Adding New Sticker Books to the Stash

When I first got into the stickers and all the accessories, I was working out of a cart. And after everyone would go to bed (or if I had time alone), I would pull everything out and work on the couch if it was planner stuff and at the kitchen table if it was for the memory keeper.

Needless to say, that was not working for me- at all. So I commandeered a desk from Squish's room, refinished it, and VOILA! I have a place for me and all my planner stash!

One of the drawers is dedicated solely to my sticker books. To make it easier to see which was which, I used some of the tricks I saw on Instagram and Pinterest. Those are pretty straight forward, but there's one more little thing that is a big help.

Luckily I just hit the new release jackpot and got the LAST four that have had me on edge while I search for them. I took a few shots as I was getting them ready to add to my desk so I could share how I set them up.

I could not wait to get my hands on Happy Year, Colorful Boxes 3, Free Spirit 2, and most of all Botanical. All the heart eyes for that one! 

Since I am looking down on them with them being in a drawer, I decided to write the name of the sticker book on the top left. 

I just use a regular chalk marker. It's forgiving enough if I make a mistake when I am writing it on there and strong enough to stay put. (And trust me, I am ALWAYS touching them).

After I get them labeled from the top, I turn them around and cut off the bottom elastic. I know. Some people have a hard time with this. They think that the books aren't going to stay closed. 

They will. Unless you are folding the front cover behind the book, they are going to stay closed. 

I originally started cutting them off  and tying them to the top because ..... I saw it on the gram! Lol. Seriously, everyone else was doing it so I thought I needed to, too. And it was a kind of helpful to look for a certain color top when I was flipping through them. (This was before I was writing on top).  BUT then I started accumulating more books, and many of the color elastics are the same (or very close). 

Not only does it help to identify, it also helps to hold the pages together if they start to come loose. 

Now there's one more thing I do before I add them the drawer to be used. Some of you will gasp. I know that there are many who keep their books with the elastic on, no writing, and perfectly pristine. And that is OK. That works for lots of people. But I am using them ALL the time. I am constantly thumbing through to find the perfect sticker for a weekly spread or for an accent in the Memory Keeper.

And even though they are so easy to identify, I still came across one more tiny thing that kind of bugged me. The front of one book would get caught on the back of another book when I was putting them back in the drawer. It was those darn grommets that hold the elastic on. So......

I decided to cut them right off. Just that little black strip on the back.

So when I slide them in and out of the drawer I don't have to worry them catching and bending the front cover. It doesn't do anything to the functionality of the book. It just makes it easier to store them. 

This is a quick pic of the rows- totally not in any order- other than the striped washi I put on all the Happy Memory and Big Sticker books for when I am working in my Memory Keeper. It just makes organizing a little easier.

So that's it. When a new sticker book comes into the house, it gets snipped, tied, and labeled and it is ready to join all the other beauties that already live here.

If you have a great tip, leave it or the link for it in the comments. I would LOVE to check it out! I am always on the hunt for new ways to plan and play with my planners.

Head over here to see which Memory Keeper I am currently using, along with my favorite Happy Memory Sticker Books. I also have a list of the tools that I use to create my memory pages every week! Be sure to follow so you'll see when I add something that I actually use and love!