Friday, February 25, 2011

Making the (Office) Max of Your Staples

Like the play on words there in the headline??  HA!  Well, it's been a few days now -- things got crazy -- but as promised, I wanted to show you some things I've made or used since I raided my home office cabinets. 

All of the stuff I'm showing you today was made using supplies I bought for office use, at a conventional office supply store (like Staples), not a craft store. Check this out!


First of all, have you ladies seen this product called "Wonder File?"  It's essentially a portable vinyl mat that has plenty of pockets and sleeves. It opens to create a tabletop space that the ad shows is for "office use".  But what about for crafters!?  Imagine it used as a mat on your craft table, or at a crop, like this:


Plenty of pockets for paper, glue pens, markers,
ribbons, scissors and more ...

There's even a zipper pouch for your Gypsy!

Fold it up and take it with you ... open it up and claim your Crop Spot.


Why have boring bookmarks when you can make pretty tags for your crafting magazines, using some die-cut flowers and standard jumbo-sized paper clips?

  I mark individual ideas using coded clips -- the purple 5-petal flower marked with "S" means it's a springtime project I want to try.  The 7-petal pink on the green clip is marked "TIPS" for my favorite ideas/tips to use and/or share.


And, while I'm showing off magazines, don't forget that often the cheapest and sturdiest magazine holders can be found at office supply stores.  And they're often on sale.  This sturdy plastic magazine box was just a $1 and truly helps keep me organized.


And speaking of $1 cheap-eats at Staples, this little lint roller was just a buck and it's PERFECT for picking small bits of paper off my Cricut mats, for a quick reconditioning.  I also use it for a quick clean-up of the floor or my pants after crafting!

Staples also has on sale this week for just $1: a pair of 8" excellent quality scissors, normally $7.99 ea.  Limit 2.  I can never have enough pairs of scissors in the CraftZone.



On to things I've made with my supplies.  How about this ... a cute cover for a 4x6" Post-It lined pad, perfect for grocery lists.  Makes a great gift itself or part of a gift set -- pair it with a personalized pen. To make a personalized pen, get a Pentel RSVP style with a clear barrel, and slip in a piece of paper to match your project, or one that's printed with your recipient's name.

How about this idea?  Gather up all of your project's scraps in a small booklet-style envelope. Punch off a corner of the envelope so the color of your paper shows through.  This way, when you want to make something to match the project, you know right where to find those off-cuts.


Binder clips can be decorated and used as card easels to show off your latest project ... or give them as a gift with a recipe card in the clip, for use in the kitchen. 
 
And imagine the fun envelopes you can make using CD envelopes!?  The one at left is the "standard" with the cello-hole in the front which I thinks shows off your round-focused card or project.  The other plastic colored solid also makes for an interesting envelope.


Clear packing tape can be used instead of pricier transfer tape in moving vinyl. And check out the drapery rings with the little clips to hold your stuff.

Here's a piece-de-resistance, I think -- storing your rubber stamps in crystal CD/DVR cases.


And wait until you see what I can make using overhead projector vinyl!

4 comments:

Tami B. said...

So many great ideas! There's a couple of these I can't wait to try. Maybe I should go to Staples instead of Hobby Lobby today.

Pat N. said...

Great ideas - love your decorated paper clips.

the cricutologist said...

Hi Ellen! I was wondering the same thing about that WonderFILE. I saw it at WalMart and nearly picked it up. Thanks for sharing...I may pick it up now! Love all your office supply projects! I'm so excited for our blog hop tomorrow!

Unknown said...

Ellen thank you so much for all these fab ideas! Will be heading to my local staples!! Thanks again! Cindy