Tidying up - but how?

I try to put things in sorted bags...doesn't always work!

You can buy large cotton reels (ebay) and wrap your ribbons round them and secure with a pin. I've got mine in a bag I must admit and they get in a tangle. I'm sure I've seen several articles with ideas for craft room storage, maybe a Google search would bring up some ideas?

I tried attaching string across an alcove in my craft room and threaded my ribbons onto it - don't bother with that one !!! Best way at the moment is I roll or fold them up and secure with a large paper clip or little peg then keep the little bundles in a pretty box. The minute I have a project on which means selecting trimming it looks like spaghetti hell hole though ?

I get those little ziplock plastic bags and put each of the different ribbons, elastic, lace etc in one, then I have those small clear storage boxes with lids from IKEA , and sort them out that way, one for ribbons, one elastic, one bias binding etc . They stack on top of each other on shelves above my sewing machine. I got one of those label makers so each box is clearly labelled.

How I dream of a craft room where everything could be neatly stored but easily available. I have a chest of drawers in the dining room with fabric in (and UFOs) and some boxes in the utility with ribbons etc and card making stuff. (When did I last make a card? About three years ago!)

I used to get "nagged" for being intidy and the workshop being a tip, MrsP now has a craft room, it makes my garage look like a palace.

Self-sealing plastic bags in various sizes. Can be bought very cheaply in bargain basement shops and online

What about the plastic storage boxes which have different compartments? I use these for buttons and beads, other habidashery and, as they come in different sizes and colours, you could put your ribbons in one as well, keeping them separate from each other and the other craft items.

Ikea and hobby craft are great for storage items

Don't store your fabric bits - make them into a quilt! All those teeny tiny bits can be used. Iron all the bits and divide into 3 piles - small, medium and large. Don't worry about shape. Put 2 small bits together and sew a straight line near an edge, trim and iron. Repeat until all the little bits are used and then add on a medium size bit. Keep adding bits on but try and aim for a sort of square shape and then cut to an accurate square (I like it to be about 8" sq). When you have used up all the bits, sash the squares together to make a top. Finish the quilt and if you don't want it give it to Project Linus.
Keep all those trimmings too and give them to a charity shop as they will get money for them as rags.

Not only have you solved a storage problem you have something useful to use or give away, you have been kept out of mischief for a while and a charity has earned a bit from the scraps too small to do anything else with.

I wind ribbon round the cardboard Innes of kitchen rolls. I can fit half a dozen on a roll. I secure them with a little sellotape.

Great ideas all, thanks so much. The large cotton reels and self-sealing bags sound great for the ribbons - I tried loo roll inner, but it didn't work for my space. I love the quilt idea tiggypiro (cool name!) but I need help in imagining how to do this. I shall head off to Google. Thanks everyone.

Have you looked at Really Useful boxes? They are just that and come in all sorts of sizes with very useful compartment trays which lift out! And they do a lovely range of mini chests of drawers too