Mess Management Monday #5: Craft Room- Printed Ribbons

So I've already shown you how I organize my Solid Color Ribbons, and I told you how much I love Snapware containers when I organized my Crochet Caps and Headbands. My printed ribbons are stored in 6 of these containers with 3 layers in each.  Yes, that is 18 layers of storage!  If you are using my previous Solid Color Ribbon Storage, you will like to know I can fit all of the 5 yard rolls from one bookshelf in 5 or 6 layers of these containers.  If you are short on space this is an excellent solution.  I don't use this method for my solid ribbons because I use them more often and I like to be able to see them. 

Eighteen layers:

An Open Case

1.  3/8" Solids
2.  3/8" Dots
3.  3/8" Stripes
4 & 5.  3/8" & 5/8" Patterns
6.  Swiss Dots
7, 8, & 9.  Polka Dots
10.  Zebra Prints
11.  Animal Prints
12.  Fruits and Sweets
13 & 14.  Stripes
15.  ALL Pink and Brown Prints, Stripes, and Dots
16.  Sports and Team Colors
17.  Gingham
18.  Funky Dots

Mess Management Monday #4: Craft Room- Fabric Bolts

Last week I shared how I organize my fabrics in drawers.  But when I have over 3 yards of a fabric I like to keep them on the bolt.  When I put my plastic drawers under my shelves I ended up with a bit of space in between so I decided to store some of my bolts there.  I get the cardboard free from the fabric stores.  They usually have a ton, and they are just throwing them away.  I always ask first, and never take more than I need.

I usually buy most of these fabrics 10 yards at a time, so I eventually took over the bottom shelf as well. As for the minky, I only buy about 5 yards at a time, but it has so much bulk to it, that anything over 3 yards is impossible to fold and keep neatly.  Most of this fabric is used for products I sell in my etsy shop (I've reduced my inventory of products until I can catch up a bit).

This last pile of gorgeous fabrics is from Michael Miller's Collection- Feeling Groovy and RoundAbout.  I fell in love with the purple and green fabrics, and when we found out we were having a boy it wasn't hard to convince Prince Charming to decorate his room in the blue and green version of this fabric.  Baby Brother is now 4 months old, and his room still isn't finished, but we are nearly done painting it!  I hope to start posting tutorials for some of the decor in his room very soon!

If you like what you've seen here today, please be sure to follow my blog!
 

Mess Management Monday: Craft Room- Fabric Organization

I tried EVERYTHING to organize my fabrics- neat stacks fell over, baskets overflowed, and even folded and stacked in a dresser made them impossible to find. So here's what I do now:

 

The dressers are full of most of my fabrics.  That's 4 dressers, 5 drawers each, storing about 25 yards of fabric in each drawer.  Of course they don't ALL have fabric in them!  The dresser on the right has finished products ready to ship, and the fabrics that I have more than 3 yards of are stored on top of the dressers. But I will show you that another day.

How it works:

I used to fold the fabric cut ends together- kinda like you fold towels or sheets, but EVERY time I wanted to cut it, I had to unfold the whole thing and refold it.  I'm too lazy for all of that, so I would end up with a huge pile of fabric at one end of my cutting table. 

Now I fold it just like it come on the bolt- selvage ends together, and fold it using a plastic template as my guide.  

Prince Charming cut this plastic piece for me.  It is 6" by 22". If I did it again I would make it 24" so it would be easier to pull out when I am done.

When I get to the end, I simply pull out my plastic piece, and fold it in half. 

All my fabrics are stored by category, then by color.  Categories include solid color cottons, cotton prints, minky, terry, upholstery, flannel, etc. 

 

All of my fabrics are easy to access, and put back in the right place, and I don't have to unfold and refold every time I take a fabric out.

The only rule you have to remember is when you fold directional fabric is to start folding from the TOP!  When you unfold it to cut, your fabric will be facing up, otherwise you have to turn your pattern upside down!  I made this mistake more than once!

I even have a drawer for the fabrics I am selling in my etsy shop since Prince Charming asked if I would sell some of my fabric before buying anymore!

Mess Management Monday: Craft Room Organization- Solid Color Ribbons

Many of you may ask "Why just SOLID color ribbons?"  You may be disappointed that I am not even going to tell you how I organize my 3/8" ribbons today.  It's because it is all done differently, and I find it easier to concentrate on one method at a time.  I have 2 bookshelves dedicated to my solids, and I hold 5 yd spools, 20 yd spools, and 100 yd spools on these shelves.  So, typically when I get an order in, or when I have been making lots of bows, my ribbons end up in boxes at the bottom on my shelves, or piled haphazardly on the shelves.

Now I am left with the task of trying to put everything back the way it should be.  Since I already have the system in place, tidying up is pretty easy.

I have come quite a ways from my original storage system.  When I first started making bows (in 2005) I started out with a small selection of colors in 7/8" and 3/8".  I stored these in the top of a large tackle box.  Similar to this one:  

 

I kept the ribbon rolls in the top and stored my supplies in the bottom.  I had room for clips, scissors, my glue gun, glue sticks, and my lighter.  As my ribbon supply grew, the storage method changed.  I developed this shelf/rod idea (with the help of my hubby) almost 3 years ago, and have recently expanded into a third shelf for my dots!    

I will describe my system now, and then show you the "after" pics.  I have 2 of the cheapy bookshelves I bought from a local superstore.  On the upper portions I have put tension rods instead of shelves.  If you use this method you MUST put additional support across the back to keep the vertical pieces from being pushed out!  Then the 5 yard spools just sit on the tension rods, and the 100 yd rolls sit on the shelves.  Each tension rod holds about 18 spools in various sizes, and I have 8 tension rods per shelf- so in total approximately 140 spools (give or take). 

You will see I have used the rainbow color system.  Also, each color is placed largest to smallest.  If I have any empty spots (which right now I have a lot of) I can easily see which color and size I need to order.  I didn't take a great pic of it, but just below the printed ribbons on the bottom shelf, I have little baskets with my backstock of color in it.  These are NOT sorted by color but rather by size.  They are easier to find that way!  And you get a LITTLE sneak peak of my printed ribbon storage, but I will save that for another day!  

Be sure to follow my blog if you like this idea, you will love how I store my fabric.  I will be posting that next Monday!

 How do you store your ribbons?

Mess Management Monday: Craftroom Organization- Crocheted Caps and Headbands

My craft room is a HUGE MESS!  It is approximately 12' x 12' and has a small closet.  I know I am lucky, I appreciate that, but somehow this room stays messy.  I work, work, work, but never put anything away.  So here's my plan:
EVERY week I will attack one group of supplies in my room.  This week it is baby hats and headbands, next week ribbon, then fabric, etc.  Maybe one day I will even getting to my growing piles of misc papers!  Then on Monday I will post before and after pics- well, maybe not "before" because it is a bit embarrassing!  I will tell you which products I have used and the method of organization.

Today I got a new shipment of hats and headbands in, so I decided to tackle that first.

 

I use Snapware containers for EVERYTHING including Big Sister's Toys, so it was a simple decision to store all of this in several layers of one.

 

I always organize by the colors of the rainbow, it is easy to find, and it looks so pretty!  The top level contains all of my baby headbands.

 

And the next 3 levels are home to all of my crochet hats.  White, Pink, Hot Pink, Shocking Pink, and Black have their own level, and the rest of the colors are stored here.

 

The entire system stores easily on a shelf- although it is getting a bit tall, so I may store the headbands somewhere else!