Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Cartridge Storage Solution - Cheap Too!!!

With all the amazing cartridges that PC has been putting out lately, it is no wonder that I have run out of space to store my cartridges. So I went on the hunt for some new ways to store my carts. I tried several plastic boxes with handles, thinking that I wanted the box to be portable. None of them really worked and were expensive even with a coupon.  And since I have a Gypsy, I really don't need to carry it all with me.

On Mother's Day, I went to Joann's to get some of their carts that were on sale. I continued my search for cartridge storage solutions and had an epiphany - Photo Boxes! Velcro! A match made in heaven!

Because I had taken a couple of booklets and carts with me, I could measure the box to make sure everything would fit. When I saw they would fit, I quickly picked up 6 coordinating colors and moved on to the sewing notions. The boxes were on sale for $2.49 each.

Next, I picked up a 5' box of velcro which cost about $11. This box was more economical than buying the pre-cut round disk. I would have to do a little work to cut the velcro but it will be worth the savings.


When I got home, I organized my carts in alphabetical order (I previously had then orged by type, then alphabetical) and got to work. Once I cut the velcro into small sections, my mom and I attached the velcro to the back of each cart. I made sure to attach the soft side to the cart. Once this was done, I then attached the hook side to the top of the photo box. It's important to put the same side of the velcro to the lid or cart so as your collection grows, you can just slide your carts down in alphabetical order. The lid will hold about 16 carts this way. Make sure you leave a little room around the edge so that your top will fit on the box snuggly when replaced.

I new there would be a lot more room in the box for booklets so I decided to add some carts to the back of the box with velcro. This made for a total of 20 carts in each box.


By storing my carts this way, I can get 120 carts stored in the space that used to hold about 25 carts in their original boxes. And for about $30.00 and a little elbow grease, I think that is a steal!


What did I do with my original boxes, you might ask? I still have them. I have put them in a large plastic container and put them in storage. I just can't bear to part with them!

I hope this helps you all. If you have some great storage ideas, please share then with us. Until next time...


Smooches!

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