Organizing – Sponges and Sponge Daubers

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – this hobby of stamping is actually comprised of three very separate hobbies:  collecting, creating and organizing.  Today, I want to offer some organization tips for your sponges and sponge daubers.

Stamping sponges and sponge daubers are two of the handiest (but most underutilized) tools in my craft room.  Both are perfect for adding texture and color to projects.  Just dip them into an ink pad and then smear or tap away!

  • Stamping sponges.  The sponges are really large and come in a pack of three.  I use my craft scissors to cut the sponges into fourths, so I can get 12 sponges out of a pack (and still have the surface of the sponge necessary to complete daubed effects).
  • Sponge daubers.  The sponge daubers come in a pack of 12.  The daubers fit perfectly on my finger like a tiny little finger puppet and are also perfect for adding color and texture.

So that I don’t have to constantly monitor the color of the sponge I am using, I assign one sponge and one sponge dauber to a color and store them accordingly.  I found this sewing notions plastic storage container some years ago.  I have two of them and store all of my sponging accessories in them.  With a hook on the side, they hang easily on the wall in my craft space:

Organizing Stampin' Sponges and Sponge Daubers, Stampin' Up!, Brian King

I labeled the colors in the back “wall” of the individual container spaces and drop in the associated sponge quarter and sponge dauber:

Organizing Stampin' Sponges and Sponge Daubers, Stampin' Up!, Brian King

To easily segregate and identify the color identity of the sponges, I punched a scrap piece of the associated color card stock with the Decorative Label punch, scored it and folded it in half.  I pinched the part of the sponge that had previously been the inside of the sponge and stapled the label in place.  Now, I have a perfect, little handle to hold the sponge and get to coloring!

Accessories:  Sponge Daubers, Stamping Sponges, Decorative Label punch

I hope you like this storage idea.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

40 Comments

  1. …and yet another idea from you that I’ll use! Love your blog.

  2. Wow, now that is organized! I never thought of organizing these in this way but it makes perfect sense and I can see how you would use them much more with this storage method. Thanks for the great idea!

  3. My friends think I am compulsive about organizing my things. wait till they see me do this! thanks! I love it.

  4. Brian, so glad you take a post here and there to share some organizing tips – very helpful! Thanks! I find that some of my creativtiy comes to the surface while I’m organizing…good way for me to work past a block 🙂 Have a great day!

    • Amy, are you my twin? I love to organize and clean when I hit a wall. Usually allows me to touch things (like daubers or edgelits) that I often times forget to use. 🙂

  5. Great idea. I was looking at a storage case that holds 40 daubers but think I like the idea of putting a dauber and sponge together. Thanks for all the great cards you post too! I look forward to reading your blog every day.

  6. So much more convenient than throwing them all in a large box like I do! 🙂

  7. OMG Brian – I just love your informative blog – I have learned so many new things since subscribing to you! Keep up the good work – Hugs, Dorothy

  8. You have the bestest ideas! I especially love that idea of making a “handle” for the sponges. I always get really inky fingers. I use these same organizer boxes for buttons and embellishments.

    • Donna, I was using strips of paper until a fellow stamper showed me she was using a punch to do heres. I chose to use this punch and love it for the sponge handle!

  9. I am one of those organizers too!!! I love this idea-I would go through a lot less sponges this way-since I forget between uses which color I used on which sponge! Thanks again for the idea.

    • My pleasure, Rose! Years ago, I got tired of dragging the sponges on white paper to see if I could tell what color had been previously used on the sponge. That’s when I decided to label them. Works!

  10. What a fantastic idea I have mine in drawer and it takes a while to find the one I require.
    Keeping the daubers with the sponges its the simple ideas that are the best.
    Isabella from sunny Scotland

  11. Thank you Brian–terrific tip!

  12. I’m a new follower and I’m a happy follower 🙂

  13. Brian, Brian, I love that name. You are quite brilliant to come up with such interesting and useful ideas for organizing. I bet your home is emaculate too. Please keep the fantastic ideas coming. I love your blog!!

  14. Brian,
    I love when stampers share organizing tips! Most stamping addicts have one thing in common – we have to have it “all”. Keeping everything organized is ALWAYS a challenge, but sooo necessary if there is any hope to using everything we buy!

    • Thanks for your message, Barb! I try to keep a balance on my blog – some projects, some techniques, some organizing tips. 🙂 I constantly adjust how I want things organized, so I always have new ideas. I have a few more coming up over the next week or two. I hope you like them!

  15. Brian, this is my first time at your blog, thanks to Mary Fish and Mojo Mondays! I have used tags on my sponges and wrote the name of the color on the tag, but never thought of those handy floss organizers for the sponges. That just makes my day! Now I will have to get more of those handy organizers and while I’m at it a few more daubers. My class will love this idea and you’ll get all the credit! TFS, Joni <

    • Joni – thanks so much for checking out my other posts. I’m so happy to hear that you find this particular post helpful. I LOVE that it encourages you to consider buying more daubers. 🙂 Now, I just need to find some customers who feel the same way.

  16. Going shopping tonight to look for one of these. Setting up my supplies so they are easy access for crafting. 🙂

  17. I have seen many ways to organize the sponges and the daubers but nothing quite as cool as this – keeping both in the same slot in the same container….off to one of my local craft stores to try to find one of these containers….many thanks!!!!

  18. I LOVE LOVE the idea for the sponges and dauber! I can’t wait to get to the craft store and find some boxes to do this with. Thanks so much for the wonderful tip!

  19. Pingback: Organizing my Craft Room: Part 4 | stampwithbrian.com

  20. Holy Cow~ What a DREAM to be this organized! You should market the organizer with the labels inside it already… I’d buy it! =)

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  22. I just ran across your post and I like the idea of keeping the Saunders with the coordinating sponge. I’ve looke on amazon but wasn’t able to dine a box like yours ?
    Any idea where you got it or if you know something similar?
    I’m redoing my craft room and organizing like a fiend!! I love it!

    • I purchased them YEARS ago at a craft store. There are many similar options on Amazon today – search for notions organizers. Hope that helps. Happy organizing!

  23. Great organization Brian! Thanks for the great tips!

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