Organization 101 :: Part 1 ::

It can be a daunting task but one I vowed to take on at the beginning of the year.  I'm pretty good with the digital stuff because it's all on my PC or backed up but the paper trail can be a nightmare...

As scrapbookers, whether paper, digital or both, we save memorabilia, with every intention of scrapping it at some point.  However, when that time comes, we know we have it.  We just can't find it.  If you are like me you have stuff in multiple places, in my case multiple countries, so how do you get it together all in one place and put it into some sort of semblance of order?

I was recently asked how I organize my stuff and having just got my little box of storage goodies in today.  Let's just say I'm in storage heaven.  It's a good day to talk storage because in spite of sharing my workspace with my husbands desk, my kids toys and being the place where we eat, I have it all under control right now and have enough projects to last me until the end of the year and beyond.

My formula:

1.  Go through everything in your house gathering all photos, letters, memorabilia and bring them to one place.  In my case it was my dining room table.  So basically you have a huge mountain of stuff to go through.

2.   I then sat on my dining room floor with a pack of really big brown mailing envelopes, a black pen (and itunes to cut the monotony). 

3.  Now is the time to think about categories into which you wish to sort your memorabilia.  When selecting categories it's helpful to think how you will put the photos etc... into albums and organize them this way, or choose categories that will help you locate a certain set of photos/memorabilia easily.  Write the category at the top of each envelope. 

My categories were as follows:

Anna  (Family) (School)

Sarah and Dad Military (Sarah is my sister)

Eric +  Family

Friends

Us

Ella

Luke

Anna Heritage (Davies)(Day)

N. B. Remember you can also have labeled smaller envelopes within each larger envelope to further categorize.  I then spread them on the floor and started making piles on each envelope according to category.  Very primitive and it took me all day. might take you longer, but it does work.

5. When finished I tucked the piles inside the envelopes and placed them in a big canvas "box" on my shelf.  I now know where every single letter, newspaper clipping and photo is and am ready to start tackling each envelope one at a time without becoming too overwhelmed. 

In the meantime if I need to scan an old photo for a digital project I have them right at hand, and know exactly where to go to find them.  Then I have my Mum and Dad scan and email me photos from their family albums back in England.  My Mum spends many an hour upstairs going through my childhood and she loves every minute of it!

And of course I love it!  So cool to be sentimental.  Be back tomorrow with some photos, a few of my storage finds and my favorite albums :)

   

Comments

[sherryll]

thanks for the storage tips, a fabulous idea using the big envelopes.

[BrendaPinnick]

Anna, this is a great tip! I'm on it!!!