Piles of Papers: How to Get Your Paper Stash Organized!
By Sara Naumann

If you're like most paper addicts, you can't get enough of paper. Like most of us, you probably started out with a few sheets from the craft store, or maybe a book or paper pack. Then you bought a few more and your collection grew. You started supplementing your stash with vellum, metallic paper and cardstock. You began frequenting stores (any stores!) that sold paper. You lost all control.

Yes, things are definitely out of hand.

Does this sound familiar: "I'm starting the overwhelming task of organizing my scrapbooking supplies. Yikes! I could easily scrap for 2-3 years without buying a thing! Right now I'm sorting paper. There are so many patterned papers I don't know where to start!! Any suggestions?" —Tiffany

Never fear, Tiffany! We've got a few tips for you from paper addicts who know.

Organize by Theme, Organize by Color

Creating files for Christmas, Halloween, Zoo, Birthday, Sports and other themes is a great way to organize your patterned papers. But what about those plaids, stripes and ginghams? Separate them into files by color or predominant color—it'll be your judgement call if that blue and pink plaid goes into the Blue or Pink category! "I'm such a color matcher that I find that having my papers in folders by colors makes it much easier and quicker to do projects," says scrapbooker Terri.

Tina agrees. "For me, it works best to organize by color or theme. I have a separate file for each color, then files for birthday, holiday, baby, wedding, etc. That way, if I need pink patterned paper, all I have to go through is one file!"

And don't worry if a few sheets end up a category all their own. "I also have a miscellaneous category!" says Tonia.

Organize by Paper Brand

For matching colors and easy manufacturer labeling, you can organize your paper by brand. This is a favorite method for paper crafters who regularly submit projects to contests and magazines. "That way I can keep track of who makes what when it comes time to list sources for page submissions!" says one organized designer.

And Those Paper Scraps?

You know those paper strips, scraps and snippets you can't possibly throw away? Plastic zippered sandwich bags are ideal for keeping those pieces organized. Separate them as you do your larger papers, then use them for paper piecing, paper quilting, borders and punch art. Or be ruthless—LeNae found she wasn't using those snips and strips she had accumulated, and simply recycled them. "It was more trouble to store and search through them!" she says.

Are You a Rubber Stamper? Create a Separate System

Mulberry paper and handmade papers aren't always acid-free—or even labeled at all. Keep acidic papers and those "who knows?" papers in their own system for use in card making or rubber stamping projects. Acid can migrate over time, so keeping these papers in their own file(s) will give you peace of mind.

Decide on a storage system

Once you know how you plan to sort your papers, then you can decide on a storage system. There are two things you want to remember when shopping: you want to keep your papers flat, clean and organized. Determine where this system will go, and measure how much room you have before heading out to shop.

Check out craft and scrapbooking stores for storage systems from Cropper Hopper, Crop-in-Style and Generations by Hazel. Don't forget to visit office supply stores and wholesale stores like Costco too.

Some recommendations

For the cropper on the go: The 12"x12" Expandable Organizer has 12 sections, holding up to 500 sheets of paper. Great for crops!

For storing in-progress projects: The 12"x12" Paper Envelope keeps your half-finished pages, cards and other projects clean and together until you're ready to return. Holds up to 200 sheets of paper.

A great basic: The Corruboard® Jumbo Paper Tote can sit upright or on its side; includes 6 divided sections, each with a removable tabbed divider to create up to 18 categories. The lid closes tightly so your papers won't get dusty, Fits under a table or desk; it's sturdy enough to stack.

The rolling rack: Rolling carts are inexpensive, hold a lot of paper and can be moved easily. The Rolling Rack from Leeco, for example, holds 1,700 sheets or 12"x12" paper. The rack costs $26.95 and a package of six folders (sold separately) is $9.95. Whatever system you prefer, look for hanging files to organize paper for easy access, handy labeling and to keep papers smooth.

One additional tip from experienced paper crafters? Don't forget to look to the future—buy a storage system to grow into, rather than one that holds only what you have now!