Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How To : Organize Carded Vintage Buttons

Happy Tuesday! I have a super quick post for you today. A little bit of craft-y storage. I am a storage geek. Seriously, if I pass by a magazine rack with a DIY organizational theme, I buy it, I don't even look inside. If I pass a book claiming to make my closet a better place, I buy it. Don't even get me started on the home organization isles at Lowes! (Seriously don't, I won't stop just ask The Mister.) So, when I had this flash of brilliance, I thought I would share it with you!

Shiny Vintage buttons!
Remember these? Mmm shiny vintage(ish) buttons! Well as much as I loved having a giant box ful it just wasn't working for me in the organized department. I had to root through looking for that perfect set only to find out I didn't have enough! *wistful sigh* Fret not! Because I have come up with a super simple, super sleek and super fabulous solution!

Spine

Tadaa!! I know, it doesn't look like much but stay with me! This is a super cheap, super fast and super fabulous way to store all your carded buttons.

All you need are:
Binder(s)
Sports card protecter binder pages
Paper or fabric (Whichever you would like to cover your binder in)
Buttons on cards

Watch how simple this is!

grey binder
Acquire your binder. If you don't have any laying around you can find them at your local thrift shop or dollar store. I bought some second hand for fifty cents a piece.

Covered Binder
Cover your binder with any material you have/want. I used white paper I had on a roll. I like white. It makes me happy. Also, the "BUTTONS" sticker I made for the spine stands out perfectly.

pro9t_100
Acquire your card sheets. I bought mine at our local hobby/comic/collector shop for twenty five cents each. Super sweet score. You can also find them at the dollar store (these ones are a little flimsy though) or online like EBay. Put them in your binder.

Card Pockets
Add your buttons! I have a separate sheet for each colour. And for now I don't bother using both sides of the sheets so that I can see the next page through any empty sections. Like in this pic I can see the orange page, some of the yellow page and some of one blue page.

I seriously love this idea. While I was at the comic book store I saw more card sheets with different sized pockets. You could organize your fabric swatches (for those of us who store our fabric in bins, I think this is a lovely idea!), you could organize your clear stamps (I am so on top of that one when I get my scrapbooking supplies unpacked!) and your scrapbooking embellishments! I can't wait to do all of these, a simple shelf or two with white binders will look so much better than the billions of mismatched boxes and containers I have.

Linking here and here:

20 comments:

The Sewing Dork said...

Wow, that's like having your own button store at your fingertips! Great selection!

Vanilla said...

That is a great idea!!!!
I'm an organizing geek myself, maybe because my house and crafts space are always disorganized... he he. Maybe one day I'll get there (although specialists say that nothing inspires more creativity than chaos!!)

Anji* said...

What a great, simple idea! Oh how I long for organisation.. one day it will be mine..

Holm Made said...

I’ve given you a blogger award! I love your blog.

Kallie @
www.holmmade2010.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

that is an awesome button storage solution Melissa! lovely binder for lovely buttons!

Sally said...

O my! That is the most fabulous idea. YAY!

Chandler said...

What a great idea! Now I just need to start a button collection..

PEACHES said...

BAH! great idea! If I had my act together enough to catch the organizational bug, I would totally do this! My old cracker tin filled with buttons and I can never pass them up. I was thinking about tacking them up in a frame like a collage, but I think your idea is a much better idea!

Also love the "Buttons" font...it looks like a kooky old Bavarian story book or something you'd see on Snow White's mailbox. Lovely touch.

Pati @ A Crafty Escape said...

This is BRILLIANT!

Melissa said...

Great idea. I am good at organizing, I just never stay that way. Putting stuff away when I am working on a project or projects is way to difficult for me!!

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

That is such a great idea! I can't wait to organize mine like this! Thanks so much for the great idea, I'll be linking.

Unknown said...

i would have never thought to put buttons in a binder. I love binders so I love this idea!

Anne said...

Awesome!! I linked to your post over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-organize-your-carded-buttons/2010/09/30/

--Anne

Becky said...

That's how I made my coupon binder! Never thought of it for carded buttons. You are so smart.

Lynn said...

Brilliant!

KJ@letsgoflyakite said...

I just saw your post at One Pretty Thing, I love craft organization and this is fabulous!!! page per colour, eh? Love it.

Emily@JanDee Crafts said...

Hi I am here from the linky party and love this idea! I already have the pages because I bought them for coupons and they turned out a little small for that so now I have a new way to use them! Thanks!

malia said...

love this idea-- i'm your newest follower-- i must "friend" you bc my blog is named yesterday on tuesday... which is what my daughter always starts with when she tells a story (even if it happened 5 mins ago)

can't wait to mosey around your blog!
malia
www.yesterdayontuesday.com

Katherine said...

That looks like a great fit! Next you can tell me what I can do with my disaster ribbon drawer?
-OneInchWorld

Unknown said...

Totally awesome idea - you are brilliant!!