If you’ve been sewing for a while, you probably have more sewing supplies than you even realize. And you’ll really know things have gotten out of hand when you buy some “new” sewing tool….only to get home and realize that you already have one. Or two. Or maybe three.
Creating an inventory of your sewing supplies is an easy way to keep track of all of your sewing “stuff.” And it all starts with a simple binder.
Step 1: Choose a Binder for Your Sewing Supplies Inventory
You can find binders in any shape, size or color. They’re affordable too. In fact, you can buy a reasonably good binder for as little as a dollar.
If you intend to put a lot of samples in your inventory, you might want to get a large-sized binder. But a smaller binder might be easier to take with you when you go shopping for new crafting supplies.
You’ll want a binder that has room to expand, so choose one that’s at least an inch thick to start. But here’s the good news. Binders are so inexpensive that if the first one you pick doesn’t work for you, you can always buy another one.
Along with the binder, you can pick up some other affordable materials on the stationary aisle. For example, you’ll want dividers, so you can separate your inventory by category. And don’t forget glue and transparent tape.
Step 2: Add Samples and Swatches
The first thing you’ll want to do with your binder is fill it with samples of all the materials you have in your sewing room. For this, you want to use sturdy paper, like thick printer paper. Card stock (used to print out “homemade” greeting cards made on the computer) might be even better.
And what will you be gluing to those sturdy pages?
- Small samples of all of the fabrics you own. (This is a great use for the scraps you can’t bring yourself to throw away.)
- Buttons and bows.
- Snips of thread, yarn and string.
- Samples of all of your notions, including lace, fringe, ribbon, etc.
Step 3: Add a Few Lists
There are some things you won’t want to glue into your binder. Instead, you can make lists for these supplies.
Some lists that might end up in your binder include:
- Lists of all of your sewing tools, from needles (in varying sizes), to scissors, to cutting mats.
- Lists of one-of-a-kind items that you’d rather use on a project than stick in your binder.
- A list of supplies you’ve run out of and need to buy.
- A list of future sewing projects.
If you have a collection of cloth markers or fabric pens, inventory those too. Just draw circles using each color on a piece of paper or card stock and. And don’t forget to note the name of each color under its circle.
The more you get into sewing, the more sewing supplies you’ll accumulate. You won’t be able to help it. Fortunately, you can keep track of your sewing supplies inventory with a simple binder. In fact, once your binder is set up, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.
