Crafty Ideas - Stay Organized and Be Inspired

I wanted to quickly share with you how I like to organize my blogging ideas and those I find in my web wanderings.  

I have a very simple system which is important because:

• I can easily keep it up
• I can cart it around from place to place 
• I can quickly find the idea, inspiration or project without having to search in vain for the internet site I found once upon a time

To stay organized I use a large white binder decorated simply with some pretty scrapbook paper.  I cut out and mounted a title block for the binder and labeled it "Crafty Ideas" - innovative, I know :o)

Here's what I do:

Each project/idea gets its' own page protector which I then add to the different "sections" of the binder like:

When I come up with a neat idea or find a cool project/fun kids' activity/decorating scheme that I am particularly drawn to online, I either tear it out, print it or save it into a Word document.  

I also print out any templates or patterns that are part of the project like the fabric bird pattern below.  

Ninety percent of the time these downloads and templates have the copyright info and their originating web address on them, but not always. So now I always check. If you are creating patterns or templates it is always a good idea to include this information!

I grab the web address for the idea so I know where it came from and whose idea it was so that I can give credit should I try the project myself. I had to add in sewritzytitzy on this one below:

I usually remove all but one picture from the Word document (like the one above) to save ink when printing because most tutorials etc. are really well explained.  

Once I try the project or use it as an inspiration for something else, I make notes on the printout so that if I want to make it again, I know what worked/didn't work the last time.  

I love this binder!  You can see how big it is getting too (I've been collecting for about 2 years now)!  

A "favourites" bookmark on the computer is a great thing (which I do too), but for me there is nothing like leafing through pages of wonderful and creative projects just waiting to be tried so ... if you haven't done something like this already, I would highly recommend it!  

- Kristin - 

PS How are you keeping your ideas organized?