UHeart Organizing: Scrapbooking On The Go!

My organized scrapbooking queen is back today to share more of her superpowers with us!  And seeing how organized her systems are at home, it should come as no surprise that Sarah has a process for traveling too!  And scrapbooking is enjoyable in the comforts of your own home, but it's even more fun when you can get together and do it with people you adore!  Here she is now to share how she takes her scrapbooking on the go!

Happy Spring, everyone! As I look forward to getting out of the house a bit more and socializing with some of my favorite crafters, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my tips for crafting on the go.

One time I was scrapbooking at a local craft store and looked up in amazement to see a fellow patron dragging in a full-sized suitcase, a scrap tote and numerous bins. For a four-hour scrap session! While I applauded her clever use of a store cart to reduce the trek to one trip, I was still aghast: crafting should not be so complicated! This experience underscores one of my rules of thumb: crafting on the go should be fun, productive and should not require hiring a moving van to get from point A to point B.

When I travel to scrap, I limit my craft-related luggage to a maximum of three pieces.

I limit myself to three pieces of baggage because I am able to carry them all in one trip if necessary, and more importantly, I’ve proven to myself that it’s all I really need. My scrap tote is my #1 go-to bag, because it can fit nearly everything I need to make great use of my time. Depending on where I’m going and what I’ll be working on, I may also bring my die cutting machine. And if I’m going away for a weekend of crafting {a rare indulgence that affords double-digit hours for scrapping}, I will probably bring an extra bag for paper, embellishments, etc.

Maybe you’re thinking “But wait! How could I possibly fit everything I own into three little bags?!” These bags cannot fit all my crafting supplies, but they can fit everything I need to make productive use of a crafting session. No, they are not magical Mary Poppins carpet bags. Instead, I rely on a good planning system, some prioritization and a simple organizational system.

Planning Head

This is the one where most people get stuck, so I thought I would start here. I recommend selecting a limited number of projects to bring along with you on a craft-and-go session. I know it’s a challenge to even find time to get away to craft, let alone time at home to plan ahead for your craft session. But as with any successful organizational system, it is the planning time at the front-end that saves so much time later. I find that when I periodically dedicate a few precious hours to getting myself organized, my craft time is so much more productive and enjoyable.

Last year I shared with all of you my planning process, which I developed in an effort to be a more productive crafter {read: I got tired of sorting piles of pictures trying to figure out how the heck to get started}.

This process helps makes me a super-speedy crafter at home, but it is a God-send when it comes time to pack up and craft away from home. I am able to quickly flip through my bin of to-be-scrapped layouts and select the ones I want to bring along. I pick a few more than I think I can feasibly complete in the time I have available, so I’ll have a variety to choose from and won’t run out of things to work on.

Even if you don’t have time to plan exactly what you’re going to work on, I encourage you to not bring your entire “must craft” pile. Instead, select a subset of photos, memorabilia or projects to focus on during your craft session. You can’t get it all done anyway, so why not save some space and back pain?

Prioritization

Part of the trick of efficient craft travel is limiting what I bring to what I will feasibly use in the time allotted, i.e. leave the giant bin of ribbon and the kitchen sink at home. This selection process becomes even easier if you’ve selected the projects you’re going to work on, because you’ll have a good idea of the supplies you need to complete those projects.

Here’s how I decide which supplies to bring. Despite its size, I almost always bring my die cutting machine, because it’s an essential tool and I’m guaranteed to make use of it. The same cannot be said for most of my other large tools, so they stay at home unless they are absolutely essential to a project I’m working on. And if turns out I did need something I opted to leave behind, I figure I can quickly make use of it when I get home or save that step for my next craft session. The moral of the story: I pack only what I’m sure I will use.

Good Organization

So now I’ve selected my layouts and made the gut-wrenching decision to leave my giant sticker maker behind. But all that brain-power is wasted if I can’t get packed up and on my way. So my last set of tips centers on how I organize my travel supplies to make it easy for me to get out the door and on the way to fun.

First, I make a list. I know, I know… not exactly rocket science, but stay with me here! I’ve been burned multiple times, getting to a crop only to realize I had forgotten some essential supply, like my paper cutter. There goes my productivity down the drain! So I created a list of all my essential crafting-on-the-go items, laminated it for durability and tucked it into my scrap tote. Here’s what’s on my list:

• Paper cutter
• Adhesive roller
• Glue pen
• Small sticker maker
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Cutting blade
• Stylus
• Spatula for die cutting mat
• Pen
• Pencil
• Colored pens
• Cutting mat
• Die cutting mat
• Inspiration and stencil binders
• Layouts to work on
• Sticker and embellishment binders (optional)
• Additional tools (punches, stamps, inks, embossing tools, etc). (optional)

When it’s time to pack up, I just pull out my tote, grab my list and begin assembling my supplies. I make decisions about what layouts and optional supplies to bring as noted above. As a go down the list and collect the items, I lay them all out on my table. This way I can double check that I have everything before I pack my bags.

In addition to my scrap tote itself, I have a number of containers that help me organize my supplies within my tote. These are not spendy items I picked up from “Expensive Storage Supplies Are Us.” They consist of some vinyl zipper pouches I got on sale in the school supply section at Target, some durable pencil cases I picked up from the dollar section at Target and some inexpensive 12X12 plastic pockets I purchased from Michaels. These containers serve a sole purpose: to organize my craft supplies when I’m traveling. This way I don’t have to try and find containers each time I pack my supplies. And they live in my empty tote between travel sessions, so I don’t have to waste time hunting them down when it’s time to pack up.

Two of the zipper pouches fit all my small supplies that I don’t want to leave rolling around in my tote, like my scissors, my adhesive runner, etc. The third pouch I use to corral any small, optional items I decide to bring along, like stamps or inks.

I usually need two pencil cases to house all my colored pens. I bring almost my entire collection, because I do believe those are essential to almost any craft project. Luckily the cases are compact and fit easily into the nooks of my scrap tote.

The 12X12 pockets are reserved for layouts. Depending on how long I’m going to be gone, I may bring a couple of these. It’s an easy yet inexpensive way to transport in-process and completed layouts and to keep them same from harm, since I don’t typically lug my entire scrapbook along.

Once I have everything laid out, I do a mental inventory to evaluate if everything will fit in my allotted three bags. If the answer is no, I weed things out. Once I’m good to go, I pack it all up. I start with the big items — like my binders, my mats and my pocket full of layouts — and then fill in around with the small stuff.

Selecting a scrap tote with nice side pockets and adjustable dividers helps make really good use of the space. If I need a bit of extra capacity for paper, embellishments and the like, I allow myself a third tote, loading up a durable, reusable bag.

So that’s a bit about how I travel to craft without bringing everything I own and still get a ton done. I’ve found that having this easy process — supported by a little planning ahead — has allowed me to spend more of my time creating. I hope these ideas helped get your creative juices flowing and inspired some ideas to get you out the door with a bit more ease.

What great tips do you have for minimizing your craft supplies when you travel? How do you ensure you spend less time packing and more time creating?

"My name is Sarah Eelkema and I live in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN with my husband of almost two years, Eric, and our two adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Hermes and Brontë. I am a Communications Consultant by day and by night/weekend/any spare moment, I indulge in my passion for writing, crafting and organizing. I am honored to share with all you dedicated iHeart fans my tips, tricks and secrets for organized crafting, which will not only help you get control of your craft clutter but also allow you to make more efficient and productive use of your precious crafting time. While I am blessed with an entire craft room, I promise to explain how all the solutions I share can be tailored to your specific situation, whether it be a dedicated room, a small storage space or mobile crafting. In the meantime, Happy Crafting!"