Organizing Fabric...Filing Update

Hi everyone! If you are a crafter or someone who loves to sew (notice I couldn't type "if you are a sewer"...funny how the word sewer has 2 meanings both on the opposite ends of the spectrum...Lol)

I digress...if you are a crafter or someone who loves to sew, we all have fabric. You may have a little bit of fabric or you may have rooms and rooms of fabric you are trying to store. I, myself, have a small stash. Nothing to brag about. My fabric stash has quilt shop fabric to Joanne's and Walmart fabric too...just depends on the project.

No matter the size, we all need to store it or organize it. I've had it a few ways over the years, but mostly folded on a shelf.

Earlier this year I did a post on Filing your fabric...click HERE to see the "how to" on that. That post will show you how to fold the fabric over the file folder.

Storing it in a covered area protects it from light, dust and fading.

I had a small file cabinet in my sewing room that I used to organize greeting cards, but used it for some fabric instead.

Now I've upgraded to a big file cabinet thanks to a hand me down from my sister!! Fits perfectly under my cutting table.

Most file cabinets have hangers that can be hung either way for long folders or the short ones.

I have the shorter hangers on the sides and the longer hangers in the middle.

The middle folders in this picture remain intact, not cut in half like the others and then you can store scraps, strips, blocks or charm packs.

Most of my "good" fabric is stored in here.

I still needed an overflow filing system and here it is.

This is a post I did on Chalkboard Contact Paper for labeling. Click HERE for that post.

In that post, I had mentioned labeling the fabric boxes.

I had a few emails asking to show more about those boxes.

These cardboard boxes can be found in any store. I think they call them bankers boxes or filing boxes.

If you have the longer file folders, then these boxes can hold them going the length of the box.

If you have the shorter file folders, then hang them across the width of the box.

Now you know I love these boxes, but they don't come in this brown natural color.

I buy the from Staples Office Supply, Office Max, Walmart and they are given to me too. The bad part...they all look different. Different colors, writing and some have hand written notes on the side as to what was in the box.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make them all look the same.

Find the one seam on the side where the box was glued together.

Pull it apart or run a knife down the side. It will rip and not look so neat, but that's ok.

That one seam holds the whole box together. Just unfold and lay it out flat.

Now re-assemble the box with the brown natural color on the outside and re-match the seam that you ripped apart.

Add liberal amounts of hot glue up and down that seam. Press until glue is dry.

Now fold in the bottom and sides according to the boxes folding instructions.

Don't forget to turn the cover inside out too!!

All done...Matching labeled file boxes for all your fabric.

My sewing room is a dry area of our home...no moisture or dampness. If you need to protect your fabric from moisture or little bugs, maybe you could use plastic file boxes. They sell them in larger stores or office supply stores. However, the cardboard works for me!!

Happy organizing,
~Karen~