i have this basket on one of the shelves in my studio … that is sort of a catch-all basket. inside you'll find cards the girls have made me, projects they bring home from school, award certificates from church and soccer, disneyland souveniers, random photos, programs from concerts and choir performances, locks of hair that i've cut off the girls, and on and on. like i said … a catch-all of stuff. i was chatting with my friend mary the other night … and asking her for an idea of how to store a few of these things. and she brilliantly mentioned the envelopes that came with the april KOTM last year … the "details" kit (that is no longer available, sorry). she's a genious i tell you! i pulled out some of the larger envelopes with the cut out circles … and totally random older product … and went to town.

Im_sorry_folder  

the first one i did was for sarah's "i'm sorry" letters. we tend to butt heads a lot … mainly because we are so much alike. but one thing that she has been doing for ages … it writing me letters after our fights. they're so cute. and funny. one of them mentioned that i could put her on the corner if i wanted. another one said that she was sorry … and then asked when dinner was, because she was hungry. she's a funny one, that sarah! supplies: chipboard tree (mix it up KOTM), chipboard letters (scenic route), gem, string, and clips.

Awana_folder  

next up, i have one for all the awards and certificates the girls get from awana … the kids group at church. both of the girls have been "clubber of the month" quite a few times … and they have awards from the end of each year for completing their books. and also a few random photos that they have brought home .. of them holding their awards. and this picture didn't show the colors too well … the envelope is yellow and the blues all match much better in real life. supplies: plastic letters (heidi swapp), magic mesh, and clips.

Sing_a_song_folder  

how cute is this one? this one holds all the programs from the girls choir performances at the church (another part of awana). they've done quite a few musicals and performances. and for each one, they have a program … and they also send them a card with photos from the performance. i wanted to save them all … because in most of them, the girls have had either solos or drama parts. and because the programs have so many bright colors going on … i stuck a piece of white cardstock in the envelope to show through the holes. supplies: foam letters (american crafts), chipboard music notes (mix it up KOTM, american crafts), cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder, tags, ribbon, clips.

XO_folder

and this one holds some of the cards that joe has given me over the years … or that i've given him. i'm sure there are more cards somewhere around the house … but these were the ones i found in the basket. supplies: chipboard heart (rusty pickle), chipboard letters (heidi swapp), flower (heidi swapp), chipboard clock (heidi swapp), brad (heidi swapp), clips.

just putting these few envelopes together … i cut down the amount of stuff in that basket to half the size. that felt good! and also feels good knowing that these types of papers all have a home now. and the next time i get another one … i can just add it to the right envelope. and these envelopes are propped right up on a shelf with my completed scrapbooks. only problem … i have about 6 of these envelopes left. so i find myself walking around the house … searching for things i can shove in a pretty envelope!

Posted in

29 responses to “folders for some of my “stuff” . . .”

  1. Beth Avatar

    totally luvin that idea!

    Like

  2. Heather M. Avatar

    what an awesome idea! i have a whole bunch of those envelopes sitting around. i should totally do that with them!

    Like

  3. Mary MacAskill Avatar

    These all look great! And me? Genious? HA HA HA! Btw, I am totally copying your idea with the cards! I have been saving the ones from Derrick but haven’t thought of any ideas to store them! I love this!

    Like

  4. girlsmiths Avatar
    girlsmiths

    Love your envelope usage! I still kick myself for not ordering that KOTM. Although, I have so much memorabilia from my girls that I need boxes, not envelopes!

    Like

  5. Carla Avatar

    Laura! OMG, these envelopes are just pure genious! Seriously. I don’t know what to do with my kids stuff and since they are so small, I could start something like this now. Thanks for sharing!!

    Like

  6. Heather Jordan Avatar
    Heather Jordan

    What a great idea and you do such a cute job embellishing them! Genius!

    Like

  7. lynda paredes Avatar
    lynda paredes

    what a cute idea, love how u decorated the envies too. what a great idea. are these things u save eventually going to end up in albums? or have a permanent home there?
    lynda in calif

    Like

  8. Sandi N. Avatar
    Sandi N.

    Laura
    This is really a smart idea. I could make some with my “E” Cricut and store some of the piles I have in draws. This is refreshing to hear of this ideas like this.
    I hope it works!
    Thanks
    Sandi N.

