Go Organize: Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps (21 page)

You don't always need to put a large, ongoing project away and out-of-sight if you work on it frequently. For example: A knitting project can be contained in a basket or another container. Keep the yarn, pattern, and needles in this one container that can be carried to other places to be worked on.

As you work on any large project, there will be a lot of supplies out that you will be using. To save time and to make it easier to put things away after the project is completely finished, keep like things together while working on the project. For instance, when scrapbooking an album, separate the photos into envelopes and write on the outside the date, the activity, or the city where they were taken — categorizing them in the way you are planning on putting them into your album. Keep paper in one area on your table. If you keep it in a container, it keeps it from being scattered all over. Place pens in one area, and embellishments in another. Using small containers keeps the supplies from getting lost as you are working.

This system applies to any project. Keep like things together, and when necessary, keep items in containers.

When you are through for the day or the time you have allotted to work on a project, always take time to tidy up the space. If you are coming back to the project the next day, and you don't have a room where you can close the door, but it bothers you to see your supplies out, cover the table with a cloth. This will hide the supplies and keep things just the way you left them.

If you are not going to work on the project for a few weeks, put things away so they don't get scattered around and lost. Schedule time to work on projects you enjoy doing.

Boxes and Other Containers

Open every box and all containers in your room even if you think you know what is in them. Take everything out so you can see everything in the boxes or containers. You may be surprised at what you find. As you put the things back evaluate if you want to keep them here or store them someplace else.

Built-In Shelves

Take everything off the shelves one shelf at a time if there are a lot of supplies and containers. Wipe the shelves with a cloth before putting things back. If there are not many things on the shelves you can remove everything from every shelf all at one time. As you replace the things on the shelves ask yourself the same questions you did when you were organizing the shelves in the closet.

Establish a specific home for all of your supplies and label the shelves to help you remember where to return them after you are finished using them.

Work Surfaces

Declare your work table a free zone — free of clutter that is. It is only to be used when you are crafting. Everything else goes where it belongs; magazines and books used as resources go on shelves or in magazine containers that are labeled or stacked in a basket. All tools and other supplies are in their containers where they belong unless they are being used.

Place a floor lamp or table lamp by your work or sewing table to increase the lighting. A full spectrum light is nice as it mimics natural light.

Additional Storage Options

If you don't have enough storage space for your needs, create space by installing shelves on the walls, or utilize a bookshelf. To hide a couple of shelves, buy short curtains and hang them from an extendable rod. Hang the rod towards the bottom part of the shelf (to cover the last shelf or two) by extending it from one side of the bookshelf to the other; this will hide the contents on these shelves. Clear plastic boxes are great for organizing ribbon, thread, pompoms, sewing supplies, stencils, and hundreds of other supplies. Separate and contain matching supplies in plastic bins, using the correct size for the items.

You can attach a peg board to the wall to keep supplies within sight and easy reach. The peg board can be painted to match the wall. Spools of thread can be placed on the peg board, along with scissors, rulers, or paper that is hung from large office clips. Ribbon or rickrack can be wound around spools or hung from large office clips and hung on the peg board as well. Or, if you want to keep them in a more discrete place, these supplies can be hung from a peg board or hooks attached to the inside of the closet door.

Bookshelves can hold fabric as well as embellishments for scrapbooking. Plan to have a balance between having all the craft tools and items out on shelves and in cupboards. Too many things on open shelves can create a cluttered look. If open shelves are your only option, one way to minimize a cluttered look is to have matching bottles, baskets, and containers for all your supplies. Make sure anything kept behind closed doors can be reached and returned easily.

Tips on Storing Fabric

Making stacks of folded fabric is fun and easy. It saves space and you can see what you have with just a glance.

Place folded fabric with the selvage to your left, and the fold on your right. A 6″ × 24″ (15cm × 61cm) ruler is a great tool to help you fold your fabric nicely.

You do not need to keep buying crafting supplies just for the sake of buying them. Do not buy another tool or supply if: you already have a similar tool; you don't have enough storage space; you are buying the item simply because the store carries it; or you know you have the same item at home somewhere but can't find it.

You will save time, money, and space by keeping on-hand items you need and use and by not excessively or compulsively buying new craft items. Compulsive shopping may be one reason your room became so disorganized.

