i am new at all this (loving it and expanding by leaps and bounds!) and have already over flowed my wilton tool caddy into an entire kitchen drawer and several cupboards (in a very, very small kitchen!). just wondering if you all could share how you oragnize everything and don't run yourselves out of your kitchens with "cake stuff". I thought i read somewhere someone uses a rolling tool cart... ??? anything else?

My stuff is everywhere LOL. Under the china cabinet, in the cabinet over the fridge, on top of the cabinets (in boxes)......etc etc. I'm a clutter person and not all that organized, but I can tell you where everything is!

My husband found me a metal wine rack that has shelves instead of slots for the wine. I keep all my regular shaped pans an this. My character pans are hanging on my wall. I use a huge fishing tackle box for all my cases full of tips. I leave them in the storage cases to help protect them. THis also holds my spaculas, colorings, bags, and other utensils. My aunt uses one of the huge clear storage footlockers like the military uses. I don't know where she got it though.

i went to walmart and purchased a Bait Box in the fishing area. i love it, it's way big, and has compartments on top, sides....(perfect for colored icing gels), and comes w/a few compartment clear boxes inside. i only use one, and put my bigger tips, icing gets, etc. i have all my smaller essentials in the bait box. all my pans, etc, are in a big tote bin.

My DH bought me a HUGE workshop tool box. The kind with drawers and a big cupboard underneath on wheels and its full to overflowing.

My character tins and other pans are in shelving in my laundry.

I also have books and other stuff in another cabinet in the dining room....so its pretty much all over the house lol!

The workshop tool box is great coz its on wheels so its easy to move around either into the kitchen if i'm working on a cake or in the dining room if I'm making flowers.

wow, great ideas!!!!!!!!!!!! i am an anally (is that really a word?) orgranized person but just can't figure out what to do with all this stuff!

My son's room has half of his cupboard full of cake tins and what is worse nearly every time I have an orde I buy something. I am addicted, and it is just crazy.

I bought myself a kitchen cart from Target..its really cute..red with a stainless steel top. I keep all of my supplies and books in there. Its in my dining room but looks a heck of a lot better than the plastic bins I had before! If I want to work in my kitchen, I can just roll the cart around AND I have an extra work surface on top of the cart. I also had to upgrade from the Wilton box and found a big tool box kind of a thing at Big Lots for $9. I keep my pans in a drawer in my kitchen.

Cindy

Someone posted an idea on tip storage (but I can't find it) it is a small drawer chest made out of plastic (white Sterilite brand down here) and you line the drawers with styrofoam and insert a dowel (I used toothpick!) to sit the tips on.
I have spatulas and such in a kitchen drawer and a Pampered Chef turning tool caddy.
Colors & bags are in the top drawers of my new 7 drawer rolling chest (like the small of above but about 4 ft tall) with cutters and a roll a Viva down in the bottom drawers.
Pan with holes are hanging in utility room the rest are in big plastic totes with all the pans listed on the outside.
Candy molds and in a big plastic tote also.

I purchased this cabinet from Office Depot, I am able to store all my cake things in it. It also looks great in the kitchen. http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=955264&D=2%20cabinet&No=50&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ne=100000%205&Ntt=cabinet&N=100000&uniqueSearchFlag=true&Nr=100000&Ntk=all&An=text.

I too have stuff everywhere, but I consider it organized chaos! In my kitchen, we have a long counter with drawers and cupboards underneath (my hubby got it from work when they remodled). My 2 KA's sit on top in a corner along with a small 3-drawer chest to hold some of my luster dust collection. In one of the deep drawers, I keep my larger tupperware bowls for my icing. In a small drawer I keep all my spatulas, pastry brushes, extra tips (in cases) and any other misc, small items. In one of the cupboards, I keep my tool kit, and two huge tubs to hold all my Americolors. Another cupboard holds my hand mixer and all my fondant supplies. We also have a tall cabinet in our kitchen (we were not bleesed with a lot of cupboard space ). One shelf holds all my flavors, meringue powder, cake release and a ton of dragees and sprinkles. Downstairs in my basement, I have another tall cabinet that holds all my fanci foils, turntable, smaller bowls for icing, cake boards, odd size pans that don't fit in drawers, and my airbrush. I have a large rolling cart that holds most of my pans in two drawers (big big deep drawers) and the two smaller drawers hold misc. fondant and candy supplies. Then I have an old microwave cart that holds the rest of my pans in the bottom cabinet. Then not to mention all the rest of the misc items I have on top of the two carts and a mock table that my hubby set up for me. Hmmm. I think it is time to reorginze again...

