Many who love scrapbooking have just one complaint about it - how to get some scrapbooking paper organization to their own pages and items!  It can be very discouraging to hunt down just the right set of papers and pages and spend some money on those items only to have them get bent, creased, torn, or otherwise marked up before you have a chance to use them.  And while there are many items that are smaller the standard pages are rather large, so finding some useful ways to introduce scrapbooking paper organization to your own project area is vitally important.  Let's take a look at some creative ways you can introduce this into your own home and scrapbooking area.

One thing to keep in mind when hunting down ways of scrapbooking paper organization is that you don't need to rely just one separators, sorters and organizers that are designed specifically for this purpose.  There are many companies that sell such organizers and you can find them at office supply stores as well and they work just fine; many even look very nice and are coordinated with one another.  But many find that scrapbooking paper organization is possible when you use items that aren't specifically designed for this purpose; the key is just keeping an open mind and keeping your eyes open as well for anything and everything that will work for you.

Scrapbook paper needs to stay flat for it to not get torn or creased, so what do you have that will keep it flat?  A dresser drawer that you've cleaned out might work for scrapbooking paper organization since it keeps everything flat and away from children, pets, and so on.  Do you have a dresser drawer you could clean out and use?  Do you have an old dresser that you're not using, such as in the basement or the attic?  Pull one of those drawers out and bring it to your scrapbooking area and use it as is.  Your scrapbooking paper organization system doesn't need to be fancy; it just needs to work to keep everything flat!  Some decorators even add wheels to discarded dresser drawers so that they will easily slide under a bed or table.  You can even purchase large plastic storage bins that do the same; these are usually only a few dollars each.  It might mean that you need to slide it out from under the bed when you're ready to put a scrapbook together but this tiny bit of effort is worth the scrapbooking paper organization you'll get!

Another creative idea for a scrapbooking paper organization is to use an old briefcase, suitcase, or tote bag that you don't need.  Most people have an old briefcase or small overnight bag that rarely if ever gets used, so keep your scrapbook paper in that.  You can lay it flat on your desk or under a bed as well. 

If you do decide to shop for a scrapbooking paper organization system you can check with whatever retailer or online store sells the scrapbook items you typically buy.  They usually have boxes and bins that are just perfectly sized for scrapbook paper.  They may also have drawers and cabinets that are designed just for this paper as well.  However don't rely on them alone for your needs.  You can often find items that are perfect for scrapbooking paper organization at the dollar store or discount store, and even flea markets.  Most of these stores have bins and boxes that would work perfectly.  You can stack them or even attach them right to the wall with screws, if you know how to do this.

And don't rule out items you may have yourself, such as shoeboxes, hatboxes, and even cardboard boxes from items you've purchased or have gotten in the mail.  Sometimes large mailers or envelopes are perfect for scrapbooking paper organization; keep your eyes open for these types of containers.  You can of course purchase them but chances are you have many already in your own home.

Keeping your paper away from everyone else and protecting it is part of scrapbooking paper organization; think of places you can store it where it's unlikely to be disturbed.  The top shelf of a clothes or linen closet might work nicely.  You can also put it on top of your entertainment center or china cabinet in the living room or dining room.  An unused shelf in a kitchen cupboard or pantry can also work well.  Remember that it does no good to work on a scrapbooking paper organization system only to have your paper torn by someone using your scrapbooking desk for homework or to have them snatch it away for their own projects!  So keep your paper up and out of sight; this is just as important to scrapbooking paper organization as anything else.

If you do have the room for it, one interesting method of scrapbooking paper organization is to use hooks on your wall from which you dangle binder clips or clothespins.  You can then use the clips or clothespins to hold your sheets so that they're up off your desk and out of a drawer.  Many use this system for pages that aren't quite finished so that they don't get shuffled in with other objects on your desk.  Of course you need a lot of wall space for this type of scrapbooking paper organization system but if you do have the space it can be a very visually interesting way of keeping things sorted and organized.

Don't hesitate to ask other experienced scrappers for tips and pointers on their scrapbooking paper organization system.  They may have found a really good product or know some little secret that we haven't covered here.  Considering how important it is to keep your paper protected and out of the reach of little hands and to have it readily available when you're ready to make a new album, whatever pointers you get on scrapbooking paper organization will be well worth it.