Storing Electrical and Landscaping Update

In my last post, I shared how I was moving my supplies to the photo boxes. I had been using them for awhile for project boxes. But as I rearranged different things, I really liked using these boxes because they fit together in the shelves I have. The reason is their uniform size. 

Electrical Supplies
Previously I had stored my electrical items in two small cabinet drawers and in my last post I shared that I had moved them to a photo-box. Well, I was fine with that although I didn't have that much stuff so the photo-box was overkill. Then I ran across a small pizza box that I had received a kit in. This box was one I couldn't part with (probably because I save things I think can still be useful for organizing) so I decided the electrical items could go here.

Now in thinking about this (using a pizza box) - it doesn't fit the same as the photo-boxes, but then I have other boxes in my supplies section that don't as well (zip bag storage box and the fishing tackle boxes). Another reason I was willing to move the electrical to a smaller box is, I am not likely to outgrow this box as I don't add to that supply except when I really need something that is generally specific to a project. I did feel the need to somehow divide up the open area. I used a checkbox lid, a jewelry box lid and then two plastic containers. (More about the plastic containers below).

During this move, I also took the time to see what I have and whether I wanted to purge any of it. I did choose to purge some items including some were for 1/12th scale and not LED's. I added the scale items to my donate to NAME box and the other will just go in the regular donate box. 


Landscaping Supplies
In August, we went camping and I had my son empty the landscaping three drawer cart. I have done this in the past. See how I use these for camping here. I empty each drawer into a plastic grocery sack and then when we come back they go back in the drawers. Those bags hung around for a few weeks and then it was a question: do I bring the 3 drawer cart back in and keep using it, or do I move landscaping supplies to the photo-boxes? This was a debate I had been having for a couple of months. Since the supplies were already out of the cart, I figured it was time to use the photo boxes. 

Going through these to make them fit into the photo-boxes was a good process. 

• I took the time to combine some smaller bags into larger bags where the product was the same. 
• Some of these were due to have purchased at several different times the same product. Or due to it came in a kit. 
• Also I had bags made up to sell or swap and then didn't. 
• A couple even had product in that because the bag was printed with a picture, I couldn't really tell what was in it. So I switched this to a completely clear bag. 
• Some items were in big bags and so those were moved to smaller bags.
• Another thing I did was to review these for scale. I still had some items that were really for larger scale than 1:48 or smaller. Since my focus is 1:48, I felt it would be better to donate these. 
• Also I had some dried items that were larger that I gave to my daughter for her projects. 

The result of this organizing and culling was the use of 4 photo-boxes for landscaping organized/separated/sorted by color. 

Plastic Supplies
In my last post, I shared how I sorted some plastic bits to make things with. But I also had a drawer of plastic containers. 

When I was swapping often, I needed to have something to package them in. When I get the swaps back, I receive a variety of packaging. I save most of them to have on hand to package the next time. Plus anything else that was plastic but not really small.
This has all been stored in a drawer of my tall drawer cart. 

The 4th drawer down had these plastic items in it.

In the process of the landscaping organizing, I had to get into this drawer and I decided it was time to go thru these items. I had some packaging from my last swap that needed to be stored. So I emptied the drawer and began by putting like items together. 

The results was two boxes and better visibility of the items I have. Items that were plastic but not containers, I put them were they are to be used. These were some plastic plates and their purpose was for painting palates. 

At first glance this may look like a jumble and hardly better than I had before. But this is organized like items together. It also reminded me of what items I had that could be used for organizing, not just swaps or painting palettes. Consequently I used two of the rectangle boxes in the upper left corner in the electrical box. These little boxes have locking handles (blue).  It's a bit of overkill for most of my items and they are super neat, so hadn't been able to find a place for them. But for the electrical items this was great.

Review that Storage - You might find something you forgot

Camping Organization

My family has been going tent camping for ten years now. For several years we used storage tubs to hold our kitchen supplies. The tubs were rain proof but it was no fun to dig through the tub to find what we needed.  Nor was it fun when everything had to be put back just so.  My organizing solution was to use drawer carts instead of the tubs. The drawer carts make items so much easier to access.  We still use some tubs for food items and bigger kitchen supplies. To make the drawer carts rain proof, we purchased a vinyl grill cover that fits over them.

