Organizing Your Supplies

[alsgal]

This may sound like a stupid question, but I'm accumulating a lot of cake decorating supplies: pans, tips, etc. Trying to keep everything organized is driving me up the wall! Any ideas. Labeling storage bins is not working. I'm sure organization is an essential key on becoming a professional cake decorator.

All I can say is......H-E-L-P!!!

[jeri]

I bought this really cool organizer at Costco. It is a snap and loc system that has 3 large bins that all connect together and have a handle on top. There are 4 small bins that have individual compartments in a couple of them. I will try to take pics and post them. It has really saved tons of space. I also have an entire closet in a spare bedroom that is full of supplies that are in labeled plastic see through bins. I do agree.. the organization thing is super important. I have all of my things grouped togheter in like items... fondant tools... gumpaste tools... cookie cutters, sprinkles and sugars... dyes and gel colors... tips and bags... flavorings, I could go on and on. I have accumulated tons of stuff and am fortuante that I have a spare bedroom closet to keep it all in. If you stay organized, you will be much happier when you start a project!

[Amanda]

I started with a tackle box, but now my entire coat closet has a shelving system dedicated to cake stuff! One shelf dedicated to cookbooks, one to plastic drawers, one to pans, and one to fondant.
I have plastic mini drawers (you know those sterillite ones...) labeled "fondant tools", "buttercream tools", "assembly", "flower making" and "accessories". I also have one larger plastic drawer (the size of a shoe box) dedicated to colors and dusts, and one very large plastic chest of drawers sitting on the floor of the closet that holds my cardboard rounds, masonite boards in one drawer and all my cookie cutters in the other.
On the inside of the closet door I hung a cheep shoe rack (the one with plastic compartments for the shoes), and in each pouch I have smaller things organized. My garden flags are ordered by season, baking strips ordered by size, the 2 gallon ziplocs that I use to freeze large cakes in....etc. Just under that, at the middle of the door, I have two white wire accessory holders side by side. Those hold my parchment paper, foil etc.
I keep my orders in an 8X10 magnetic plastic picture frame on upper L hand corner of the side of my fridge. I use a modified version of cakebakers order sheet (check out her photos) so that I can see not only what flavors I'm making, but a sketch of what I'm doing as I'm doing it. The counter next to my fridge is where I keep my coffee pot, so every time I get a cup of coffee, I see what order is next.
My house was built in 1940, so there is very little closet space. That closet is in the dining room and is actually the only one on the main floor. I just recently (last week) decided to put my cake stuff on shelves in the basement so that I could use the closet as a pantry (again...1940..SMALL kitchen), but I'm hating it. I love having all my food in one place, but my cake stuff is too scattered. It's driving me nuts!!!
Anyway...that's how I organize.

[mona1949]

I have plastic containers full of cake supplies. I have 3 book cases full of cooking books. I also have a small home that was built in 1969. My daughter moved back home so I gave her my bedroom and I moved into one of the smaller bedrooms. My daughter has her bedroom closet, hall closet and the other spare bedroom closet full of clothes not to mention all the tubs in the basement. I would love a larger kitchen with lots of counter space. I was thinking of buying some cake pan racks since I am getting such a collection. I have four containers that are nothing but cookie cutters. Really all a person needs is a bathroom, bedroom and large large kitchen.

[jeri]

I love having the space in the bedroom to organize everything but I hate hauling everything back and forth. We have been in our home since it was built in 1978 and it is only 1400 sq ft so not a ton of room but enough for 2 of us!

[mona1949]

I only have 846 square feet and would love to have a bigger house. I have the same amount of space in the basement, but my daughter has a lot of her belonging stored there. There is one room in the basement that use to be a bedroom for the father-in-law of the previous owner. I have my computer, desk and craft items in that room. Would love to have the basement remodeled so there would be more storage. Seems like there is never enough storage. What is the best way to store cake pans?

[jeri]

I have a shelf with a big box on it in my garage that I store my pans in when it is not the busy time for me during the winter. They are in a sealed box so they dont get dusty. I still have to wash them every time I bring them in but that is the only place I really have to store them. I don't do many cakes when I go back to work at school in September. During the summer I have them all stacked by size in my spare room. I only have the rounds, squares, octagons, and a few hearts. I don't purchase the novelty pans since the only cakes I really do are my wedding cakes. I have had a few people ask about shower cakes and birthday cakes but I charge the same per serving for a wedding cake as I do for other cakes and that doesn't sit well with most people.

[hopekisa]

Amanda, You've got to take a picture of your closet. You're insanly organized!! I want to see it!

[Amanda]

I am insanely organized... I actually thought about a career as a professional organizer. If people only knew how much I LOVE staples, office depot and the container store....

[hopekisa]

you;re more than welcome to come over and do the miracles in my house. With 3 little ones (you know how it is) not so easy to organize and keep organized...I love those stores too, but my container would sit in a garage in the same bag with receipt for at least two weeks before I decide to put it to use.