This year, perhaps more than ever before... we have realized the importance of clearing out,
using things as much as you can (and in new ways)... and of salvaging and fixing things up.
To this end, I thought I would do a series of posts on clearing out and organizing, and living a simpler life.
I hope to do one once a week (Check out previous posts on Thursdays!)
---------------------------------------------------------
When you have a specific "hoard" of things you need to organize, it can sometimes be overwhelming.
For me, truth be told, I got lucky.
I was able to get this incredible supplies cabinet for about half the original cost on a yard sale page when we lived in New Mexico. Cabinets and storage solutions like this go a long way in helping a person get organized with their stuff.
In addition to the large cabinet, I use several different "systems" of storage for my beading supplies.
1. I use simple plastic compartment boxes. Each kind of bead or finding has it's own little compartment, and I put labels both on the inside lid cover, and on the side facing a person when they are all stacked on a shelf. It makes for easier "hunting" when trying to find a particular stone or some such.
2. I also use plain black trays that I purchased from Rio Grande. I have 10 or so, and
each one of these trays holds all the items for a specific project ... or in the case of one tray...
a whole bunch of vintage beads and pairs of stones that will be made into earrings.
Want to work on a specific project? no problem... it's all in a single tray ready to be worked on.
3. I use jars. I love old jars, and so I've incorporated them into the studio.
Some store itty bitty seed beads, tumbled stones, bones, feathers, ...even lampwork glass beads
that I bought in bulk from an artisan that used to show at the Flea Market in Albuquerque.
So. Think about what you have to organize, and what containers you already have on hand that
would work to store them in. Labels are your friend.
Don't have the right storage solutions? There are a billion of them out there.
You are sure to find one that is perfect for you things.
See you all tomorrow.
---------------------------------------------------------
When you have a specific "hoard" of things you need to organize, it can sometimes be overwhelming.
For me, truth be told, I got lucky.
I was able to get this incredible supplies cabinet for about half the original cost on a yard sale page when we lived in New Mexico. Cabinets and storage solutions like this go a long way in helping a person get organized with their stuff.
In addition to the large cabinet, I use several different "systems" of storage for my beading supplies.
1. I use simple plastic compartment boxes. Each kind of bead or finding has it's own little compartment, and I put labels both on the inside lid cover, and on the side facing a person when they are all stacked on a shelf. It makes for easier "hunting" when trying to find a particular stone or some such.
2. I also use plain black trays that I purchased from Rio Grande. I have 10 or so, and
each one of these trays holds all the items for a specific project ... or in the case of one tray...
a whole bunch of vintage beads and pairs of stones that will be made into earrings.
Want to work on a specific project? no problem... it's all in a single tray ready to be worked on.
3. I use jars. I love old jars, and so I've incorporated them into the studio.
Some store itty bitty seed beads, tumbled stones, bones, feathers, ...even lampwork glass beads
that I bought in bulk from an artisan that used to show at the Flea Market in Albuquerque.
So. Think about what you have to organize, and what containers you already have on hand that
would work to store them in. Labels are your friend.
Don't have the right storage solutions? There are a billion of them out there.
You are sure to find one that is perfect for you things.
See you all tomorrow.