Teri Anderson
I like stamps. A lot.
And I like all kinds – clear, foam and wood ones. Needless to say, I’ve amassed quite a stamp collection over the years.
I know a lot of you are stamp fans, too. And because it seems like a lot of us are in a constant battle to keep our craft supplies organized, I thought I’d share some stamp storage ideas that work for me.
Perhaps one of them will work for you!
I keep small clear stamp sets in binders filled with pocket pages meant for baseball cards. A piece of white cardstock goes in each pocket so it’s easier to see the stamps.
Larger clear stamp sets go in plastic bins.
I like to use clear shoeboxes like this one, which you can find at pretty much any big box store for a few dollars. I store the stamps vertically so I can easily flip through and grab the stamp sets I feel like using.
I keep medium-sized sets in these snap lid boxes. The nice thing about these boxes is the lids are flat so the boxes can be stacked on top of each other. I found these boxes as Wal-Mart for $1 and $2. I am sure you can find similar ones at other big box stores.
I store cling-foam mounted stamps on CD cases. I buy the cases by the dozen, toss out the trays and cover the cases with stamps. I use a permanent marker to write on the cases’ spines who made the stamps and any other details I want to remember.
Wood stamps go in drawers. When I’m in the mood to use these stamps, I just pull a drawer out and get to work.
Something else I do to keep my stamp collection organized is go through it every so often. As I grown as a paper crafter, I’ve discovered I have grown out of some of my stamps. They are just not my style anymore so I usually pass off to a local school or to fellow stamp fans.
I’ve shared a few ideas that work for me. It’s your turn. Leave a cool organization tip and I’ll pick three lucky people to win a free copy of Stamp It! Cards from Paper Crafts. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Thursday, Jan. 21.
Happy stamping!
Teri Anderson,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
P.S. Not going to CHA? Check me out on Twitter (twitter.com/gotogalteri). I’ll be posting comments periodically from the show. The festivities kick off on Friday. If you are on Twitter, let me know what you want me to check out at show.
Great tips Teri..wish I were as organized as you!! I do have mine organized but your ideas are better. I use the 3-drawer plastic shelf units with labels on front…broken into category. I also have my clear stamps in 5×7 sleeves in a binder. These I have tabs telling me what’s in each page.
I use a round glass fishbowl to store various ribbon scraps.
I keep my clear stamps in page protectors in binders, still on the backing, with the mini ones in the baseball card protectors. I have them organized by holidays, alphabets, general. I have my wood mounted ones in a filing cabin, in boxes that fit in the drawers and I’ve unmounted many of the smaller wood ones and have them on stamp storage cards that are in ziplock bags–they are all numbered, each grouping is stamped on a page, with it’s corresponding number and placed in a binder and organized by holiday, baby, children, occasions etc.
I also use storage crates for my stamps, however they are stored then within a clear plastic storage drawer. My clear stamps I put them in jewel cases as well. I have a small storage crate that I have on my desk that I keep the themes/holidays that I am currently working on, so I don’t have to hunt through all my stamps to find a stamp in the theme I’m working on currently.
I keep my wood block stamps in large glass jars that I purchase at Walmart for 4.99. Keep them by theme. My clear stamps I keep in 3 ring binders also by theme.
similar to your binder system, i store all of my cling & clear stamps in binders… I trim two of the three closed edges of a page protector, so you’re left with one closed side, storing the stamps in there and then sliding them into another page protector… confusing to explain, i have to post a tutorial one of these days
inside each outer page protector is a sheet of white cardstock with all the stamps stamped on it, and the pages are organized by brand
I’ve a couple storage items – the long handy box from The Container Store is PERFECT for the dollar-size acrylic stamp sets (see my post here – http://sueblondin.blogspot.com/2010/01/container-store-find.html) AND used CD spindles work great for ribbon storage (see my post here – http://sueblondin.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-do-you-store-ribbon.html).
Thanx for the tips – and blog candy opp! LOVE you mag and blog!
Terrific ideas for storage, I am going to try the Baseball Card album solution. I store my clear stamp sets in clear Prisma Boxes (available at Joannes and other craft stores)usually used for art supplies . I have separated the stamps by categories such as holidays, birthday, animals, food, etc. These boxes stack easily and look great on a shelf.
I have mostly wood mounted stamps, as I’ve been slowly trying to wean myself off of buying them…I store them in a small plastic 3 drawer cupboard purchased at Walmart. I have two layers in each drawer. I took a photo of the lower layer and then the top layer of each drawer…that way I know exactly what I have without having to root around all over each drawers(and also where to return them properly when I’m finished).
