What Works for Me: Scrap Storage

I'm back with another installment of "What Works for Me" and this week I'm zoning in on how I store my scraps.  If you are like me, scraps can take over your whole room without even blinking.  I have tried a variety of things....and ultimately it came to this!

I picked up this storage piece at Walmart.  It has drawers big enough to fit 12 X 12 sheets.  When I look for scraps, I am usually looking with a specific size in mind.  Sometimes I need a tall border, other times I need a base for a card or a big piece to stick on a layout, and very often I just need a sliver of something with a specific color.  I almost always cut scraps to have all straight edges.  The only exception to this rule is when their is a print on the back that I might want to use part of and cutting straight will interrupt that pattern.

My first drawer is all border pieces.  Almost all of them are 12 inches long but vary in width.  These include the little 1/2" slivers that you get off of some 12 X 12 sheets.  Those are just one more great addition to the lines.  

The second drawer is small scraps, things that can be used on a card, a photo mat,  or as an accent on a layout.  I only save small layers of papers that I love or have an obscure color on them.  If I don't think I will use it, I pitch it!

My last drawer is big scraps.  These have to be big enough to use as a card base or a significant chunk of a layout.  I go to this drawer first to make card bases before cutting into something else.

Now What Else Have I tried?

I tried storing things by color in ziploc bags

Why that didn't work: Too many bags, too much time to sort it (ask my mom she helped), too many sizes in one place

I tried two drawers - one of patterned papers and one of cardstock

Why that didn't work: Those drawers filled up fast. and then I only took from the top.  Before I knew it I had two years worth of scraps.  Again, every size you can imagine and way too much to sort thru.

Why This Works for Me:

1) The drawers are small enough to look through but big enough to hold a reasonable amount of scraps.  And when the drawer gets fullish then that means it's time to focus on making some cards from scraps.

2) I don't have to dig for the right size.  This is really the key for me to using them!

Do you have a way that you love to store scraps?  Share it with me here or on my Facebook wall!

Wanna check out the "What works for me: Washi Tape Storage" article?  Check it out here!