How do you stay organized?

[serenamarie]

Wow, I am just starting this candle making hobby and have purchased flexible molds, paraffin, para/soy, oils, and a presto pot and do not know how to get organized as far as how you keep dye chips and oils and such ....... Im gonna set up downstairs and we have a big desk ill be working on. I was also thinking of cutting up the dye in little slivers so it'll melt faster and putting it in sealed baggies with labels. I just dont know where to begin with this candle making. With melts perhaps.

[Druin]

Good luck!!

I started on an old-time kitchen cart using some of the sterlite drawers to hold my molds, dye chips, oils (samplers), etc, with the box of wax on the the bottom shelf. Within 6 weeks, hubby was tired of not being able to use the kitchen, so he kicked me to the living room (we have a wet bar in there)! Now, keep in mind that I'm just a hobbyist, just started making tarts at the beginning of November!!

Anyway, all that was to say, that I don't have much advice, but yes, this hobby does grow really fast Using the drawer sets did help a lot with keeping everything in its place though

[flightoffancy]

Welcome to the insanity!

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones because DH built me a work room in our basement with cabinets and counters and the ONLY thing in that room is all business related.

I will say that when I get busy working on orders or restocking inventory that things never end up where they once were so I end up having to search things down ALL the time. Of course whatever it is I'm searching for is always where I left it last. LOL

[Pam W]

Organized.......... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

[Camay]

Who stays organized?

[lindanelson]

Organized.......... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

What's organized????

My husband is just amazed that I know where everything is. I also talk to myself alot, so that helps me keep on track.

Good luck getting your stuff organized.

[Caramel]

I feel your pain. I got fussed at for taking over the dinning room and kitchen during my vacation with boxes and bags (boxes were candles supplies in kitchen, bags were jewelry in dinning room).

I was JUST at Office Depot getting colored paper for a work project, today, when I looked at some plastic bins and drawers sets. I think I may have to invest in these for my jewelry/candle supplies.

And then see how long THAT lasts. *L*

[CareBear]

Organized? What is this "organized" of which you speak?

Now to the experimental chandler chaos add experimental B&B stuff plus all my soaping paraphernalia and two small children...

ETA: My kitchen is my lab, my dining room table is my work bench, and my garage is my storage space. I don't miss cooking, the kids like pizza in front of the tv, but I sure would like to put the car in the garage - some day!

[AntoniasCreations]

I just want to walmart and got some bins that were only $1. They are not that big but would be great to put my melts and votives in, so at least they will be out of my way, they have the 5 on the bottom. But they would also be great to put my BAGS of wicks in, all my liquid dye, and possibly a few other things. All my other stuff is all over the house.

In our living room I have a desk set up the with a sheet folded over it, and I use all the drawers and even have some stuff under it. And the rest is in boxes lined up on the wall in my dinning room.

Man I cant wait until we get a house and then I can hopefully have my own space in the basement, or maybe even if we can get a house with enough land I can have my own workshop built behind the house. But here is to hoping.

Good luck at keep organized.

[serenamarie]

Well I do have those three drawer plastic carts with the hard woodlike tops I can take my crap out of and find another place to put the crap in while I take those downstairs and put more crap in them.

I'll put labels on the drawers.

My husband thinks im nuts because I go from one craft to another.

How did you all start off making candles?

[adillenal]

I am fortunate that I have a separate workshop (14x70 mobile home) which I thought had lots of room and I am now spread out all over the entire trailer. Big ktichen, lots of counter space but I still have a 6 foot table in the middle, curing racks for soap along one wall. I actually pour candles in the front bedroom. I have a real long dresser that is kind of low and I have covered it and that is where I line my jars up. I pour votives in the kitchen since the molds don't take up much space. One bedroom has all packaging material, the living room is my wrapping and labeling center along with wax storage, and the final bedroom holds all of the cardboard boxes I keep along with styrofoam peanuts I collect and bubble wrap. I just might need all of those boxes. Just bought a used 5 drawer file cabinet to get my paperwork organized. I have little labels on all the kitchen cabinets as to what is in them to save me time looking.

I really can't remember how bad it must have been when I was trying to make soap and lotions in the house. I added candles after I obtained the soap trailer.

[Pam W]

How did you all start off making candles?

It's my son's fault - he gave me a container candle as a gift once and it was such a nice container that I wanted it refilled after it was gone so I went to Michael's & bought some wax...........nuf said!!

[Caramel]

Well I do have those three drawer plastic carts with the hard woodlike tops I can take my crap out of and find another place to put the crap in while I take those downstairs and put more crap in them.