Terri,
I keep my acrylic stamps in CD jewel cases. Nothing new there. I have a set of drawers that is on wheels and I keep diff. colours of embellishements and ribbons in each drawer. Needless to say, I could use a few more drawers.
I like your stamp storage ideas. I have mine in a regular shoe box. Some of the wooden ones are in the box they came in or in a drawer. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks so much! Great ideas, I am going to go get in my sons closet right now and get his old baseball card books. I bet he will love that!! (lol) I better just buy my own!!
Unfortunetly my stamps are in a complete stage of disorganization. Your tips, especially the baseball card sleeves and cd cases are brilliant….guess I can start putting things in order now.
i like all the ideas- i need better storage for all of my stampin up wood ones in cases – they take up lots of room
I have mey clear ones in a binder and love that!
i love my over the door shoe organizer. it holds all the stuff that is normally too bulky for anywhere else…like my embossing gun. plus, when i close the closet door it’s hidden from view. it’s much more practical for me this way than if it were holding just shoes!
I’ve begun unmounting my Stampin’ UP stamps and have been peeling off the index sticker and sticking it on the back of the foam (that is still adhered to the rubber.) I then apply a few stripes of Hermafix Dotto Repositionable adhesive to the back of the index sticker. I bought an old-fashioned photo album, the cheap kind where the clear page peels back, to store the stamps in. I don’t peel back the page, just stick the stamp on. I have been putting the pages in clear page protectors, just in case the little stamps fall off. I got a big box of them from BJ’s for a great price!
Thanks for the great ideas, Terri. My biggest collection of stamps is rubber on wood blocks. My DH built the desk and cabinets in my computer/craft room so I designed a case with 12 shelves that I can fit a clear plastic tray on each shelf and each one holds loads of wood stamps in there. The newer clear cling stamps go into CD cases. I like your idea of the Card Holder for clear stamps too.
Lots of great ideas, thank you. I saw in an article once, someone had shallow shelves put up that ran practically from floor to ceiling, they were used to display and organize wood stamps…in my next dedicated craft room I will *so* do this!
Thanks for the tips! I have all of my clear stamps in cd cases- on a super cute cd holder I found at a garage sale- it also currently has room for all of my border punches, etc- so that helps. Still working on reorganizing the wood stamps…. I’m planning to get a gutter to attach to my shelving unit to store my ribbon spools, and my buttons are all in old spice jars!
Some companies make storage and stamps together so that does make it easy. The clear and unmounted rubber ones I keep the sets together and place them in stampendous folder like things. They make an extra thick which I will try. My wood stamps are in cropper hopper single layer 3 drawer holder, the problem is they do not make any more!! I like CHF rubber and unmounted so lately I have collecting those. Unmounted is the way to go these days. I use Copper Hopper stuff to store alot things it just make sense for me.
I’m a stamping novice but I already have quite a few stamps….just haven’t used them much yet! However, I’ve tried various storage solutions and am in the process of figuring out what kind of inventory system to use. So far I’ve tried and am still using the MakingMemories black book-like binders with heavy plastic sleeves for some clear stamp sets, Empty C-D holders and DVD holders for others, and drawers for the wood-mounted ones categorized by subject matter.
I do buy SU! wood-mounted ones regularly and have decided to keep a special 3-ring binder just for the SU! ones with pictures of cards made with those very stamps as well as a copy of the stamp set as shown in the catalog. The actual stamps I keep in their original plastic boxes and write in black marker their category as well.
“Orphan” wood-mounted stamps are displayed near my desk in an antique printer’s drawer mounted on the wall.
It continues to be a work-in-progress!
My favorite organization is Closet Maid cubes. You can get shelved, shelved w/a door and drawer cubes that are stackable and exactly the same size. It fulfills my asthetic to have sturdy furniture-type storage, but also gives me maximum flexibility in how I arrange the modules. Plus, they aren’t too terribly expensive, especially if I have a coupon. Nice!
Great ideas! I actually do some of them
Blessings,
Christine
I keep all paper/cardstock scraps from about 6 inches square or smaller in a large 4L ice cream container. The scraps are laid in vertically. When I need a small coordinating piece for a card I search through this first rather than cutting a small piece from a whole 12 x 12 inch sheet. I keep clear stamp in DVD cases with a white paper index with all the designs stamped on it in black ink and slip it in where the title sheet of the DVD usually goes.
I love your ideas !! I have a 12 by 12 clear box that I keep my wooden stamps in-can see through it to find the right one.
I’m still looking for a way to organize my 100+ SU stamp sets. I will try some of your suggestions. I love the idea for storing Stickles on the Velcro strip! When I was drowning in ribbon I separated the spools by color family. I store them on their sides in a matching colored photo box (3/$5 from Michael’s). It’s easy to find the color family I’m looking for, and easy to see all of the spools of ribbon lined up in the box.
