Recycled Swap Storage

Hello again :)

At the moment there are a great many swap sites around, and - thanks to Sir Tim of Holtz - current swap trends have moved from ATCs to Tags.

Now, for those of us who like a change, this is great.  Quote swaps, technique swaps, all good inspiration for our crafting.  But many people hit on the problem of where to store them.  ATCs fit in their own little storage albums, clip cases, and even trading card albums - not so tags :(  Over the course of a year on UKS, for example, you could receive 120 tags or more - and your other half may not be happy to have them dangling from the rafters!

Of course, if they are, you're fine.  But if not, what do you do then? I envisaged a washing line with them pegged on, or a wire rail with IKEA curtain clips.  However, my darling husband wouldn't be completely thrilled, because my craft space is the dining table, and my storage is one wall of our kitchen diner.  I tried using book rings to hang them on hooks, but found I couldn't get to my shelves. Rifling through boxes was annoying and time-consuming.

Now, I'm not saying these ideas are bad, just that in my limited space (and decor of duck-egg blue) this wasn't going to work for me.  Then I stumbled across a blog (and cannot find the link!) where the crafter had revamped heavy-duty cardboard washing tablet boxes, and they'd made very good lidded crafty storage for inkpads, misters, punches, and other tools.  Brilliant!

I found, for the tags, that washing tablet boxes were the wrong size, but cat food ones were perfect - sized for pouches, they are pretty much tag-sized!  I pulled it all apart (carefully) and flattened it out, before decorating with a patchwork of old papers and stamped images.  Then I hot glued it back together, and stood the tags up like library cards, which is so much better than having them in a box, having to pull them out and trawl through.  Now I can flick through my tags for technique inspiration without damaging them, or pulling them all out and having them clutter up the dining room. 

It still needs a coat of gel medium to seal it all down, because the paper shifts when you reassemble the box.  But you don't have to disassemble it if you'd rather not - you could give it a wash of paint first and th cover with paper, and the paint would hide joins, or awkward shapes you couldn't cut :)  Next I think I'll make one for my SU inkpads, as they don't stack well - and turn it on it's end the the front flap drops down for access... then another for the SU/EK Sucess punches so I can keep them neat... I'm hooked!

I'd love it if you would share your storage solutions with us- Pop a link in your comments, and help spread the inspiration!

Thanks for popping over!

Leanne x

www.craftaholicleanie.co.uk  *  www.beautfulimpressions.co.uk

Comments

[Katherine]

That's beautiful Leanne and a super idea :)

[Erika]

Great idea Leanne.

[jayne]

Great sturdy idea for all those little art projects :) TFS

[Mandy]

Very pretty and useful too tfs

[Debbie]

Brilliant idea, will have to make sure I open the next box (dh tends to butcher them with a knife lol) x