A Place For Everything

And everything in its place. Isn't that how the old saying goes?

Thanks for joining me again today. As you may know, I'm in the middle of packing my things up for a move to a new location. I was thinking that since I'll be in a new space with more room, I should be thinking about a little more storage for my rubber stamps.  The EZ Mount cling rubber stamps aren't a problem to store (I've got them filed in a cling-mount EZ Mount storage binder currently) but my wood-mounted stamps are a bit more trixy.
Currently I've got my wood-mounted stamps stored in an Artbin case. (I also use these Artbins for my papers!) They're great because you can stack them, they have handles, and the top folds over and snaps shut. You can really tote them anywhere and they're very versatile for storage.

But they do have one major drawback: I can't *see* what I have. As a consequence, many of my beloved wood-mounted stamps don't get used as often as they should. :(

So I said to myself, "Self, you really should look into some fantastic display items that won't break the bank. You'd use more of your stamps if you could only see them!"

My first thought was floating shelves. The 'floating' part of the shelf refers to the concealed bracketing within the shelf itself so the shelves themselves are simple, clean and modern-looking! (Tota,ly my style) They're simple and easy to install and somewhat cost-efficient. You can buy them by the piece (Ikea), or find them in a set. They come in a range of appearances and textiles - bamboo, wood, plastic, glass or metal, or in different colors. And better STILL - they come in a range of lengths to fit your style, storage solutions, or just to make things appear pretty and interesting. (You can even make your own out of an old hallow door! See the tutorial here.)

My favorites from Ikea are LJUSDAL - $19.99;  LACK - $29.99; EKBY ALEX - $49.99; ODDA - $79.99; and LIATORP - $150.

Odda and Liatorp aren't really what I would consider 'floating shelves' but they'd be cute for display and storage anyways!

Speaking of display storage, if you're not into the modern style, or you are willing to put in a little elbow grease, you can find items either at Good Will or antique shops. Usually these types of places have decent items for half the price of retail, if not more. A lot of these types of shops have little hanging shelf units with three or four shelves that are PERFECT for a small items for display - it's all in opening your eyes and creative self to items that can be repurposed and spiffed up! A little sanding, a coat of paint or two and VOILA!

I found this item for my cricut carts and punches at Good Will a few months ago. I paid $9 total.

I think it was an over-the-toilet storage/display cabinet, but for my crafty goodness it works just great! Once I get to my new place I plan on hanging it, along with this cute little casette tape storage bin I found for el cheap-o on ebay! It's perfect for my stamp pads! I paid $6.95 plus $5 for shipping and it holds 36 stamp pads. (Not that I own 36 stamp pads, BUT! Now I have the *option* at least!) ;)

Lexi Daly over at at Craft Critique has a great article on how to save on some cool items from Ikea too. Of course, you have to put them together yourself, but get a couple of the Helmer models and line these suckers up to form a credenza. See Lexi's article here.

Also, for other storage items like ribbon, you can also use items from Ikea to 'hack' your own. SO COOL! Check it out here!

There are a lot of options when you're looking for storage, I think. What have you used? What works for you? Leave a comment and let me know! :-D

Cheers,
Xo, Rachael