Scrapbook Paper Storage

Let me start this post by confessing that I've been SOOOO out of focus lately.  I started a diet (cutting out sugar and trying to eat less processed stuff) and it's going so well that I want to die.  I mean, I just love eating bowls of air for dinner.  The first week of a diet is always the worst and I need to suck it up, but man... I WANT DAIRY QUEEN.  NOW.

Anyhoo, I decided to craft through my hunger pangs.  I have a vast amount of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper but no place to store it.  It was sitting in a stack in my desk and it was such a production to find suitable paper for a project.  I decided that this madness must end.

I bought some legal-size file folders at Staples.

I got the 100 pack and when I was done, I had 50 scrapbook-paper sized folders... here's what I did:

I cut two inches off each side of the folders:

Amy from While Wearing Heels thinks that I do all of my crafting in front of the television.  I'm not going to prove her right this time... instead, I will tell you that I cut all these folders up while learning Chinese and playing the fiddle.  TAKE THAT, AMY. :)

Once I had all the sides trimmed from the folders, I cut half of them in half on the fold.

I pieced together an uncut folder with two halves of a cut one... does that make sense?  Basically, I turn two folders into one taller folder.  I just taped them together at the edges with packing tape.

So, my folders were done... but I needed something to put them in, otherwise they'll still be stacked up to oblivion.  I bought a 13x13 Itso box from Target to put them in... then I needed to figure out how to arrange them in there nicely.

You can buy 12x12 hanging file folders on Amazon if you like... but the price was too steep for me.  Also, they weren't pretty.  I like pretty.  So, I decided to buy some fabric and wood dowels and make my own hanging file folders.

I cut my fabric into long strips at least 13" wide and lined it with some white broadcloth.  I pinned it up to size 12x12.

I sewed a seam on each side...

And for the ends, I folded over the fabric.  I wanted to be able to make these bigger if I get more paper, so I didn't trim those edges to give me lots of room to grow.

I used a 5/8" seam allowance which was perfect for the 3/16" wood dowel I used.  I slid the dowels through the seam and had hanging file folders.  BOOM.

I'm planning on labeling all the file folders in a pretty way, but like I said earlier, this hungry crafty girl is unfocused this week.  Once the sugar cravings leave my system, I'll be back to normal, I'm sure.  Until then, SOMEONE NEEDS TO BRING ME AN OREO BLIZZARD, PRONTO.

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