Well, that's not entirely true, I can be super dooper organised if I have to be with lists and all, but generally I'm the complete opposite. There just is no in between at all. I generally career from thing to thing doing what needs to be done and hoping I don't forget anything in the middle. Is it having kids? - maybe - teenagers/pre-tees do see to require a lot of picking up, dropping off, and general running around after. But if I'm honest, the having to be somewhere at a certain time with the right kid and equipment - and often failing the 'certain time' criteria - just makes my lack of organisation more obvious to the outside world!
So I thought I'd start small and organise one thing to make the creative side of my life a little easier. And you wouldn't believe what a difference this has made to my headspace!
I took my shoebox chocka full of the things I need in one place for jewellery making (especially when I'm creating in a different room of the house, or even not at home at all), and my tool kit, and my wire storage bag and condensed it into an el-cheapo cantilever tool box bought from Mitre 10.
OK, so that didn't quite work as it wasn't big enough (but I can use it for something else!). Next try was a fishing tackle box from The Warehouse - longer, wider, deeper - perfect! And as an extra feature you can turn the trays around and they cantilever the other way, ie away from the lid - I do love versatility!
Now I can find everything I need without emptying the entire contents, everything is in one place, and bonus - it has a handle for carrying. My head just got a little less cluttered :-).
Do you have any organising tips that make your life easier?
I worked out a system of storing beads, findings, stringing materials, smaller tools, magazines, books, etc etc about 15 years ago. I don't have a studio, but I do have a small space for storage. I use three-drawer Sterlite containers, which stack well, for all but the reading material. In each drawer (except for the stringing materials), I put one of those plastic bead sorters, with the lid cut off. I package most of my beads into 2"x2" ziplocks, with labels on them saying what, where, when, and the cost of them. You can put any info you want, of course, but this helps me with my very part-time business. I label the outside of the drawers with a little label printer - but stickers would work fine, too! The stacked up boxes are on top of a small bookcase - handy for random papers or notebooks with design ideas, and of course for some books; magazines and larger books I keep in those metal magazine holders. Wire goes into a separate box, because I have a lot of it. Stringing materials are divided into three drawers: 1) craft wire, 2)Softflex/Beadalon/StretchMagic/Fireline, and 3) Nymo/silk thread. When I start a project, I get a tray from on top of my stack of drawers, and start pulling out all the beads I want. I put separate projects in larger ziplocks (many of which I got from a bead store that had used ones in a box) - sandwich size or larger. I keep my pliers and wire cutters in a heavy duty bag meant for gardening tools; scissors go in a sandwich bag that I covered with duct tape (the handywoman's secret weapon!); these usually hang out in my cloth "beading bag", which also has a couple of inner pockets, handy for 6" see-through ruler, pen, paper... Well, I hope this is useful, I know it's a really long comment... My own confession? I have 'way too many beads, and dozens of unfinished projects stuffed into shoe boxes in my "bead nook", and beading projects all over the house (since we became empty nesters... I've started de-stashing, very slowly, but best not to accumulate too much in the first place! I do like the tackle box solution... And I love your page, so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great way to organised stuffs in fishing tackle box. I am going to try this. Thanks for sharing the blog.
ReplyDeletePerfect box for my jewelry collection, i want to buy this, please guide.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGrreat reading your blog
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ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your approach to getting organized one step at a time! Your tips are practical and inspiring, especially for someone like me who struggles with staying consistent. How to Transition Your Skincare Routine for Different Seasons
ReplyDeleteThis post is so inspiring! Taking small steps toward getting organized makes such a big difference, and your tips are practical and motivating. As a member of the Tailored Perfection: Top 5 Men’s Suits and Tuxedos for Every Gentleman, I’m always looking for deals on storage solutions to help keep my space tidy.
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