Most crafters spend a lot of time finding the perfect way to organize their supplies. These are some of my favorite products to store and organize mine.
The first product I want to share is not a physical thing at all. It is a software program that I use to catalog my stamps and dies. I’ve been using this for years and to my knowledge, actually created the very first tutorial on how to use it for that purpose. It is Evernote. Evernote does have a free version but you are limited to how many devices you can use it on and how much you can upload per month. I ended up paying for the least expensive plan about a year ago, but I used it for free for several years.
You can read all about it along with my tutorial and video here.
Ink Pad Storage
I store my ink pads in the Stamp N Storage storage units. You can read all about my ink pad storage and see photos here, however, as of this date, I currently have six units. When I wrote that blot post, I had two. (I love ink!) I cannot recommend Stamp N Storage highly enough. Their products are stellar and they always have free shipping!
My distress inks and distress oxide inks are each stored in their own “Petite Ink Pad Holders” from Stamp N Storage.
My other ink pads are stored in the Slim 120 Ink Pad Holders and the Slim 72 Ink Pad Holders. It comes in a few other sizes as well. These are the two different sizes that I have.
and
They even make special ink pad organizers for the Ikea Kallax now! One of the things that drew me to choose Stamp N Storage over their competitor was the fact that I can paint it any color I want, or leave it wood. (and the free shipping helped as well!)
Ink Pad Labels
I use these labels to label my ink pads. You can read all about it here.
Ink Swatches
I also use the free ink swatch sheets available from Jennifer McGuire to swatch my stamps. I use the Swatches stamp set from Kat Scrappiness to create my ink swatches, as well as to stamp the color onto the ink pad labels. I will share my updated ink swatch notebook in another post under “Organization” very soon!
Die Storage
The first thing I do when storing my dies is to cut a piece of cardstock to fit into my die storage sleeves/pockets. (about 5 3/8″ x 7″). I use this cardstock:
GP ImagePlus 110lb Cardstock – This is the inexpensive cardstock I use for all of my organizational purposes such as the covers for my stamp pockets and the backings for my magnetic die storage sheets. I get it at Walmart for about $5.99.
Magnets
Next, I cut a strip of magnetic vent covers to about 5″x6 7/8″ and glue it onto the cardstock pieces I cut. Then I place my dies on the new magnetic card and put it into a sleeve.
Die Storage Pockets
I store all of my dies in these Large Stamp & Die Pockets, which measure 5 1/2″ x 7 3/8″.
Die Storage Container
Now that my dies are on magnetic sheets and stored in the storage pockets/sleeves, I keep them in these InterDesign Refrigerator and Freezer Divided Storage Containers. (Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for introducing the crafty world to these!) These will get quite heavy once fully loaded with dies. Luckily, I don’t move mine around often! If you are going to be moving your dies around a lot, I would suggest using a single storage container. The die pockets/sleeves are 5 1/2″ x 7 3/8″ so as long as the container is at least 5 1/2″ wide, it should work fine.
Dividers
I am still using the same die storage solution as the past couple of years, however, this year, I switched from making my own dividers to using DVD Dividers. They are MUCH sturdier and are the perfect size and I’m very happy I switched. (I believe I got this idea from Nichol Spohr). I will have an updated page about my die storage very soon but in the meantime, here are the dividers I use. (I use the white ones).
Stamp Storage
Stamp Storage Sleeves
I store my stamps in three different sized sleeves. Small, Large and Extra Large.
Small Stamp Sets
I store my small stamps on these Stamp Storage Panels. They are like a laminated piece of thin chipboard and they slide right into my Avery Elle Small Storage Pockets.
For my small stamps, I use these Small Storage Pockets from Avery Elle. They are the perfect size for my stamp panels and work great for me.
For my large stamp sets, I store them in these Large Stamp & Die Pockets, which measure 5 1/2″ x 7 3/8″
I store my X-large stamp sets that won’t fit into my other pockets in these XL Storage Pockets from Avery Elle. They measure 6.75″ x 9.25″. I simply slide a sheet of white cardstock in the back so that the stamp set shows up easily.
