scraps , blue scraps etc and they stack nicely.But I only have the tip of the iceberg organized. LOL
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Love your solutions. I am close, but I think you may have a little more. Let me know if there is a cure for paper addiction, because I have it bad! ~Diane
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Well, I couldn’t see your 12×12 paper pads well enough to tell how many you really have, but I actually think I might have as many or more. Very sad! 🙂 I definitely have more solid color 8.5×11 than you showed… waaaay more! LOL!! Even sadder! 🙂 And specialty paper… I have a lot of that, too. I think the only thing you beat me on is your art papers like watercolor, etc. But, I’m not a painter, like you, so for a card maker only, I have quite a bit of watercolor paper… more than I should have, but I don’t think it would fill your big rack. I don’t have a big number of the 6×6 pads so the bin you showed for yours would probably hold mine.
I mostly use the Iris 12×12 stackable containers for my 12×12 pads. I organize them by theme as much as possible and number the containers and keep a master list of exactly which pads are in which container. I use bankers boxes for most of my 8.5×11 paper which is organized by color and most of it is stored under one of my craft work benches. I keep reams of my most used paper like the Recollections 110lb white, ivory and black, Neenah white, Georgia Pacific white, basic black CS, glossy white and a few other cardstocks on the shelf right above my desk so it is within easy reach when I’m working. Some of my 12×12 pads and 8.5×11 paper has overflowed into shelves on one of my “craft” bookcases. And since I can’t seem to stop buying those 12×12 pads when they are on a good sale, I have to admit with a red face that i do have several of them sitting on one of my kitchen counters because I don’t know where I will find any more “homes ” for them! Yikes! And there is also another stack of them leaning up against some of my plastic stacked drawer units where I store other craft supplies. Unless things change, I think I have totally run out of room for storing any more paper. I really need to start participating in those challenges that encourage us to USE our stash! 🙂
Soooo… if you find that support group you mentioned, PLEEEEEASE let me know about it! I need it very badly! And strangely enough, my husband needs it , too. He even buys me paper pads when i am not with him!!! He is really great with color and does a very good job of picking out pads that he knows I would like. I’ve tried to stop shopping in craft stores until I use up a lot of what I already have, but sometimes I send him to get one item I might need or want (with coupon, of course) and he manages to come home with new paper pads or packs pretty often! We are an addicted pair! LOL!!
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