New Resolution: 1st Monday = Cleaning Day in the Paper Jungle

Monday ... first Monday of the month ... it's the day I've set aside (yeah, right) to try to get organized in The Paper Jungle, my upstairs loft that I'm commandeered as my own crafting area.  

The area is not the best to craft in. First, it's carpeted so it snags up all of those little "snivels" of paper. Second, it's the only place I have to store or use the Oriental rug so if I drop something like an embellishment or piece of paper I need, it's tough to find. And clean. And finally, the furniture is not the ideal -- a mish-mash of stuff that's been handed down from one house, a living room, a bedroom, wherever.

But it's mine!

So today, I'll show you some of the "before" pictures, and some of the organizational ideas I have going into this month. 

Welcome to The Paper Jungle:

The "before" picture ...

Work desk a mess!  Cricut on the desk behind my chair.
(I really want a swivel chair for in here!)

At least I face the TV and get easily distracted.

The room has a cut-out for the window, so it serves as
one of two of my computer work stations up in The Paper Jungle.

Best part is looking out the window!

My third work table, 2nd Cricut.

The photo storage box (upper right) holds cuts I've done,
awaiting either a card or layout. The rail (top) leads downstairs.

Another work station, this one holding my
Viking Diamond Husqvarna sewing/embroidery machine.
It's linked to my computer.  The wooden shelving thing
(at left) is a spinning Lazy Susan display case I bought
from a shop going out of business, $20.

Two long curtain rods serve as space for frequently-used
ribbons and clipped-up layouts, etc.

The desk in front was purchased at Michaels.
It supports my Sizzix, Cuttlebug and Xyron and
holds all sorts of other tools and supplies.

An IKEA shelf, holding an array of paper (bottom), and
a tool storage box (Lowe's) neatly stores all 122 of my
Cricut cartridges, in alphabetical order and labeled.

Up on top of the shelving unit are three photo-storage boxes
that are the perfect width for my Cricut books/overlays. Using my
"From the Kitchen" cartridge, I made wide tabbed dividers that
I labeled for each cartridge's book and overlay, again stored in
alpha order.  I saved the Cricut original boxes but they take up
SO much space and I hated wasting time between cartridges.

Within the storage drawers shown in the arched shelving unit (top picture),
I've organized brads, buttons, beads and such in old pill bottles.

A bamboo drawer organizer from Bed Bath & Beyond is great
to store/use specialty pens (e.g., white markers, metallics) and my
collection of Cri-Kits and other pens that I use in my Cricut Expression.

Glitter organized in another drawer.

Stickles get their own tackle box so they can lay down
when not in use, to prevent clogging or air bubbles.
At left, there's a honeycomb unit I bought at a Creating Keepsakes
Convention, which allows you to store Stickles upside down.

For me, when I want to hang my Stickles upside down, I use Velcro.
Put the SOFT part on the bottle -- a little circle of it is all you need.
You can hang them onto a Velcro strip....

... or on a revolving frame like this one (from Staples) when
they're in use or storage.

A lazy susan organizer (from Michaels, 50% off) stores my
tools that I like to keep nearby.

For tools I'm using at that moment, I also keep a small
toothbrush holder handy.

Can you tell I can't decide which glue I like best?

I hope you liked this little tour of the mess upstairs. If I survive cleaning day in The Paper Jungle, check back for the "after" pictures!

Happy Monday, Happy April!