Do you ever feel flustered because you have crochet patterns lying around everywhere? If that answer is a yes, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m going to show you how to organize all your crochet paper patterns so you never have to feel disorganized again.
Down below, you’ll find some helpful tips and an organizational method that I personally use to store all my paper patterns. You’ll also find some tips on how to organize your patterns digitally.
Organizing Your Crochet Patterns
Since becoming a crochet designer and making my own patterns, I have found one thing to be true, organization is key. I used to get so overwhelmed and stressed because I had so many patterns lying around everywhere.
And whenever I needed one, I couldn’t seem to find it. So I knew that I had to create some type of system to help me stay organized. Something that was practical and easy to use!
So to get started, here are some of my top tips to think about when organizing your crochet patterns.
3 Quick Tips to Get Started
1. Find the Best Storage Method That Works for You
This first tip might seem cliché, but it’s important to figure out which organizational method works best for you. Are you someone who likes having a printed version of a pattern or do you prefer to view your patterns online? Maybe you like both, and want to have a printed version and an online version.
Whichever way you prefer, it’s important to note which one you like best before starting.
2. Crochet Organization Storage Ideas
Now that you’ve established what type of method you like best for your crochet patterns, it’s time to figure out what storage system works best for you.
Down below you’ll find storage organizational ideas for both printed patterns and digital patterns.
- A crochet binder with dividers for your crochet paper patterns.
- Create individual folders for all your printable patterns and store them in a file cabinet.
- Use Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive to organize and save all your digital patterns.
- Use Dropbox or Evernote to store your digital patterns.
- Utilize websites such as Ravelry to help organize your digital patterns.
3. Organize Your Patterns By Category
My last and final tip is to categorize and group your patterns into sections. I like to do this by creating a couple of main categories and then I put each pattern within that category.
For example, I have a lot of different blanket and pillow patterns, so all these patterns would go into my home decor category. Within that category, I have created sections for blankets, pillows, washcloths, etc.
This way it stays organized, and I can easily access the section I need to go to. This is just my way of doing it, but I would recommend grouping your patterns into sections and then picking out the categories based on what type of patterns you have.
So now that we’ve gone over some tips on how to get started, let’s talk about my personal favorite way to store all my crochet paper patterns.
How to Store Your Crochet Paper Patterns
One of my personal favorite ways to store all of my paper patterns is to use a binder with dividers. Sounds very old school, I know, but I find it to be very practical and it’s easy to get out when I need it!
So here’s how I organize and store my paper patterns within my binder.
I first start by laying out all of my patterns and group them into 4 different categories (work in progress, home decor, clothing, and accessories).
- Work in Progress – current project I’m working on.
- Home Decor – blankets, pillows, potholders, washcloths, etc.
- Clothing – cardigan, shrugs, sweaters, etc.
- Accessories – scarves, ear warmers, etc.
When I’ve finished categorizing each pattern, I will then write each category on a divider tab.
Then I will start prepping my patterns by punching holes in them using my 3-ring hole puncher.
And then I put each pattern in a sheet protector. You never know when you’re going to spill something! So I always like to use a sheet protector for all my patterns.
Last but not least, I put all my patterns within their category. You can always take it a step further and organize them within each category by creating sections. I’m actually in the process of doing this now since I’ve got a lot of patterns.
And that’s how I store all my crochet paper patterns. I hope this post was helpful and that it gave you some tips on how to organize your crochet patterns.