Stamp Storage Container & Cabinets
I changed my stamp storage this year. For small and large stamp sets, I am using the same containers for my stamps now that I use for my dies. The InterDesign Refrigerator and Freezer Divided Storage Containers.
Then, I store the containers in “stamp” cabinets (similar to this one), in my craft room to keep them out of the light (especially sunlight).
For Extra Large stamp sets I store them in this filing cabinet:
Here is a look at the inside of the filing cabinet.
This filing cabinet looks very nice, is made very well and works perfectly for me and my expanding stamp collection. I currently have over 500 stamp sets and have plenty of room to grow between my stamp cabinets and this filing cabinet.
Stamp and Die Pocket/Sleeve Labels
I label both my stamp storage pockets and my die storage pockets with these Avery Elle Easy Peel Return Address Labels 8167. I used to use my P-touch label maker but found that these labels was much more economical for me and I find it very easy to print them using Microsoft Word.
Stamp Shammy Holder
I use this salt cellar to keep my stamp shammy/cloth clean and retain it’s moisture. I got the idea for this from Jennifer McGuire and it works so well it’s one of my favorite storage products now. It has a flip top so you just flip it open when you want to use the stamp shammy/cloth and when you are finished, just flip it closed. This way it gets enough air that it doesn’t get smelly but stays moist for a few days at a time.
Bling, Jewel, Enamel Dot Storage
I store my bling and enamel dots in these divided page protectors. I put a piece of white cardstock in each section so it’s easy to see the bling. I keep the sleeves in a binder (from Walmart) and it’s really easy to flip through the pages and see what I have.
Sequin & Bead Storage
I use the Darice 82-Piece Elizabeth Ward Bead Storage Solutions Tiny Container Storage Trays to organize my sequins and beads. It uses very little space and works like a charm. Everything is easy to see and the trays stack easily. You can see a post with close up photos of my sequin storage
8.5 x 11 Cardstock Storage
You can see an entire blog post with details of how I store my cardstock by clicking here. These are the products I use.
Like-It Magazine Files from The Container Store – These hold my 8.5 x 11 cardstocks perfectly. You can see a photo of how it looks filled with cardstock by clicking here.
Scrap Cardstock Storage
Behind each color of cardstock I store my scraps in these Avery Job Ticket Holders. It makes finding scraps of any size easy to find and keeps them next to their matching colored cardstock.
Cardstock Tabs
I used to go through a very long process to make tabs for my cardstock dividers but this year I discovered a new product that makes it easier than ever to create my divider tabs. It is the Tab Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers.
Stencil Storage
If you’d like to see how I store my small stencils, click here. I store my stencils on laminated cardstock sheets and then slide them into these Stencil Folders by Clarity. I bought them in two sizes.
and
and
Embossing Powder Storage
Brother P-Touch PT-D210 Label Maker
These are just some of my favorite storage and organizational products. If there is a crafty product that you need help organizing or storing and you can’t find it on this page, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help you find a solution if I can.
All of the (available) products on this page are listed and linked below for your convenience.
Close this window to return to the main menu.
Hi Kat – and thanks for the links! Question – are the DVD dividers cuttable (with a trimmer than can cut chipboard, for example)? I have stamps in InterDesign bins and cut up folders for dividers, but would like something a little stronger too.
Thank you!
I answered this via email but The DVD dividers are pretty thick. I’m not sure if a paper trimmer would cut therough them, however, if you have something like a cutterpillar, it may cut them. I am happy to send you one of mine if you want to see if it would work for you. Just email me your address.
Thanks, Kat. I have a Carl cutter, which goes through medium weight chipboard and multiple sheets of cardstock at once, so that should do the trick. I appreciate the links!
Great advice! I have similar storage items but cannot find good printable list of categories to create an index of dies and stamps not other items. Do you have an index ?
I have my list on my die organization post.
Love the suggestions. I use a lot of the same products.