You can use any size of ruler to fold your fabric. If you have small pieces, use a narrower ruler (a 4″ × 12″ [10cm × 30cm] ruler works well). For ½-yard (46cm) pieces, use a 6″ (15cm) or 6½″ (17cm) ruler. Lay the ruler on the fabric extending from the selvage to the fold. Start folding by flipping the ruler over and over until you get to the end. Fabric should be snug but not tight. If it doesn't come out evenly, fold the last few inches back on top of the fabric.

Slide the ruler out and fold the folded end (which is on your right) to the selvage end two or three times. Now you can stack the fabric in a bin or directly on your shelves.

Separate fabric by color and size. As you are organizing your fabrics, if there are some you absolutely know you will never use because you dislike them for some reason, now is the time to donate them. I know fabric stashes are almost sacred to quilters, so let the stash work for you by keeping it organized so you know what fabric you have. Fabric can be stored on shelves so air can circulate, or stored in wire bins that are placed on shelves or in a plastic cart with drawers. Clear plastic bins can be used for storage if you don't live in an area with high humidity. Plastic “sweats” and can ruin fabric that is stored in plastic for years. To protect fabric from light, place it in a cupboard or on shelves that are out of the direct light. Fabric is pretty good at surviving intact for years, but the cooler and drier the storage environment the better.

WRAP UP

Don't you feel great creating a room that is orderly and that you feel comfortable and happy in? Having a place where you can find all your craft supplies without wasting time looking for your tools and materials creates a wattage of 10 when you walk in this room. Look at your before photo and take an after photo. Doesn't the change feel great?

Congratulations on completing the following:

 


• You can walk in your room and create or work on a craft project at any time.
  

 


• Your supplies are stored together by the type of craft.
  

 


• You have easy access to your craft tools.
  

 


• You sorted through all your supplies and got rid of the bits and pieces you will never use but were hanging on to.
  

 


• By using all sizes and types of containers, you can find anything you want or need in a few seconds.
  

 


• Everything in this room enables you to create; things that don't belong here have been removed.
  

 


• You have grouped like items together: fabric, yarn, bead supplies, scrapbook supplies, and other craft items.
  

 


• Everything has a home, and you will put all items back where they belong after using them.
  

 


• You have improved the lighting to make it easier to work in your room.
  

In the days of wringer washers, laundry used to be an all-day chore. Skill and timing was involved to avoid getting fingers caught in the wringer apparatus. Now it is so simple we don't always have one specific day to do laundry.

We have the convenience of washers and dryers that let us toss in the clothes with soap and softener, and then leave us free to do something else while our clothes are being washed and dried. So why is laundry such a nightmare? Let's conquer it once and for all.

SEARCHLIGHT

Start by looking for things in your laundry room that are working for you and those that aren't working for you. Write these down in your notebook. What is keeping you from a wattage that lights you up when you're in your laundry room?

 


1. What do you like about the laundry room or laundry area?
   

 


2. What don't you like about this room or area? Identify needs by asking yourself the following questions:
   

    
   

   1. Are laundry supplies organized in a way that makes it easy for you to do the laundry?
      

    
   

   2. Do you have space for laundry supplies, and are they easily accessible?
      

    
   

   3. Does your family help by bringing their clothes to the laundry area?
      

    
   

   4. Are there laundry baskets or hampers easily accessible in the bedrooms, bathrooms, or laundry room?
      

    
   

   5. Do you get the clothes folded in a timely manner?
      

    
   

   6. Do you have a designated time and place to fold laundry?
      

    
   

   7. Are family members responsible for returning clean clothes to their rooms?
      

    
   

   8. What else is kept in this room? Do you use this area for general storage? Is everything properly contained and organized so you can find it?
      

    
   
 


3. Now that you have taken a good look at your laundry area, rate your wattage (see page 15). Are you lit up at a 7 or above when you are in this room or space?
   

Once you have answered these questions and written your answers in your notebook, take a photo of this room or area for a before-and-after comparison. Now move on to the Spotlight step to set goals.

Tip:
After washing particularly dirty items, like the cat bed or really dirty, greasy clothes, sanitize your washer. Fill the machine with hot water to the maximum level, add one cup of bleach and run it for a full cycle without any clothes.

