The secret of a tidy stash

"You're so organized!" said my friend, admiring my neat stacks of labeled bead bins. 

Little did she know that before she'd arrived,  I... CLEANED UP! Believe me, my bead area does not always look tidy and orderly. Usually it is a dumping ground for a few days mail, several projects in various stages, and my most recent purchases, which I HAVE to have out so I can look at them. For weeks. 

But I do have a secret way to keep things under control. I have a SYSTEM. I learned that if I stack and stash my stuff in containers, no matter how messy the interior of those containers get, my environment stays more or less serene. 

I need to see everything so I use the same clear containers, same brand, same type. I label them neatly and consistently. (Okay, so I did get a bit compulsive, printing color coded labels. ) I discovered that by using the same containers--like the metal loaf pans on my messy shelves-- even when piled high, it gives the ILLUSION of being organized. My friend thought so.

Sometimes I even fall for it myself.

Great storage tips coming in July with the next issue of Creative Jewelry.