Like you, I use a binder and CD case to store stamps. Since I don’t have any extra draw space, my wood stamps go in a basket. So far, this system works for me.
kool ideas, thanks for sharing. I store my wooden stamps in my daughters shoe boxs (Its free and I can decorated it if I’d like). For my clear stamps I store them in a clear long bin I get from Target.
What nice ideas ! thanks ! I don’t have any craft room yet but I have a plastic cabinet with 7 drawers and the wood ones are there.
And my bigger clear stamp sheet are in a cheque binder from a Dollar Store .
The smaller clear stamps are in a small photo album but I like better your basebal plastic pages and CD idea
I just LOVE reading all these great ideas–thanks everyone!! I use the same system as “Chris Cross”(above)–I have a notebook of categorized pages (ie, birthday, baby, etc.) and stamp every stamp I own on their respective pages. I have taken this a step further, though. I have a section for punches, die cuts, and embossing folders; I also traced all of my stencils and edge rulers onto pages in another section. Just looking through my notebook gives me “inspiration”. I am hoping to add another section soon–I want to include a section of ideas that I’ve seen and liked (such as, certain ways to use embellishments, etc.). That way, maybe I’ll actually remember them! LOL
Thanks for all the of great ideas!!
I store my clear stamps in 3-D page protectors. They are the perfect size and they stick to the front or back cover.
I am not at all organized like this, I don’t have a craft room. All my stuff is in boxes and bags in my closet, it really stinks. But my clear stamps are in a binder, inside protector pages.
My clear stamps are in baseball sleeves like yours with the bigger sets in other clear sheet protecters. I have my wood stamps in a few drawers. I love it now since I just organized them a little bit.
I “store” all of my wooden stamps on pretty shelves right above my work area. Not only do I know where every single wood stamp is, but they make the room look so pretty. And everyone always comments on the stamps they like, etc. Makes for pretty room decor and organization at the same time. Any time I can use vertical space I take advantage of it.
I keep all of my acrylic and stampin up sets in a wonderful old library cart that has bins in it. It is a great way to flip through my collection. My wooden block stamps I have displayed nicely on my wall in an old type drawer and a wooden ladder that is hung sideways. I love the way it showcases my collection.
I am constantly organizing and reorganizing my stuff. I’ll think I’ll give your 3ring binder a try for my smaller clear stamp. I like that baseball card page thingy, that just might work for me.
Thanks for the help!
Here’s my tip. Actually, it’s now a rule to keep me from buying duplicates (organizing no-no!) or sets that are very similar. When I buy a stamp set, I have to use at least 1 stamp from the set before the set gets scanned and the copy goes into a binder divided by greenery (which includes flowers), sentiments, people, food, borders, etc. If I buy a single stamp, same rule, I have to make something, anything, a tag, an ATC, anything before it either gets scanned or stamped on an empty spot in the appropriate place in the binder. I have drawers in rolling carts that match the categories of the binder. If the stamp I want to use is in the binder under people, well, it had better be in the people drawer! And yes, I do have a few stamps and stamps sets sitting on my desk right now that I haven’t found time to use, but they will get some love very soon for their patience! Hope that helps!
I am a big fan of CD cases for my clear stamps. They stack so neatly on my shelves, too!
I keep my clear and cling mount stamps on acrylic tab dividers in a 3 ring binder. They cling to the divider and then I can label them using the tab.
lisa a.
Great tips Teri, thanks – with yours and the many posted here, I really have no excuse to not get organized!
Thanks for your tips! I use larger storage containers for my wooden stamps. I organize them by by holidays, sayings, people, etc. I have a large collection since I have been stamping for many years!
Love your tip on storing clear um’s in a plastic shoe box! Geez that is such an easy solution! I have been trying to find pretty baskets that will fit all of them and keep running into size issues
My tip is for the occassional WM set from SU that comes in a storage case. I usually have extra room in there so I stick other stamps in that case that I’m likely to use with the set. i.e. with the beach set I’ll put other sea/water/nautical related images or sayings in the set. I love this way because I don’t have to dig for the singles when I’m stamping a theme card!
My mini wooden stamps fit perfectly in a fishing tackle box that has three plastic bins in it and it has a handle!
I too use the baseball card sheets in 3 ring binders for my small ones. I store my ribbon in Sterlite Show Off Boxes. They stack and have handles. They are organized by colors.
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I store seasonal and seldom used stamps in two gallon clear storage bags,they are labeled then stack on my book shelf. Ilove the binder tip-thanks.