    Like

  9. Annette Scholtz Avatar

    Such a great idea – will have to try this 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Like

  10. Debbie - NZ Avatar

    OMG this is such an awesome idea and they look so great….I unfortunatly didn’t get that KOTM but have white envelopes very similar to those and might just have to decorate them all up to store lots of my things in…Thanks for sharing.

    Like

  11. Carine Hartman Avatar

    It’s a very organized idea, I think I will pimp some white envelopes for that and will store some precious thing from my children

    Like

  12. Michelle W. Avatar

    MAN, now I wish I had that kit!!! What great envelopes, so pretty 🙂

    Like

  13. Jessica Larsen Avatar
    Jessica Larsen

    I love this idea! I have a ton of cards/notes that my husband and I have given each other over the years and I think I will scrap a box to keep them all in. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

    Like

  14. Sandra L. Avatar
    Sandra L.

    What a wonderful idea! Love the i’m sorry envelope. I have quite a few of those letters myself 🙂 Now I know what to do with them! Hate to throw them away some of them are really cute.

    Like

  15. Marie Levite Avatar
    Marie Levite

    Great idea. They are lovely!!

    Like

  16. Wendy Sue Avatar

    How fun are these envelopes?!? I might be better at organizing and sorting if I had such cute envelopes in my stash – I’m jealous of everyone who got that fun kit!! Love the idea with the envies…may have to copy it. 😉

    Like

  17. Deneen Avatar

    Love this idea Laura wish I had done something similar with all the old programs and and letters the girls have written me over the years. Oh well good idea for when I become a grandma someday LOL (not too soon though I hope LOL)

    Like

  18. Sara Rossi Avatar

    Great idea!! Makes me wish I had gotten that kit.

    Like

  19. Nancy Mackey Avatar

    I love this idea, I always get my dis a birthday card for their birthday , and then I save them, some I like to scrap- but not all. I would like for them to be able to look back at them though- love this idea for that!!

    Like

  20. Nancy Mackey Avatar

    Oops! did I say I get my dis a birthday card, I mean my kids!!!

    Like

  21. Heather Ruwe Avatar

    Okay, I have to do this! Thanks for sharing…mary is a genius! 🙂

    Like

  22. Lisa Howard Avatar

    What a FANTASTIC idea! Kudos to both you and Mary. I am an organizational freak…you might never know it at the moment…but anything to corral the clutter is welcome. And they are so stinkin’ cute! Gotta make me some!

    Like

  23. Leslie Avatar
    Leslie

    THESE ARE SERIOUSLY SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!! I love that you punched random circles in the folders for a sneak peek – talk about awesome!!
    They are all SO cute! Love the story about Sarah 🙂

    Like

  24. Laura T. Avatar

    I love this idea. I have that kit too and was wondering what I was going to do with the large envelopes. This is such a wonderful idea.

    Like

  25. Melinda Avatar
    Melinda

    cute idea!!

    Like

  26. Victoria S. Avatar
    Victoria S.

    Hey Laura
    Are these standard size envelopes like 10×13?
    i bet we could find colorful ones in an office supply store -what do you think?
    would love to know the size of yours tho’
    thanks – blessings to you – i also liked the i’m sorry letters – great idea!

    Like

  27. Shaun Paddock Avatar

    Laura, I am totally stealing this idea! I currently house all of my kids memorabilia in boxes which are not big enough for some items so they get bent.
    Question for you… Where will you store the envelopes? Back in a basket? Let me know if you can.
    Love your work in the magazines this month.
    Shaun

    Like

  28. Candi Tardio Avatar

    love what you did with these big envelopes! you are so creative girlie 😀
    i have been looking at mm’s blog all day today…tons of giveaways!!! bummer that i didn’t win 😦 that’s ok 🙂

    Like

  29. Tara Piper Avatar
    Tara Piper

    Where did you get those envelopes with the holes in them from? Love this idea!

    Like

Leave a reply to Lisa Howard Cancel reply