SPOTLIGHT

With the Spotlight, you will focus on setting goals to make it easier for you to do laundry and get it put away. You wrote down the problem areas, now write down your goals. Here are some examples of goals you could set for this room or area:

 


1. Laundry supplies will be conveniently located. Smaller items will be contained in containers.
   

 


2. Counter space in the room will kept uncluttered and free to fold clothes.
   

 


3. Laundry baskets or hampers will be placed in convenient places throughout the house.
   

 


4. A time will be scheduled when laundry will be folded.
   

 


5. Children will be taught to do their own laundry.
   

 


6. Each family member will be responsible for returning folded clothes to his or her room.
   

 


7. Other items stored in the room will be in containers and organized in the cupboards or on shelves.
   

GREEN LIGHT
Your goals are set. You now have the Green Light to take action. Gather your tool kit (see page 22) and four containers (see page 35; replace the recycling container with a “mending” container). Get a drink and a snack in case you need it. You are all set to turn up the wattage in your laundry room or area.

Schedule a time to start working. Plan a specific amount of time and set your timer. When your timer rings, if you aren't finished and have the energy and are in a comfortable rhythm, set your timer again and keep going. When you need to take a break, set your timer for five minutes so you will remember to come back.

Paula disliked doing the laundry because she didn't like all the mess in her laundry room, and her family members complained that it was difficult for them to reach the laundry supplies. She used her Searchlight and Spotlight and then moved into the Green Light to make changes. She changed into shorts and a T-shirt, got a treat and a bottle of water. With her goals written in her notebook, she set her timer for forty minutes and started to make changes.

First she put together a new hamper that was divided into three sections to make sorting clothes easier for her family. Next, she picked up the clothes off the floor and sorted them by color and started a load of wash. She moved her laundry soap and dryer sheets down to a lower shelf to make them easier to reach. The new basket she had bought gave her a fun place to keep small supplies, such as stain sticks and spot treaters.

On the wall, she hung a hook for the broom. She swept the floor and put her new rug down. She cleared off the counter she would now use to fold clothes. She used her BE basket to hold items that belonged in other rooms rather than leaving the room. When the timer rang, she was surprised at all she had already accomplished. She had a few more things she wanted to do so she set her timer again and had reached her goals before it rang the second time.

She felt so good to have all her goals accomplished. Now when she walks in the room, she lights up to an 8.

Start working from the inside out. It will look worse before it looks better. I suggest you work in this order:

 


1. top cupboards
   

 


2. bottom cupboards
   

 


3. open shelves
   

 


4. countertop
   

 


5. hamper
   

Use the containers you have labeled to get rid of things you don't want in this room, and don't leave the room until your timer rings.

Top Cupboards

Start with the cupboard you find most convenient for storing frequently used laundry supplies. Take everything out shelf by shelf. Wipe the shelves clean. When you put the supplies back, place them so they are the most convenient for you when you reach to use them. Contain small items like spot treatments in a basket to keep everything contained in one handy place.

Move to a different shelf and, again, remove everything from it. When you put things back, organize like things together. Continue doing this with every shelf and cupboard. When you find something that does not belong in this room, put it in the BE basket. Do not leave the room or area to take these things where they belong at this time; do that after you are completely finished in this room.

Bottom Cupboards

These can be used for items you want to store that are used on a weekly or monthly basis. Possible items could be wrapping paper, a small tool box, vases, extra paper towels, etc. If you do use the laundry room as a semi-storage room, have a place for everything that is to be stored here.

Do you enjoy doing laundry? You're not alone if you don't. Here are some ideas that can help make doing laundry easier.

 


• Teach your children how to do their own laundry as soon as they are capable. Depending on the child, age eight to ten is a good age to teach them how to wash and fold their laundry, but you can start as early as age two by playing a game with them to find matching socks when folding clothes.
  

 


• Post a stain chart on the wall for older children to refer to when they need to treat a stain.
  

 


• Have three hampers (or one hamper with three dividers) for dirty clothes — one for whites, one for light colors, and one for darks.
  

 


• Keep clothespins in a basket on the counter. Family members can clip them to stains on their clothes so they can be properly treated.
  

 


• Interact with family members or listen to music while you fold your laundry to make the task more enjoyable.
  

Has your laundry room become a catchall room? Do you or your family just chuck things in here because you don't know where else to put them, and then they stay? If this is the case, refer back to the goals you set when using the Spotlight. If items are being tossed in here that need to be stored here, make room for them and give them a home. The premium spaces in this room are at eye level or just below (see page 24). It is where the items you use most often are kept as it is the easiest and most convenient places for the laundry supplies. In the secondary spaces, keep things you use about once a week, such as paper supplies or extra cleaning supplies, and make a place for them. If you use this room for semi-storage for things such as vases, wrapping paper (not Christmas), and tools, make a place for them and label the area so your family knows where to return them. This is not the room to use for hard-core/long-term storage.

Countertop