If you love scrapbooking, a great thing to try is organizing all of your materials together in a scrapbook closet. People especially struggle with scrapbook paper storage, so our ideas listed below are intended especially to solve that problem of finding more space to store all of your favorite scrapbook supplies.

Scrapbook closet organization might seen difficult at first, but it can actually be quite easy when you take advantage of the right easy to implement strategies for storing all of your items. The first step is to clear out a closet to make room for all of your stuff.

Scrapbook Paper Storage Solutions

We love this paper storage cube and how much space it gives you. It is taller, so if you have a tall and narrow closet, this may be perfect in those instances. Click Here for More Info on Paper Storage Cube System

This system is great if you have a lot of space to spare and just want to make it more organized. It has a stylish design and offers you many different options for how to use the space. You could also decide to keep it out of the closet and use it as a center around a desk or table if that would be more suitable for what you need.

Other Closet Organizing Tips

Keep what you use the most at eye level: If you use something a lot or frequently, it’s important to keep it very easily accessible, otherwise you’ll end up unorganizing all your hard work if you have to really dig around to find it!

Have Supplies Handy: Scissors, tape, glue, stickers, paper punches, and everything else should be very easily accessible. Many crafters find a cheap and easy solution is to use shoe closet organizers as well as hanging closet organizers since they have many different pockets and compartments to choose from.

Sort by Color: Since many crafts are done by mixing and matching colors, it only makes sense to keep like colors together. That way when you’re choosing between shades of red or blue, it will be easier for you to make a decision.

Use Clear Containers: As I mentioned when writing about pantry organization ideas, it helps you when things are in clear containers. Often if they are not see through you won’t really know what supplies you have or don’t have, which means you’ll end up either routing through containers to find it or wasting money on buying things you don’t even really need!

Do You Love Scrapbooking?
I really enjoy scrapbooking, and found these two resources online to be pretty helpful. Being able to turn a part time hobby into a part-time job has been a great way to get paid for doing something I love! And the second resource saves you so much time by compiling everything you would ever possibly search for online in one great package! I found them to be well worth the time saved if you want to check those out, too!

• How to Make Money Scrapbooking
• Scrapbooking Layouts, Sayings, Fonts & More

What tips do you have for organizing scrapbooking paper and closets? Do you want to show off your closet & organization tips? We’d love to see them, you can send them to us here.

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Self Install Closet systems are certainly easy to use, but how can you decide which are the best type for your individual needs? When you’re looking for different things, there’s a lot of choices. Here’s some tips to help you decide which kind is right for you:

Ease of Install: Some units are quite easy when you are installing a closet system, some can be somewhat difficult. If possible, check the instructions before you buy. If the instructions are poorly written or confusing to follow, this can be very difficult to do.

Storage Space: Many units look great on the cover of the box, but they don’t always show the amount of available space there for you to use. When you are looking for something, make sure it is really a practical unit for your needs.

Design: Some systems are a lot more stylish than others. While some people may not care what it looks like, as long as it is functional, it can pay off to choose one that has a nice style and design and coordinates with the rest of the look and feel of your home.

Who are some of the most popular self install system manufacturers?

Closetmaid: Closetmaid is a name brand you can recognize in just about any major retail store. They are very popular in wire shelving units, though they also have some other styles available as well. Their systems are not too difficult to install and put together, but it can be confusing at first, especially when you open the box!

Rubbermaid: Rubbermaid is also catching up in the market with some stylish solutions as well. These can be sometimes difficult to find in stores, but online there are many different possible options.

John Louis Home Systems: These are very nice looking systems, though I have not personally tried to install them to tell you how easy or difficult they may be to assemble. They often have many nice features that give them an upscale look.

Ikea: Ikea remains as one of my favorite choices for self install closet systems, because they are not only stylish and functional, but can also be put together easily. All of their products are self assemble only items, so they are a do it yourself-er’s dream store! Ikea is a worldwide company, so you can hopefully find one that is near you.

Don’t be daunted by installing your own closet systems. If you can use a hammer and a screw driver, it’s quite likely that you can self install closet systems without difficulty!

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Trying to determine the best closet design ideas can be pretty overwhelming, and everywhere you go you will likely find a lot of different things that makes making your choice even more difficult to do. A well designed closet however is critical in staying organized, and it can often also add value to your home as well!

The first thing to consider is how much space you are working with. A small closet in a bedroom is not the same as a large walk-in closet. While it would seem the smaller space has a huge disadvantage, you would be surprised at how well that space can be utilized when properly designed.

Here are some of our favorite tips & ideas when designing closets:

Matching Color Schemes: Many people do not think about color schemes or style when creating a closet. While it is true that a color scheme is not going to make you more organized, it can greatly improve the overall appearance. Choose coordinating or matching accessories for the best success.

Cubbies: Whether your closet is big or small, having some cubby space is a great way to organize things such as books, clothing accessories, hats, personal care items, and much more. These can often be purchased inexpensively from kits or you can design your own custom closet organizers. Baskets which fit into this space can also help you coordinate more space.