How Camping relates to Minis

Drawer carts aren't expensive but when every dollar counts, so temporary repurposing saves money.  The drawer carts I have are all used normally to hold miniature supplies.  Part of my camping routine now involves removing miniature supplies from a drawer cart and then filling it with the camping supplies.  I don't use the miniature supplies while camping so I just store them in whatever I have on hand.  When I return and unpack from camping I refill the drawer cart with the miniature supplies.  

Here is a pic of the filled drawer carts for camping: 

If you look closely at the pic you may see there is writing on the front of each drawer.  My family frequently asks me where is …? and this was my answer to that.  It didn’t stop the question, but it did reduce its use.

Labeling drawer carts

Since these carts are used for minis and only temporarily for camping, I use clear packing tape that I stick on the front.  Then I use a permanent marker to write the contents.  I have never bothered doing this labeling for the miniature supplies, but I should.   

Removing labels

I remove the packing tape label when we get back from camping so the mini supplies can go in instead.  If I ever buy a set just for camping then I would leave the labels on. Removing the tape/label is really easy and if any residue remains then I would use one of the citrus based cleaners which really work. 

More organization in drawer carts

This year I added some smaller bins in a drawer to help contain the silverware.  I am even thinking I want to look at a thrift store to find a used utensil drawer liner.   

Second drawer cart organizing solution for camping

This year I decided to take this idea one step further.  We normally use a bag of some kind to hold our clothes.  Packing a bag is one thing but living out of one is another.  I have tried using multiple smaller bags, but it was still a hassle.  I decided I wanted to store my clothes in drawers as well. 

Here it is view of my first choice which normally holds miniatures supplies: 

I removed all the miniature supplies and began packing my clothes in it.  Then my husband comes in an questions whether or not it would work.  His concern was would there be enough room for both our clothes – yes, and would it fit in our tent – no.  Our tent has sloped sides and we usually put the bags of clothes at the end of the bed where it is quite low. It can’t go there, but it could fit in the middle.  However that space is usually taken by beds.  So hubby convinced me this one wasn't going to work.  But I wasn't defeated about using drawers for our clothes yet.  

 

I had some other storage drawers around the house that I emptied. These provided my husband and I with two narrower drawers and one wider drawer each.  

These actually worked out way better than even the two carts I use for the kitchen things as we were able to stack them however we wanted.  In my hubby's case he uses a battery powered fan so he can sleep at night.  The fan always before sat on the bag of clothes and each night had to be adjusted so it would sit right.  This time he was able to set one drawer separately for the fan to set on.  These drawers also acted as bed side tables.  Another thing was that the combination of two sizes the drawers weren't straight up and down as in wider at the bottom and that worked great with the slope of the tent.

One serious advantage to the drawers is that when our tent was being flooded from the bottom up - our clothes were staying dry unlike a cloth bag would.  When it rained before, we would set the bags on the air mattresses, but didn't need to do that with these plastic drawers.

Storage Review

Finding that second camping storage solution had me emptying out current solutions for miniature supplies.  I rediscovered items I had forgotten I had. I found an unopened box of small plastic boxes that I thought had all been used up. It occurred to me that going through my storage could be a really good idea to help me be more organized. 

My suggestion is this: once a year, go through every box of storage, especially those spaces that don’t get opened very often.  Don't just open it to get something out.  Instead take everything out and look at what is stored in that space.  Even if all that gets done is putting everything back into the same storage box/bag, fresh memories of what was there will be created.

If doing this all at the same time is too much, do a few boxes each month or an area every other month, or whatever, but the point is to look at what you have so it becomes fresh or new.  This may even help for remembering not just what one has, but where things are. It may even help you decide to pay forward something to someone else, whether you sell it or give it.  It might help you to avoid buying two (or more) of something you already have.  It could spark a new bout of creativity.  At the very least, it will remind you of what you have.