Vertical Paper Storage

I truely believe that vertical paper storage is the way to go. I have yet to see a system for organizing paper horizontally that I like. Most horizontal systems have a lot of wasted space, and then there’s the fact that you need to dig through the pile to get your paper—- and the paper you want will always be under everything else. Some people find that this system works for them, but I find vertical storage easier, more convenient, and more compact, which means I have space for more supplies. :)

There are a lot of products available for the organized scrapper (or those that wish to attain that state). I used something similar to the Cropper Hopper Vertical Paper Holder for about 9 months or so, except that I made my own.

It’s quite simple, really. I took some of the pizza boxes that I get everytime I order supplies over the internet. Since I don’t have an LSS, I have quite a few of these kicking around. I simply remove one of the sides of the pizza box, and cut off one of the corners. Then I tape the whole thing together and load it up with paper. Simple, economical, and environmentally friendly, since I’m not binning the box (we don’t have facilities for recycling cardboard in our area). If I was really energetic, I could even decorate the boxes. I’m not so I didn’t.

I really like the system, and it’s great for holding full (or nigh full) sheets of pattern paper and cardstock. It’s not so great at organizing the scraps, and I have a lot of scraps (and I do use them!) To this point, I have been using a Cropper Hopper 12×12 Expandable File for those little bits and pieces. If I were only using the scraps to make the odd tag or gift album or card, then this system would be perfect for me. Unfortunately I use my scraps a lot, and I would prefer a system where I can keep the full sheets and the scraps together. Since I work on a Design Team, I would also like to be able to keeps them sorted by manufacturer.

I’m going to try a hanging file system for my 12×12 paper. Cynthia Townley Ewer shows how to make your own using standard legal-size file folders. I simply need to find a way to hang the file folders, without going to the expense of buying a cart… it’s not that I’m “that cheap”, I’d just prefer to spend my hard earned money on scrap supplies. Besides, I would much prefer a type of system I can incorporate into my existing shelving. I will post the results once they are achieved.