I'll put labels on the drawers.

My husband thinks im nuts because I go from one craft to another.

How did you all start off making candles?

Darn! I lost my original post.

I was laughing because you sound like me. I have some storage drawers, but my jewelry stuff is in them and not labeled. So I need better storage for that, as well as for the candle supplies. I think I will get some more drawers, in addition to a bin for my wax to keep it dry and out of direct light (the basement is pretty cool).

I started hobbying NYE '03. I decided I needed something to keep myself occupied and stress-free (I worked 12-14 hour days, at the time), so I tried my hand at making perfume (and planned on doing B&, but I was going through a medical mystery where I was overly sensitive to EVERYTHING, so I couldn't test my own products. I had all this research (perfume, soap, candles and jewelry), but decided on making jewelry instead. This year I really wanted to get into home fragrance, so I decided to dig out my old research and try my hand at candles (and diffusers/potpourri).

I am having fun doing it all (even if it costs money)... and meeting new people doing it. *S*

[puddin1970]

I have a computer room - well it was that and now its over taken with candle making and B&B stuff! I have notebooks - man do I have notebooks full of notes and stuff I have printed- I have a bin for everything - well almost. I need to get organized - but who has that much time? LOL

I used (and sometimes still do) crafts that I sell at a local craft shop - you name it I have made it (wooden items, sewing items, hand painted items, tole painting, etc.) and candles was a new thing for me - so far I love it. I just cant find stuff when I need it - and I keep everything - kinda a pack rat thing lol and my hubby hates that! LOL. He wants me to go to the basement and he will fix me up a room - but its dark and itcky down there lol but I might have too - running out of space. And tell me again why I keep buying things lol. I work full time and have a 4 year old - so its not to keep busy lol. Guess I like it or I would have given it up a long time ago - there are just times I have to remind myself of that lol.

[Sharon in KY]

Well I do have those three drawer plastic carts with the hard woodlike tops I can take my crap out of and find another place to put the crap in while I take those downstairs and put more crap in them.

I'll put labels on the drawers.

My husband thinks im nuts because I go from one craft to another.

How did you all start off making candles?

Well that's organized, at least the crap you just put in the drawer thingie is. Now the stuff you took out ??? That will have to wait till you buy something else to organize it...:rolleyes2

[serenamarie]

Generally Im kinda organized too but with this stuff I am at a loss. Right now I have my candle wax in big bags by 5 lbs, is that bad or should I get a closed container? How do you store thosde little color chips as well?

I am gonna try and make my first electric grubby candle today and see how that goes. Do you store like tarts and such in closed containers?

[doglover]

Re: How do you stay organized?

Organized?!? What's that!

I started in my kitchen and was booted out when a pillar mold filled with RED wax leaked (due to my poor sealing abilities) from the counter onto the floor!

Ten years later, the "dungeon" is much larger and packed with more "stuff." However, I have never been able to locate the "organized" part! Sound like a good New Year's Resolution!

[nursenancy]

I have moved my supplies and work area (mostly in totes) from one room in my house (remodeled and lost room completely) to the front porch when it got warm (pollen and temperature variations-not good), to the vacant apartment in our house when it got cold (got rented), to a corner in my living/dining room (disaster) back to the front porch out of desperation

Then I rented a shop about 30 minutes away from my house and drove a ford expedition there on my days off from work with gas at 4.00 a gallon - nuff said

DDH finally found a cool space about 2 blocks from my house dirt cheap and offered to pay half the rent - so I could get organized

:laugh2: We'll see - been there a couple months, done w/ holiday season - am I gonna get organized yet???

Anyway - sorry for going off - love those plastic heavy duty shelves from Home Depot. They're pretty versatile, cheap and pretty much indestructable. And CLEAR totes.

[CandleLytes]

I used to store all my oils alphabetically in a cubboard in the kitchen, but have since changed to the most popular scents in front and the others have plastic flags stuck to the lids with the name on them so I can see them. I have my wax in ziplock bags in boxes in my dining room corner, and so on. I used to have roll-a-way carts but they burned up in my house fire. Lost a lot of merchandise. Orgnaized is a foreign word with this craft.

[Debra Phelps]

First thing, COVER YOUR DESK with something, because it is messy work, and the floor around you. I get color everywhere. I thought my store was so organized. Then I moved. Oh My! I found all kinds of stuff I thought I was out of. I just kept rebuying stuff, when I couldn't find it. Now I have a lot of each thing. I am not sure you can be organized when you get busy. If I stayed organized, I wouldn't have time to make the product. lol Good luck and figure out what works for you. Sometimes the fun part is putting it all together.

