A Fabric Scrap Filing System for Small Spaces

How on earth do you organize all those fabric scraps in a tiny space? Especially if, like me, your sewing space is just one corner of a multipurpose room?  I accidentally came up with an effective Fabric Scrap Filing System for Small Spaces and couldn't wait to share it.

The problem: Before

When it became clear that my method of just throwing all my scraps in a big storage cubby was dysfunctional (I spent way too much time pawing through it unsuccessfully), I searched for fabric scrap organization ideas. And while I learned a thing or two, I didn't end up finding the Ultimate Fabric Scrap Storage Solution on the internet (okay I did, but couldn't afford it).

The articles I read did spur my creative thinking, though. I learned that it's important to consider what type of sewist you are before you create your storage system. For example, if you're a quilter, you may want to hang on to even very tiny scraps, but if you sew mostly clothing, a "usable" scrap for you will be larger. (I was storing scraps of every shape and size by throwing them in an overflowing bin in no particular order - they weren't even folded neatly.) 

Fabric Scrap Filing System for Small Spaces

Although I think fabric selvage projects are adorable, I realized saving selvage strips isn't worth it; it's unlikely I'll actually use them. I also decided that if a fabric scrap is worth saving, it's worth cutting down to a standard, usable shape like a square or rectangle (no more cRaZiLy sHaPeD remnants) and putting them in some type of order.

So the first step was to weed out scraps that would be unusable, and the second was making small neatly folded piles of each print. I even ironed a few pieces, and these steps alone reduced the bulk of my scraps greatly! Then there were some fabrics that I really didn't love, and I threw those in my outgoing donations box for the time being. Maybe I will share these with a friend.

What I really wanted was the Fabric Filing Cabinet system, which seems perfect because it allows for easy visibility yet it tucks out of sight. But, because of space limitations I am stuck with my storage cube system.

I didn't want to make horizontal stacks of fabric inside the cubby, because I knew that wouldn't work for me. And I didn't want to use ziploc bags (they slide around, plus it gets expensive).

Then I had an epiphany! A fabric scrap storage solution that wouldn't cost a dime:

Scrapbooks.

For my scraps. Of course!

No, really. Hear me out.

Having recently digitized several years worth of family photos and moving the original prints to archival boxes, I ended up with several very nice empty photo albums. They'd been written in, of course, but I hated to throw them away, so they were conveniently stacked in another corner of my multipurpose room until such time as I got tired of looking at them. 

It came to me that I could file my fabric scraps in those photo albums. 

The photo albums I had looked like this. Each page is meant for two 4 x 6 photos.

I figured if I just reached in and popped the seals separating the two photo spaces, I could then insert my scraps! And it worked!

But not for long, because the photo album was going became too bulky to close once I'd put a lot of scraps in. Like this:

I only needed the pages, not the book itself, so Plan B was born. I took out my Exacto-knife and cut out the individual pages, which I then filed according to color inside a storage cubby.

The Solution: After

So I did end up with a usable fabric scrap filing system after all! Here's what I love about this photo album fabric scrap filing solution:

• Easy to see what I have in stock
• Simple to reposition the pages to play with color and fabric combinations
• If I get organized enough, I can use the page to write down fabric content, scrap size, etc.
• Tucks out of sight when not in use
• Did not cost a dime
  
• Plenty of room for more scraps! 

What does your fabric scrap storage solution look like? Post a picture in the comments!