Organizing Your Supplies

If you are anything like me, then keeping your countless amount of supplies in order is always a task. At the start of the year getting things organized for the year ahead might be on your list of priorities as it is on mine. I have two young children and running two creative ventures from the same home-based studio means organizing things down to every detail, if I hope to stay on top of things. Now no one is perfect nor why will you want to be, although in my mind there can also be some perfection in what might seem like chaos, but I'll leave that for another blog.

In speaking with other creative businesswomen, the topic of "How do I organize all the bits and pieces of things?" seems to be an ongoing challenge. We all find ourselves collecting items that we "might use" in a project. In my case, I often come across a piece of fabric that I fall-in-love with and just MUST have.

Here are a few suggestions for getting started:

Labels

Invest in a labeler or label maker or print tags or other labels. I have a very simple to use and fairly inexpensive DYMO LetraTag. It is very handy and uses a variety of labels. It sticks to a range of surfaces and are also easy to remove if needed. I have been using it on my plastic bins to label its contents.

Storage Containers

I have collected a range of storage containers including plastic shoe style boxes, baskets and stackable containers. I especially love using baskets. A collection of different size baskets are a great way to store supplies and adds a decorative element to your workspace.

The plastic and metal containers shown above are from Ikea, while the basket was a great find at WalMart. The studio also has a selection of baskets from HomeSense, which works well with the one featured.

Shelving

I use a variety of shelving units and store my fabric and other textiles on a shelving unit with glass doors. This allows for safe storage, but also allows me to see my supplies. It also forces you to keep things neat and tidy.

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing more details about how Verona Collections - Crafted Spaces studio shapes up for the year ahead, and what we are doing to stay organized.