More Organizing To Do - Part IIa - For the Shopper In You

If you can, shop on and have fun! But using the things we already have in our house can save our environment since a lot of things we don't want end up in the trash which end up in the landfill. Just a thought. You can go and do what you want now that I've made you feel guilty - LOL.

The best storage items are see through and for certain items stackable is a plus. You don't want a lot of little organizing holders that would just look a mess. You want holders that can be used in your space in a neat and orderly manner. They can also be labeled for an easy find of what you need. It's great if you have a label maker, but if you don't just cut pieces of paper and scotch tape the label on the container.

We always want to think of ways to store using less space. I love things with compartments or separated spaces so that I can use it for several different small items like stitch markers. One item that could be used to decorate your shelf is that unused vase that has been sitting around. It could be turned into a holder for needles and hooks. This is a great time to use a needle/hook converter chart and check off which sizes you have and maybe what you need to add. Now make sure the vase has a wide enough opening where that you don't have to turn it upside down to get your shorter items, like your crochet hooks out.

Once you've exhausted the house of all items that could be used to hold your supplies, then it's time to go out to your local, no I wasn't going to say yarn shop, but $1.00 store or craft store (with a coupon) and purchase a few holders, notebook, etc... Speaking of coupons, those that live near a Michael's craft store or an ACMoore craft store I am attaching the link to ACMoore store locator to get their coupon and for Michael's you can go to their website and sign up for coupons to be emailed to you. If there is a JoAnn's Fabrics store around you then you can sign up online to receive their coupons via email. All three store coupons are interchangeable meaning that you can use either coupon at any of the three stores. The only difference could be the amount of the coupon could vary. Check with your craft store nearest you for details on their rules. With the economy the way it is we can shop but we need to shop smart.

There are also garage sales and estate sales to visit. Remember, one mans junk is another mans treasure - LOL. You can find some really nice things for organizing at a very minimal cost. But if you are in a great situation for buying then check out Home Goods if it is in your area. This is a hit or miss store meaning you might find or not find what you are looking for. Tell a friend what you are looking for. If they find it then ask them to take a picture of the item, send it to your cell phone and you can look at it and let them know if it is a go or leave it where they found it. This technology world we live in has its good points. But always keep in mind your space size and how much it can hold comfortably without looking too crowded.

A lot of people like to shop online. Look at the websites for your local office supply stores to check out their office organizing items like a desk file tray. That can be used to put patterns that you are working on or a book you want to keep out but in a place you can find it. They have stackable trays and individual trays. Also, you can look at all the different size three ring binders and tabs they have to chose from. In my area we have a Staples and Office Max. Even if it is not in your area you can look at their website just to get ideas. One of my favorite stores is The Container Store. I just love to go into that store and look at all the organizing items they have. Then we have Ikea which is a furniture store from Sweden and they have a lot of shelving ideas to choose from. I love how they have their displays so that you can visualize what it will look like in your home. And for bargains you can try Overstock. Now remember that we are trying to organize what we have not to bring in new items that we don't need. We are not on a shopping spree but we are on an organizational mission so focus.

The next post will be about organizing patterns. What fun that will be.