Long before Pinterest my main source of inspiration was home decor and DIY magazines. Actually, even after Pinterest, they still offer a great source of inspiration but unfortunately lugging around hundreds of magazines can get a little hefty. For me the solution is my handy-dandy “Good Idea Book.”
Here’s how it works.
I keep 12 months of hard copies of each of my magazine subscriptions. To save space I cycle out the older magazines as the new ones come in. To keep from losing all that inspiration I go thru each magazine and tear out the pages that look like something that could be useful in the future before I toss out the old one out.
Using a binder and a three whole punch I take all these good ideas and add them to my “Good Idea Book.” Dividers help me sort my good ideas into manageable categories.
- Cooking
- Decor
- Garden
- Sewing
- Houses
For added storage of smaller items like pamphlets and tear sheets that are too small to be punched I use dividers with pockets.
I also have a “Good Idea Book” for future scarp booking projects. Here I use a smaller journal type book also with pocket dividers. I use double stick tape to adhere the ideas I have cut out right to the page. I also add notes on what I like about the projects. This book is small enough to carry with me to crops or on the go. It is divided into these three categories
- Layouts
- Techniques
- Tools
For now these two books are doing a great job of keeping my ideas organized but as time passes I will add volumes or divide each category into its own binder.
This system works great for me!
Do you have a way to keep your inspiration organized?
I love this idea, but no, I don’t think I would have the patience (any more) to do it. I use Evernote. Do you know it? I clip the entire page, and the URL is automatically put in, and file in many different categories. I also use, now, the Secret Boards on Pinterest for future blogging ideas. I don’t want the world to see them, so just go “secret” until I do the post!
I try to go through all the magazines about every two months…..and yes, I do tear out some pages, take my name off and recycle to either Doctor offices (have you noticed how terrible and out of date their magazines are???) or to the high school.
Not familiar with Evernote, I will have to check it out but I do love using the secret board on Pinterest as well. I have a secret board designated “Blog” for just the same reason.
Wow! You rock! It is a lot of work, i am still trying to make myself organized. As it requires also a space and a MOMENT, you know when everything lies on the right place. However, i love this idea:) I am sometimes more keen to watch Google search and magazines, than Pinterest.
What a great idea, I’m terrible at hoarding magazines, which is weird because I hate clutter and everything else gets cleared regularly! I am definitely going to try something similar to you to get my inspiration organised.