Install a Shoe Rack: Having a neat place to organize shoes you don’t wear everyday is a great way to add a special touch to your closet and help you stay more organized. No room for shoes in the closet? We absolutely love these shoe storage benches.

Use a Kit: So many people shy away from using a closet organization kit, however they can often be the easiest solution, especially if you do not have a lot of design style. If you hate traditional wire shelving kits, there are a number of different types, in wood, nickel, and other finishes. Just be sure the kit actually fits your needs before buying.

Kitchen Island: A new trend in closet design this year is to use an island or a bar inside the closet. These can often be purchased at many kitchen supply stores or specialty closet shops. Having deep cabinets or drawers adds ample storage, and the counter space will give you a place for your accessories and personal items.

Keep Things Open: There is nothing worse than having to dig around to find things. Having open space makes it much easier to know exactly where everything is. Clear containers or glass doors on cabinets can make this much easier as well.

Kitchen Cabinets: Just like the island, cabinets are also becoming more popular options in closet organizing solutions. Cabinets can be stylish and functional, but it can also become quite costly – there’s a reason most people don’t redesign their kitchens on a regular basis!

Be a Basket Case: Stylish baskets can not only add to the overall design, but help you organize and group like items together. When you know that every item in a basket is related, it makes it very easy to find exactly what you are looking for – just be sure you don’t put too much in each basket!

We hope you enjoyed our best closet design ideas for the New Year. Happy organizing!

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Organizing the closet space under the stairs in a stairwell or beneath or over the steps of your home can be quite the challenge for many people. For many people, this often involves an area that may be below a set of steps that is far too low to walk under or even really utilize properly.

If you’re stuck with one of these spaces in your home, have no fear! We’ve got the perfect plan for you!!!

What makes working with this type of space so difficult is not the lack of room but the odd shape of the room – which makes it much more difficult to decide on what is the most efficient and truly the best way to actually utilize all of the room available.

While most standard closets are rectangular or square in shape, the stairwell closet is typically triangular in shape, as pictured in the image we’ve included below. (We know, you are madly impressed with our public domain triangle – unfortunately we’re having image uploading issues at the time, so this is the best we can come up with right now)

As you can see, toward the edge of the triangle, where the steps traditionally begin, there is very little actual little space.

There are two typical types of closets we see in this space, and it depends greatly on where the door will go. If the space is used where the door is directly parallel under the top step, what you get is a long and narrow space. If you have the door so that it is perpendicular to the stairs, you have something that is a lot easier to use. However, this isn’t always an option because a lot of people will have other walls or rooms adjacent to this space.

Here are some examples of things you can do to help make this space more functional:

1. Close Off Unused Parts: If the parts underneath the bottom few steps are closed off, you will not have to worry about things getting stacked up back there, lost, forgotten, or misplaced. You can do something completely simple with cardboard and some tape or nails, or you can get more involved and even use drywall to make the walls match the interior of the closet.

2. Use Shelving: Shelving can greatly help you use the space to a better capacity. Consider putting shelves that are deep and maybe even making them into little boxes so you can organize things like games, shoes, food, etc. – whatever items you plan on using the space for storage are.

3. Install Hanging Rods Perpendicular: If you put the hanging walls perpendicular against the stair well, this will give you more space as you’ll be able to better access the items you have hanging. A closet should make it so things are easily accessible – otherwise you’re bound to forget you have them or not use them if they can’t be easily reached.

4. Consider Alternative Uses: While many people have these spaces for storage, it is possible to use them in other ways. for example, if you have kids, everybody knows that little kids love a good hiding spot. You could transform the space into a small play room area for them. Other possible uses include a small office space or even a small powder room.

Do you have any ideas for organizing a closet under the stairs? Share them with us in the comments below!

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Here are some tips on how to build your own custom closet organizer:

1. Assess Your Needs: Taking a look at what you really need is an important first step that will help you configure the right plan for you. For example, if you need primarily clothing hanging storage space, you would not want a design that has mostly drawers or compartments.

2. Measure Up: Taking measurements of your closet is the next important step in the designing process because it is much easier to design a custom-made closet organizer with accurate measurements.

3. Choose Your Materials: Typically it is best to choose materials that you are either experienced using or are comfortable in working with. If you are not keen on using a saw or wood you may instead want to opt for something else instead. On the other hand, if metal shelving makes you nervous, then you may instead want to use wood or even possibly plastic.

4. Can You Reuse Something You Already Have? It is amazing how often times we have everything we already need – we just need to use it for the right thing! For example, I had several metal shelves in our garage that weren’t really useful for the space down there. However, I was able to put one in my son’s closet that became the perfect way to store his favorite toys in the closet. Since his need for clothing space to hang was so minimal, we turned his closet into a giant toy cupboard.

5. Don’t Neglect Style: If you want a custom look without the high end price, then you will definitely want to pay special attention to style, since that is often what sets so many things apart. Painting, staining, or even decoupaging can all give old things that are functional a new lease on life. Choosing decorative baskets or picking special closet doors that may be mirrored or have a unique design may also give you the custom style you are looking for.

These are just a few ideas of the things you can do for making your own custom closet organizers. With a little creativity, you can often get a high quality and stylish design for much less than you would pay a designer.

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