How To Store Paper Scraps | Ideas From A Seasoned Crafter
Thu, Jul 30, 26
Are your paper scraps taking over your craft room? Design Team Member Kate here with a few tips on how I store and use my paper scraps.
I've been a paper crafter for over 22 years and that means a lot of supplies and even more paper! My craft room is a small space so I am constantly searching for the best organization that fits my needs and to tame my stash.
Here's some of my tried and true tips for storing and USING your paper scraps.
I store my 12 x 12 inch sized cardstock in thick clear plastic sleeves. If it is a cardstock line that I use often and will most likely re-order (like Encore Blue Jeans), I will label the plastic sleeve and keep a smaller ziploc bag inside the sleeve for the scraps.
I store my Encore Textured Cardstock in color families (greens, reds, blues) and include the smaller ziploc bag in the front of the sleeve.
That worked well but recently I realized that most times I was reaching for a larger piece of cardstock even when I only needed a smaller piece.
So I decided to make a change.
I took a bin that I had sitting around and sorted the smaller scraps by color in the bin. The bin sits on my craft table and is a visual reminder to choose from there first. When I need a small piece of colored cardstock, I reach for my bin instead of the larger sleeve.
The scraps bin also serves as a resource for when I need to try out an ink color or marker. I also like to layer my sentiment dies with 2-3 layers. If the sentiment is cut from a pink cardstock, I grab a few scraps from the bin to use to build up the sentiment (even if the colors are not an exact match). No one will see the layers underneath.
If I’ve used the scrap and it is smaller than 2“ x 2“ , I just toss it. Bigger scraps go back in the bin to be used again.
I’ve been using this method for over a month now and I really see a reduction in scraps. I still leave bigger pieces of card stock in the plastic sleeve as long as they are a card panel sized (41/4 x 5 1/2) or bigger.
I’m thinking of making a bin for my smaller scraps of foil and glitter paper. I’m thinking this will be perfect for when I’m making Christmas cards and only need a small piece of shiny cardstock.
BONUS TIP: If you need help identifying scrap colors, grab a handy swatch book for reordering!
I’d love to see how you store your paper!
-Kate Deignan
(@KateDeignanCards)