[Rae]

I am one of the lucky ones that when we built our new home in 2007 I now have a full daylight basement that is all business. It's about 2000 sf. My dh made me all the work tables and lazy susans I wanted. We did not finish out the walls so I have shelves all over the place. It is still hard to keep up with but I do label everything and have a place for each item. Molds are in the office and candle room. I have a paint room for the ceramic holders and then the dh has a small shop with 2 saws I bought him to level pillars, etc. I had to let him have a small space so he would not feel left out. :yay: Good luck.

Rae

[evesorto]

I started out with a shelf in the large double cabinet over the computer in the kitchen for my fragrance oil. Now, that cabinet is full. Eventually, I had to take over the two small cabinets above the fridge for wicks, color chips, wax, cello, stickums.... but, really whoever uses those cabinets anyway. I didn't have any room for the presto pot so I just had to steal a little space in my dish cabinet. That's the kitchen.

I started out with just a small rubbermaid box that I kept in my walk in closet. But, they actually have these beautiful colorful units that stack, so now I have six of those to hold ribbon, labels, tealights, finished tarts. I just needed a little more space for those goodies that people are coming to pick up tomorrow, so I stole some space in my linen closet (master bath). Since, you get a better deal on lotion and gel bases when you buy in bulk......I just had to....only they don't fit in this linen closet, so I had to just steal a bit of space in the main bath linen closet. That's the bedroom and baths.

Plus, I've taken over the majority of the garage for wax, packaging, the tent, the rolling cart, tables, cardboard risers, the 60 gallon box that goes to craft fairs, parties, etc.....

And the beautiful, finished candles. They were on shelves in cabinets in my basement, of course....

While my son was away at school, I used his room to store hundreds of tart warmer gift sets bec I had no place to put them...fortunately, they are gone now, too.

Oh, and the hall closet is where the jars are....almost forgot.

Just writing this answer is overwhelming. I am extremely organized and this hobby has spilled over into every room in my home (except daughters br)......it's scary.

Eve

[Dana]

That was my New Years resolution....is it New Years yet?? I think I might actually like it messy like this....that way I can SEE everything...I love all this stuff! I am really an organized person, but this business has just to much STUFF to organize. As soon as you put it away, it comes right back out again anyway!

[van_yulay]

I think the phrase stay organized is exstreamly difficult... trying to orgainze is the key. I start in 1999, yikes a while back. In my kitchen. I had a closet with my stuff. LOL Then it moved to a little area down in my basement. Then my grandmother had me make some goatmilk soap(had to much milk from my goats), Next thing I knew I was getting orders from everywhere.UPS truck coming everyday Soooooooo.... I built shelves, shelves and more shelves. Because I am thirfty person when it comes to ordinary items, I looked for store closures, auction and such. Next thing I new I had a live store, so back to more shelfs. Kmart was gonig out of biz and I got three wire rack shelf things that held wall paper.. It is perfect for the lotions and molds. My grandmother even saved the baby wipe containers from the nursing home. LOL.. Do you know how many they go through.... ? I even swrewed them to the wall( Took the lid off).... For ribbons, tags and such. Then the college was having a sale on these counters with drawers under them. I got them for two bucks a set. They where older , but they where wood! ( I still have them- All the way from Wa to NC). Then I found a library card filer.. the old metal ones. I use that for all my labels. Then I use plain envelopes for labels that are small. I just fold the lip inside and label them, then put a cardboard card for catagories. Then I stick them in a plastic totes. I also took a dowl rod and put through the center of my large ribbons, and hung it from the celing with rope on each end. I think getting everything in one spot of a certain kind , really helps. And putting things back.( I think that is the hardest task).I know way back when, I used to be like a mad scientist. Things flying, lost items and kios.... to the max. Now that I have shelves... counters and drawers. Everything is off the floor and up. I can now get more things done. as for staying organzed.. that will never happen, but at least I can see the floor once in awhile! Ö¿Ö....

[KoalaGirl]

Every now and then I'll get stuck in and get everything organised. For a couple of days, I'll know exactly where everything is. By about day 3, its kaos again.

I had to laugh when Debra said she finds things she didnt know she had. My daughter still reminds me of the day she decided to organise my pantry and found 7 jars of Mint jelly! Im not even organised enough to write a shopping list. Its a case of ''hmmm, wonder if we need that?, better get a jar incase''.