Hi, I'm brendaonline and I have a tip addiction [Hi, brendaonline}

With duplicates, I probably have almost 300 of the little buggers. I'm trying to think of the best way to organize them. I'm not talking about storage (e.g., the multi-drawer bins and so on) but instead how to store them in a fashion that I will be able to quickly and easily locate whatever I want.

So is it better to have them in numerical order so they can be found quickly when directions call for a specific tip by number? Or is it better to have them by type -- all ruffle tips together, all leaf tips together, all round tips together -- so you can select which version you want without having to scan through them all? Or is it better to....?

So:

-- How many tips do you have?
-- How do you organize them?
-- What are the pros and cons of that method?

I lost count of all of my tips.....have soooo many. I bought the plastic organizers with all the little square sections. I found a really big one at the Bass Pro Shop that guys use for fishing tackle. Works great!! I have two filled and need more. Only problem is I have to find a way to mark each square with the tip number some how so I don't have to pick each one up to see which is which. I tried to keep them in number order but that failed quickly. So I stick with the rounds, leaves, ruffles...and so on. Works easier this way.

I try to keep mine in numerical order but that doesnt always work. I keep 5 of the same tip I use a lot and then the extra in a differnt place in case I need a new one.

I have 4 catagories for my tips
round
star
flower/leaf
miscellaneous (basically everything else)
I keep all of each catagory together.
It works for me!

Jibbies

My tips are all separated into the clear tackle boxes starting in numerical order

Large tips have their own box. I use colored adhesive dots to write the numbers on then stick to the top of the boxes above each compartment. I am starting to stick the dots in the bottom of each compartment so that when the lids are up I can still find the correct number tip.

These tackle boxes work great for other things as well, I have my fondant cutters separated into these boxes also, each flower has its own compartment.

Jean

I have so many I do not dare to count them.

I have them in several of the tip boxes and they are separated by numeral I can place 3 to 4 tips on each holder.

I have numbered the bottom of the boxes with the #'s and that works for me. I have a print out of all the tips available and when I am looking for something that I am not sure of the # or actual location I look it up and then I got in a minute.

Works for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing your storage ideas.

Good Luck.

I have a stand-up drawer thing that has about 30 compartments that are little plastic drawers. The thing is only about 18" long and a foot tall, so not too big, and about 4" deep. I went to Wilton for my organizing, and used their categories (leaf, drop flower, star, round, multi-opening, and so on). Some of my drawers only have one or two different numbers because I happen to have a gazillion of the same number (don't ask!), but just the same, all the same types of tips are grouped together. I took out the labeller and on the outside of each drawer I put the numbers of the tips that are in each drawer. A little orgaization goes a long way!!!!

I have one of those drawer organizer thingies as well. The one mounted at my decorating counter has them organized by category. I also have a big one in my storage closet that has them organized in numerical order (this one contains all the 'leftovers' from my retail shop days).

'Course I also have this other method when I'm feeling lazy- it's called 'throw everything into a container'....then when it's time to do a cake I dump it all on my counter and scrounge through to find the tips I want! LOL!!!

You can also print off pictures of the tips from the wilton web site and apply that to the front of the drawer that contains those tips. Then you will know if it's a star, flower, ruffle, multi opening, etc.