How I Organize My Magazine Clippings and Magazines

This is an edited older post.

What do you do with your magazines? I use different ways of storing them depending on whether I just want a magazine article that I tear out and want to keep for future reference or whether I want to store the entire magazine.

I like to use these plain white magazine files from IKEA in my living room. That's where I keep my Countryside/Mother Earth News/Natural Home issues that I want to keep for reference. You can certainly cute them up with scrapbook paper but I like them plain white in this room.

I organize the articles I tear out into file folders. That way when I need to look for something I don't have to sift through a stack of magazine clippings! Some people like to keep them in a binder but I find it easier to grab a specific folder like "Fall Decorating Ideas" and just see all the tear sheets with those ideas. This way you can find the specific topic that you need. Other people like to paste them into composition books but to me that's way too time consuming.

I keep all my tear outs that I need to file in the front of the bin and every now and then take a few minutes to file them. If there is just one small item on a page that I want to keep I circle that item. This way I know why I kept that page. Sometimes I make notes on the page.

I bought that bin a few year ago at TJ Maxx and you certainly don't need one to organize your magazine clippings this way. You could use a large accordion file, you could use a cloth bag, you could use a box (you can wrap the outside with scrapbook paper, wallpaper or giftwrap paper, stickers, use your creativity), you could even use a file cabinet if you have lots and lots of magazines clippings. Nor do you need toile file folders! But pretty file folders are very inexpensive these days and I find that it makes keeping things organize just a bit more enjoyable.

This basket holds the magazines that I'm currently reading. I like that it has handles because it makes it easier to move around the house with me.

Recipes that I pull out I put in a big binder in sheet protectors. That way when I'm using it I can just wipe it off if it gets dirty. Also, if I print out a recipe from another blogger, I always include that blog's name so that if I should make it and show it I can give proper credit. I find it very annoying when people say "I saw it on somebodies blog" - it takes a minute to make a note of where you got a recipe or idea.

I just use a really big binder that I decorated with some scrapbook paper. Although it's getting too big and I'm thinking of using smaller more specific binders. Like a binder just for desserts or baked stuff, one for breakfast ideas etc.

I have an old bookcase that I keep in my closet where I store every Mary Englebreit magazine ever published as well as a few of my favorite old Victoria's and a bunch of gardening magazine. I don't know if I'll ever get rid of my Home Companion mags! I got rid of all of my Martha Stewart magazines a few years ago and I'm very sorry I did! But I only have but so much room - so sometimes you have to make some hard choices when it comes to storing things! I'd say I was more Mary than Martha anyway!

Also, every now and then I go through my clippings. It's amazing how I always find some that I can't for the life of me remember why I wanted to keep! This is a good rainy day or sick day activity. I also donate my magazines to my library (my library sells mags for 10 cents!) I used to be a magazine junkie but now I'm much more selective as they've become so expensive. Actually, lots of times I just go to Barnes and Nobles, order a coffee and sit and read magazines for and hour or so. A cup of coffee is much cheaper than a magazine these days!

I should be back on Tuesday with a brand new post as I'm getting another computer!