Here is a picture of how I organize my things. All be it, it's not THAT organized right now. The shelves are two shelving units I bought at Target and just stacked them. They work perfect. I also like using shoebox size plastic storage boxes. These fit perfectly in a little cubby in my pantry. Everything is out of the way.

My cake pans are on metal racks in my garage!!!!!!!! I'm about ready to buy a tension pole and a curtain and put up to hide my "cake crap" as my DH calls it but that would take away my light in the pantry!!!!!


Amy

I had the same problem. I recently came addicted and I cant stop buying! there are SO many cool little gadgets and neat things! All my stuff is in "my house" as I like to call it. Its hard to explain...but a few years abo my parents bought this 15 feet x 20 feet house looking thing - it has a roof and siding and everything. A man used to run a computer repair business out of it. Its all set for electrical and has LOTS of countertop space. We used to just use it for storage like a shed, but as I accumulated more stuff, I decided to move out there. Sooo I cleaned it out and thats where Im at now. ITs really nice - has electricity and a full size refridgerator and everything. Lots of shelving under the countertop and its just perfect for me and where Im at right now. Its almost 100% self sufficient. Im just waiting on getting a stove so I can run gas out there oh yeah - it even has AC which definately helps on the melting cake problem I had before! I just painted it pretty pink and got curtains up and all that fun stuff.....eventually Ill take a picture and show you all Im very proud of it.

WOW!!!!! I'd love to see this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please do take a pic and show us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Amy

Ok..... I just ran outside and took pictures lol....and i am just getting settled in so everything isnt where it should be....my KA is actually in my house right now getting a cleaning haha. but anyways..this will give you an idea what Im talking about.

Oh man! Nestled in the treed too!!!!!!!!!! What a great hideaway!!!


Amy

Yeah...its nice...
Nobody bugs me out there when im trying to work!!

I live on 35 acres so woodsy it is heh

WOW WOW AND DOUBLE WOW....now that is what we all need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be in heaven out there!!!!!!!!!!!! of course i'd have to have one wall for scrapbooking and sewing stuff.. lol, if i had that my husband, my family, would never ever see me again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hmmm, brain is burning with ideas.... LOL!

SOmething like that would be PERFECT for you!! That way all you stuff is kept together and you dont have to worry about people (family..haha) getting in the way. Maybe you could talk ur hubby into building you something like this

well, we rent a house right now so we aren't investing anything in it.. but, HE has a 3 car garage (total testosterone heaven out there)... i think i'm going to have him buy me a rolling tool cart for starters.

I have a corner cabinet that is HUGE but has minimal access. I have a wilton toolbox to hold my tips and stuff and then I have things on the shelves and stuff. It's really disorganized but all in one place.

Well... I think a 3 car garage is PLENTY of space.. Just discreetly slide some of his stuff over....get some clear plastic tupperwear containers....and there you go hehe


Another thing I do....since i have a MILLION different color sprinkles...
I purchased 3 wooden spice holder thingys.....i think mine each hold like 25 glass containers...and i dumped out all the spices. Then, threw them in the dishwasher. After they were completely dry - I poured the different sprinkles in a different glass container. Not only does it look pretty, but its functional. Then, the extra sprinkles are just stored away out of sight until i need to refill. Works great.

wow! brilliant! i have a spice rack i'm not using... guess what i'll be doing this evening??? LOL

I keep the majority of my cake supplies in the dining room, all in one corner. My cake pans are in 1 cabinet and my character pans are in the storage drawer underneath the stove. I have a lot of stuff in individual organizer's and my best find so far is a storage box I found at Harbor Freight (my husband drags me there all the time). I bought the 2 boxes for about $15 and I store all my tips in them. Each little bin can hold 4 different tips as it has dividers for each bin, but I am only using 2 each right now. I cut out a picture of what each tip does and taped them to the outside of the bin so when I need a tip, no more trying to remember what each tip does. I love this storage box!

chris j, that is the best idea i've heard for tips. I'm always looking at my tips wondering what they do.

I love it! I'm sure you could store a lot of other small stuff such as your flower nails, garland makers, etc. and put a picture of what is in the box on the outside. And it was so inexpensive!

This is what i use and i Absolutely LOVE IT! It rolls around like a charm and has tons of space and cubbies. It even has a removable "caddy" that is PERFECT for tips.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1340672&cp=&searchId=94543&brandId=94543&parentPage=search

alaskanmom - who really uses all those weird spices that come in those things anyways?? hehe THe only thing I use is salt and pepper haha

ChrisJ - great Idea for tips. I do the same thing. I look at them and im like "hmmmm......." I end up using the same tips because i KNOW what they do......maybe if I had the visual aid I could get a bit more creative with borders and such!! thanks for the idea!