Whether your scrapbooking tote is a wheeled suitcase, crate, or tote designed specifically for scrapbooking, it’s how you use it and organize it that makes it a pleasure or a nuisance to work with.
Some scrapper’s use their totes at home as their home scrap station; utilizing their portability to move from room to room. Other scrappers use them to travel around town or around the world.
When shopping for a tote, it is a good idea to buy a larger tote than you think you’ll need. Once you get started, you’ll quickly grow into the tote. You may even find that down the road you’ll want to add another tote or backpack to accommodate your growing supplies.
Your totes should have everything in them that you’ll need to design layouts. Pack them like you would a suitcase for an international flight, efficient and light. Taking everything you own to a crop or class isn’t necessary to get a few layouts completed.
Organize your totes using a container system that will allow you to easily return your supplies back to your shelves at home or keep them in your tote if they need to stay there.
Purchase tools that are lightweight and small and keep them in theme applicable containers. Look at the storage solutions of other scrappers at crops. Be aware that you’ll need to update the supplies in your totes when your interests and needs change.
Organize the tools in your tote bags by like items (i.e. put adhesives in one container, chalking supplies in another, eyelet setting equipment in another, etc.) Remember to label every container. You can write or print a brief description of the contents on the label. Make sure to place them where they can be easily seen and read on your shelves at home and in your tote.
Finally, don’t forget to pack your extra and/or unwanted tools, materials and embellishments to take with you to the crop on the days when they are having a swap. This will give you a chance to get rid of some of the things you no longer need, and a chance to pick up a few things you have been wanting or looking for.
