Storing Paper Scraps

I am a bit OCD when it comes to organization and my craft room.  By far, I get the most readers for my organization post I did forever ago now.  I wanted to keep you updated with new things.  I have always had a HUGE problem with paper scraps.  Toss them?  Keep them?  If you do keep them, how will I find them to actually use them again.  I was so sick and tired of cutting into a piece of card stock only to find a day later I had like 4 small scraps that would have worked fine.

Enter my method for storing scraps.  I have using this system almost since I did my big organization post.  After I had all of the initial organization out of the way, I began to tackle the smaller (or larger in my case) problems that I couldn't find an easy solution for.

Let me show you.

This little cardboard magazine holder sits on the side of my desk right next to my stamps.  I use plastic sheet protectors to store scraps.  Each color of card stock has its own sheet protector.  I wasn't sure when I started if the sheet protectors would stay stood up over time.  But I can say after a year and a half, this is the photo I snapped of them the other day.  Still going great.

Here is a closer look so that you can really get a feel for how each color has its own "file".

I pulled it apart so that you could see that the scraps just fall to the bottom of the sheet protector waiting to be used.

Let me pull one out so that you can see how this is so useful to me.

This is my Summer Sunrise scraps.  I am diligent to place larger pieces to the back of the sheet protector and the smaller ones to the front.  It honestly takes about 2 or 3 seconds longer to quickly arrange your scrap as you slide it in.  I have also been using this system to keep my pattern papers with their respective color.  I wasn't sure if it would work out or they would require their own sheet protector.  However, I find it to work so well in my flow and set up.

What makes this system work so well is that I can see at a glance what scraps I have available.  If I need to cut a small butterfly, I can size it up before I reach in.  I can also see at a glance if I have a piece that would work for a card base or not.  It helps me to actually USE my scraps and keeps them under control.

I hope you can glean something from my system.  Isn't that what makes this so fun?  Take a bit of what I do, add it something else, mixed with your own thoughts and you can come up with an amazing solution that really works well for you.