5 Easy Steps to Organize Project Life Cards

Oh Project Life cards, how beautiful you are, and yet you are so plentiful. That’s my ode to pocket scrapbooking! Project Life cards can make you feel like you are drowning sometimes. The system that is meant to make life easier can become overwhelming. To help beat this feeling of overwhelm, I found a good method for storing your core kits using 5 easy steps to organize Project Life cards.

Naturally as a Type-A person I am always looking for the next best system to organize my supplies. It changes all the time based on my scrapbooking techniques and preferences. Project Life cards are no different when it comes to figuring out the best method for organization.

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My Original Organization Gone Wrong

After I had collected quite a few Project Life core kits, I wanted to store the cards in a smaller container instead of keeping them in the original core kit box. On top of the core kits, I also accumulated quite a few cards from other value kits and brands. With all those core kits and mini kits, I felt like I was drowning in Project Life cards.

So a few years ago, I had a brilliant idea that I would be able to find and use my cards by sorting them by color. It was pretty and fun to sort by color, but it was not helpful in getting me to use those cards. I spent more time trying to find the matching cards that I hardly used them anymore.

Over time I have bought more core kits but never sorted them out since the color organization wasn’t working for me. So this year, I decided that I needed to reorganize what I already organized. (Glutton for punishment is what my husband calls this, but I’ve got to get these cards sorted to use them more often!)

My Project Life Card Organization Gone Right!

My new organization method: sort the cards together as a core kit in a container with labels and organization using tabbed dividers. Sounds simple and maybe a little silly, but you know what? It has helped so much! I want to walk you through what I did to reorganize the Project Life cards by kit. I even made my own tabbed dividers on my Cricut to organize my cards that I am sharing with you. You can get a FREE copy at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Print a Card Reference File for Each Core Kit

Find all of the card reference files and print them out from Becky Higgins’ site. To save on paper, print two pages per sheet.

If you remember your core kit names, then this should be fairly easy. But, if you don’t remember the name, it may take some time to find the proper card reference file. Becky Higgins has amassed quite a few Project Life kits over the years! If you have the Project Life App, it may be helpful to skim through the kits in her app to find the name of the core kits you own.

Step 2: Sort Your Cards in Small Batches

Sort your kits in small batches so you aren’t overwhelmed. If you only have 5 or 10 minutes, grab a small handful and start sorting them. As you go through more cards, you’ll recognize the pattern much quicker and know where it belongs.

Use the card reference files to help you find which cards belong to each kit if you aren’t sure. The key here is to work in small batches to accomplish the larger task. This part actually went by fairly quick for me after I sorted a couple small batches.

Step 3: Sort Through Each Core Kit Pile

Now that you’ve done the heavy lifting, it’s time to check each pile to be sure it belongs in each core kit. Use your reference sheet again to mark off the cards that belong in the kit and keep track of how many you have of each card. If you find a card that doesn’t belong in the kit then put it in the appropriate kit or set it aside in a miscellaneous pile.

This part takes a little bit longer, but again, do it in small batches. Also remember that each 3×4 card is double sided, so you will have duplicates. You can decide how to sort and organize your cards within the kit. I followed the order that was on the reference sheet when I picked up my cards.

Step 4: Store and Organize Your Cards using Tabbed Dividers

Tabbed dividers is what has saved my Project Life card organization this time around. It has helped me quickly and easily find the cards I want to use for a project. I made tabbed dividers to fit inside the IKEA Antonius container which is super cheap and fits the Project Life cards perfectly!

I made these tabbed dividers using the Cricut so I could cut a lot at once. I also printed quite a few dividers at once and found a way to save paper using the Cricut Design Space. It saved me so much time using my Cricut instead of cutting the dividers by hand. If you want to use these same tabbed dividers, you can get a copy at the end of this post.

If you are making them by hand you want to measure your cards to fit in the container they will need to be sized down slightly. For the 3×4 card slot the exact measurements are 2.88 x 3.977. For the 4×6 card slot the exact measurements are 3.9767 x 5.97.

Step 5: Make It Work for You

In total I think this took me about 12 hours to sort all the cards, create and cut the tabbed dividers, and organize 8 core kits. Since I broke it down into small chunks of time, it didn’t seem to take that long. You may decide that sorting by core kit is the best method or maybe by theme or color. Any method is worth a try to see if it works for you. The important thing is that you keep your Project Life cards organized for easy access and you use them!

For me, sorting by kit is the best way for me to stay organized and use my cards. It also really helped me to organize my kits using the tabbed dividers to find them easily and I saved myself a ton of time by cutting them on my Cricut. If you are looking to organize your cards, you can get access to the Cricut cut file that includes 3×4 and 4×6 tabbed dividers in my FREE resource library.

And Now It’s Sorting Time

No matter how you decide to sort your cards, always stick with what works best for you. Get your supplies organized so that you are creating instead of procrastinating. Quit being a scrapbook supply hoarder and start making today with this easy organization method!

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Let me know how you organize your Project Life cards. I would love to see what you’ve been using and if you plan on changing your organization method.

Until next time, lead your best creative life today!
Julie