Organizing without a Scrap "Room"

Hey everyone!  This week over at Bitten by the Bug 2, we are sharing our scrap spaces or scrap rooms.  Well, for me, I only have a "space" and that is basically the dining room!  It works though, and I'll show you some ways I try to stay organized even without a room devoted to my hobby.  We also invite you to link up with us and share your scrap space!

We built our house in 2011, and I was so excited because I had an extra room.  It was going to be a hobby/play room.  Finally!  Well about one month later, I found out I was pregnant with our third child.  So I had my hobby room for about 9 months, and then it became Macy Paige's room.  And now that number 4 is on his/her way, it looks like I'll be staying in the dining room.  So here are some ways I stay organized.  Warning:  LOTS OF PICTURES and LINKS!

This is my dining room where all my crafting happens.  Don't let this neat picture fool you!  If I'm in the middle of a project, it looks like a tornado went through it.  But oh how I love when it looks nice and clean like this!

Now this little cabinet right here is one of the most helpful ways I stay organized.  It is awesome.  I found it at Walmart online. They still have it! It is not too costly and it has really held up well.  It has wheels and a table top that folds down and extends out.  I'll show you the inside later in this post.

In my living room, I've devoted an entire cabinet to scrapbooking supplies.  They are very deep cabinets.

So here is what is in there:

I still keep all of my cartridges in their original boxes.  I recently sold my Imagine and got rid of all those cartridges.

This is where I keep most of my paper.  The top shelf is for solids and the pattern paper packs are towards the bottom.  I'm slowly running out of room as I buy more paper pads.  I just love them!  I also love these clear 12 x 12 shelves from Scrapbook.com.  I had trouble finding something that would not be too tall once stacked in my cabinet.  These are perfect.  I ordered one set of 10 shelves, and I was able to split them between my two shelves.  Now they were kind of pricey, but I really think they were worth it. 

Now this next 12 x 12 folder is for all those miscellaneous pattern papers I pick up in bulk sections.  I bought it a while back ago at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.

I try to keep the papers organized for scrapbooking by having a girl section, boy section, baby section, gingham/polka dot section, and holiday section.

This little basket holds all of my ribbon and twine.  Over the summer, I organized all of my twine by putting it on tags I cut from Plantin Schoolbook.

A basket full of punches

Now for my little brown cabinet that really stores so much stuff.  I can store my cricut inside on the bottom shelf, although I usually have it out on my table.  I just bought a Sillouette, which I haven't used just yet.  I just need to have some time to read everything.  I downloaded the software for free before I ever purchased it to make sure I liked it.

I keep all of my tools on the top shelf and my stamp sets on the bottom shelf.

Now here's a look at the inside shelves:

I keep tons of stuff in here!  Trimmers, ATG gun, Gypsy, stamp pads, embossing powders, stickles, glitter, baby wipes, embellishments, heat gun, etc.  I use rectangular plastic tubs/baskets that I can easily stack and remove when I need them.

My stamp pads and embossing powders...

Chalks...

Buttons and brads are in this container I found at JoAnn's.

I keep all the sparkly stuff in the pink basket.

I also keep all my sequin and flower embellishments in this cabinet too.  It's amazing what I can get in there.

Lastly, here is my favorite tip to stay organized.  This is how I store my paper scraps.

I have this accordian folder.  It is not 12 x 12.  I found it quite some time ago in the office supply section at Walmart.  In each section, I keep sheet protectors filled with scraps according to their color.  This is for any small piece I think I can use again whether it be pattern or solid.  I keep similar colors together.  I also have a sheet protector section for black, white, gray, and brown together.  I find that this really works for me.  I go right to it first when I need to cut something smaller.  I save so much paper by doing this.

Well I hope you enjoyed all the tips I shared with you for staying organized even without a room.  As you can see, I try to put stuff away and out of sight for the most part.  This helps me feel a little better about not having too much clutter seen and keeps little hands from getting into it all the time.

So we look forward to you linking up to share your scrap spaces this week!  Have a good one!