Getting Organized - September - Punches and Decorative Scissors

[Craft Nerd]

Sorry I'm a bit late getting this started this month.  I'm not sure where the time is going but this month is flying by.

The supply we are going to work on getting organized in September is:

Punches and Decorative Scissors

To get the chat started:

1) Are you happy with how you store your punches and decorative scissors?

2) How do you currently store them?

3) What is your storage goals for them?

4) Do you have some type of index of your punches and/or decorative scissors?


 Please share any tips or ideas for storing punches and decorative scissors.

[Craft Nerd]

1) Are you happy with how you store your punches and decorative scissors?
My punches - mostly.  My decorative scissors - no.   

2) How do you currently store them?
I've got my punches and scissors in drawers in my desk and the extra cart.  Almost all of my punches are together in 2 drawers, but I've got a few that didn't fit in another drawer.  I think I just need to do a bit of shifting of stuff so they are all in the same section of the desk.  My scissors are in 2 of the 1 inch drawers.  The problem is I have to pull them all out to figure out which one I want.

3) What is your storage goals for them?
Figure out some better way of storing the scissors.  I've just got no idea.  I think a peg board would do what I want, but I don't really have any place to put one that would be within reach of my craft desk.  And I find, especially now that almost all of my supplies are within reach of my desk, if it is not within reach, I'm less likely to use the item.


4) Do you have some type of index of your punches and/or decorative scissors?
Nope, but I think I might want to put one together. I have too much stuff and I tend to forget what I have.  I figure if I had a something handy I could flip through, it would serve as a reminder of what stuff I have and I'll use it more. 

[howdyheidi]

Sorry I'm a bit late getting this started this month.  I'm not sure where the time is going but this month is flying by.

The supply we are going to work on getting organized in September is:

Punches and Decorative Scissors

To get the chat started:

1) Are you happy with how you store your punches and decorative scissors?

2) How do you currently store them?

3) What is your storage goals for them?

4) Do you have some type of index of your punches and/or decorative scissors?


 Please share any tips or ideas for storing punches and decorative scissors.

Oh good, I actually just started working on organizing these.

The answer is, I keep them in boxes or baskets on top of my craft cabinet.  That is, I keep  my punches there.
I have some decorative scissors, but I keep those in with the kids' craft supplies.

I don't mind them being in baskets, but they don't look that great up there.  Maybe if I changed the plastic box to a nicer looking basket?.

I want my punches to be visible enough so I will use them.  However, I have been wondering if I have too many that I don't use and maybe I should get rid of a few of them.  I want them not to be an eyesore.

INDEX!

I really think it would be a great idea to punch the borders out in different colors, and then mount them on my cork board so they will always be on my mind to actually use them more! 

ASIDE:
I noticed that AC Moore is clearing out TONS of their punches, although they do have a smaller area of punches in the regular section.  I am wondering if people are tired of them because they take up so much space. 

[CarefreeSadie]

1) Are you happy with how you store your punches and decorative scissors?

Sure, I don't really own that many punches and some of them are close to 30 years old.....oh wait a minute what exactly are you calling punches? 

2) How do you currently store them?

I have those older punches in a punch holder, it is a cloth container that has little inside plastic holders for the individual punches.  I also have one of those for my decorative scissors and older hand punches.  Then I have the Fiskars around the border big punches and they sit out with the base unit on the floor in front of a drawer cupboard.  Then I have the MS around the edge circle thing and that is in one of those drawers that the Fiskars thing sits in front of.  I have the Zutter round it alls in another drawer with the WRMK corner chopper that I own.  Then I have a few punches that are my bigger punches in a drawer over by my craft table, they are tab punches and circles.  Then I have three of those containers of American Crafts knock outs.  They come in the plastic containers with one base and six punches.  They live in two drawers  on the right hand side of my craft table.  I also have several punches in my craft tote that sits on the floor next to the craft table.  And my WRMK big bite and the small version are sitting in various places too.   
 

3) What is your storage goals for them?

I wish I had some goals, oh you meant for the punches....I wish I had the room to put them all together somewhere but I am so used to where they are that I know exactly where to go when I am doing something to find the punch I have a need for so I think I will leave them where they are.... as much as I would like to organize things better it all boils down to room and there just isn't anymore in the craft room, but yet that doesn't keep me from buying new tools.

4) Do you have some type of index of your punches and/or decorative scissors?

OMGosh I wish I had indexes of all my tools and such but golly that would take away all the surprise and wonder in the craft room.....I know what I have but sometimes I need to hunt and peck and during those hunting and pecking sessions I find little surprises that I had forgotten about and it's like my birthday only with actual gifts.....LOL

[Craft Nerd]

Sadie - you are too funny.

Heidi - I agree that the space they take up makes punches less appealing than dies.  Course EK Success makes their punches so they lock in the down position.  That way they take up less room. 

[howdyheidi]

 I think having my punches stored in baskets on top of the craft cabinet is going to work.  The border punches are in a plastic container now, which is not as attractive, so I just need to find the right size basket for them, then I think I will be done.  I doubt I will purchase many more punches, so I don't think I need a lot of room for expansion. 

And yes, the EK success punches are the best. If on sale, I might replace a bulky punch with one of those for space purposes.  I also think that they are really good quality.