﻿As stationery lovers, we understand if you’ve never been able to keep your growing collection
organized. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are three organization approaches
that actually work, plus some important tips on general cleaning and upkeep. Let’s get started.
Before you can begin organizing, you need to go through your collection. Chances are you might
have lost track of all the pens or washi tapes you own. If you’re not sure where to begin, we suggest
looking at the stationery you use most frequently, like the items in your pencil case—if you can’t
even zip it up anymore because of how many pens you’ve stuffed inside, it’s in dire need of
decluttering! Take everything out and create two piles: one for all the tools you use regularly,
and one for the items you haven’t touched in weeks. Continue this process until you’ve
gone through all the stationery you own. Now that you have two piles of stationery,
decide what to keep and what to give away to friends. Test items you haven’t used in a while,
and if they’ve dried out or don’t work, buy refills or throw them away. Once you’ve laid out your whole
collection and trimmed it down, it’s time to decide what organization system is best for you.
Here are three of our suggestions.
The methodical approach involves categorizing items based on their function. Try to imagine how
a stationery store would organize its products: all notebooks and binders would go in one place,
with writing instruments in another. Adhesives like glues and tapes would go in another section,
and so on.
You can even make your categories more distinct: for example,
split your pens up by ink type: gel pens, ballpoint pens, and highlighters.
If you value structured organization or simply like the idea of your collection
as your own personal “store”, you’ll get the most out of this approach.
Our second approach is grouping stationery items by their purpose and application.
For example, all your planning supplies--washi tape, stickers, index tabs--should go in one spot.
School and study supplies such as highlighters, sticky notes,
and binders would have their own designated space.
Your art supplies like paints, brushes, and sketchbooks would go in another area.
If you have very specific purposes for your stationery,
this system is definitely for you! It’ll reduce the time you spend looking for certain items;
if you’re in the mood to plan, all your planning supplies will already be in one place.
If you write with the same pens every day, it wouldn’t make sense to put them in
different locations. Our third system involves organizing stationery by how often you use it.
You can start by placing your most used pens in one area. It should be within easy
reach when you’re at your desk, since that’s where you’ll spend the most time using your stationery.
Next, dedicate another storage space for things you use semi-frequently,
for example study supplies or scrapbooking materials.
This can be kept within arm’s reach or at least nearby your desk.
By this point, you’re left with stuff you don’t use much, such as fancy art supplies
or stationery for decorating gifts. You can place these items in a larger box or drawer,
out of sight and arm’s reach since you won’t need to access it frequently.
Here are three general organization tips to keep in mind moving forward.
Regardless of the method you choose, if you’re placing things in a container,
we recommend putting larger and flatter items inside first.
Save the smaller and oddly shaped items for last. For example, it makes more sense
to place a notebook or letter writing paper underneath your stickers, pencil sharpeners,
and washi tape. This way, you’ll avoid losing smaller items amidst your belongings.
Sorting by color is super useful if you have a lot of pens. And we mean a lot of pens. You
won’t have to dig around for that one red pen if everything is already grouped by color. Other
items you can organize by color are notebooks, craft supplies, and art supplies. Display supplies
like washi tapes in rainbow order—it’ll look much nicer than if you stored them randomly.
It’s tempting to leave things on your desk instead of putting them back where they belong. You tell
yourself you’ll put it away later, but the next thing you know, your stationery’s all over the
place. Try to train yourself to put items back where they belong once you’ve finished using it.
For example, set a reminder on your phone to put things away. Or,
you can create rules for yourself: you can leave your desk only after you’ve put things back.
Do you have any other tips for organizing your stationery collection?
Let us know in the comments! If you found this video helpful, be sure to
like, subscribe and shop all the items featured in this video at JetPens.com, the place for pen and stationery lovers.