Thursday, August 18, 2011

Organization of Cookie Cutters & Baking Supplies

Are you as OBSESSED with cookie cutters as I am? Doubtful. I know you think you are, but seriously doubtful.  Well if you've started your collection of cookie cutters, then you know that they take up A LOT of room and they keep growing! I've changed my cookie cutter organization a couple times, but this is what is working for me and I LOVE IT. I don't have any cookies to show you as I've been out of town this week looking at colleges with my son for next year, so instead, lets talk organization today...
 I have 12 wood cubbies that line up almost one whole wall in my office. My wood cubbies are from Target from their ITSO line of products, but now they only come in white and I prefer maple or pine colored furniture so as I've expanded my cubbies, I've found these from Foremost at Amazon. When I bought mine, they offered free shipping, so hold out and see if they offer that again or see what your local stores carry. I HATE to shop, so I buy everything online whenever possible. For me, it's much more time efficient. That "Go Cristin" sign is from my friends, Sonia, Monica & Shilpi during the LiveStrong Challenge that hangs proudly in my office.
 The cloth storage bins are from Target. They come in small size for smaller categories of cutters like Get Well or Pirate and also in medium size for bigger categories like Sports or Christmas.
 Did I mention that I'm an organization freak? Everything in my house has a specific spot it's supposed to be in. So, as you can imagine, this system for my cookie cutters works well for me. 
 All those cookie cutters in bags haven't even been played with yet! I need to get baking...
 See how easily they pull out and I can just grab the whole bin of the category I'm working on. The cutters in the picture below are my Cowboy cookie cutters. Super cute. CopperGifts.com was kind enough to post my decorated cookie of Cowboy Clyde on their website. What an honor huh!
 Each bin is labeled for easy access and they are also in alphabetical order to find easily.
 Here's an up-close of the bins and their labels
Okay are you wondering how to organize your own cookie cutter obsession? This might be of help. I created a spreadsheet of every cookie cutter that I have and the dimensions and where I bought it. I keep them organized by category so that when I want to make "movie" cookies, I won't forget to also make popcorn cookies and to get my star from my shapes bin and so on. I keep a list of all cookie ideas in that category saying "see this bin for this cutter". I have made a copy of my spreadsheet and deleted most of my own cookie cutters except for the first category so that you can see how to organize your own cutters and use the spreadsheet for yourself. Click on the picture below to download and personalize your own copy.
Another recommendation is to keep a running list of your wish list of cookie cutters. This way you remember what you're wishing for when your birthday comes around and Christmas and your family wants ideas so they can get you something really special. CopperGifts.com also provides a saved wish list on their website for you.

Okay back to getting organized. I have four binders of cookie ideas. Whenever I decorate a cookie that I like, I take a photo of it and store it in this binder, so that I can remember how I did it the next time. I'm getting old and senile so this works for me ;-). I also find cute ideas on the web and from friends and I save that too along with a note of who had the idea that inspired me so that I can give credit where credit is due.
I also have pretty glass storage containers for my sanding sugar. I bought these from Amazon as well. Actually I found the larger ones on top at Target and the smaller ones on bottom at Amazon. Warning, the smaller ones on the bottom the top pulls off, so always lift from the jar, not the top unless you happen to want pretty sanding sugar all over your counters!
I store all my decorator tips, bags and such in pink bins in my kitchen cupboard. Easy access and stored neatly and pretty in pink :-)
and my pretty pink mixer is stored away nicely in a cupboard that pops up when I need it. This was a gift from my hubby. He scored LOTS of points with this one ;-)
So that's my organization method for my crazy baking obsession. I have some work to do in my office today, but then I hope to get back to baking very soon! I hope you're enjoying your day!

14 comments:

  1. Wow - that's all I can say.

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  2. Let me elaborate on my comment above. You are so organized - more than I'll ever be! I like the spreadsheet idea. I might have to borrow that to get my cookie cutters in some sort of order. Thanks for posting this!

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  3. I love all your bright pink bins, spreadsheet, and mixer storage! You not only have incredible cookie decorating talent, but you have mad organizational skills!

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  4. This is amazing!! I totally love the little pink bins!! I have to remember this system when I get the space (and more cutters), but I would get red bins since that's my favorite color! :-) And I love love how your mixer pops out like that, way cool!!

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  5. A place for everything and everything in it's place all pink and pretty and amazingly organized :0

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  6. My mother has the same mixer pop-out stand. I have never seen another like it!

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  7. Oh my husband is in trouble!! To think I have been giving him scraps and and "mess ups" for years and he has never given me a hidden mixer stand!! I love the look of the sanding sugar jars, reminds me of the area that I have my disco dust shakers (arranged in rainbow order of course!)

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  8. If I could be organized like this it would be a very wonderful thing indeed!

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  9. ~WOW~WE THINK ALIKE!~ I'VE JUST STARTED TO GET INTO COOKIES.WAS LEARNING/DOING CAKES, AND REALISED ALL THESE COOKIE TOOLS,& INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO BE ORGANISED TOO! I FOUND MY SANDING SUGAR,& DECORATING SPRINKLES ECT... JARS AT MICHEAL'S, THEY HAVE THE OLD FASHION LIFT LOCK'S.AND SINCE MY KITCKEN IS GRAPES,WINE ECT... MY BASKETS ARE DARK GREEN & CREAM. BEEN AFTER MY HUBBY FOR ONE OF THOSE MIXER LIFTS FOR YRS...HE PROMISES IN OUR NEW HOME.. THE ONE WE'LL RETIRE IN...THAT'S 10 YRS AWAY...SO UNTIL THEN MY DARK GREEN KITCHEN AID STAYS ON MY COUNTER...ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS SO INTO PINK...CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW HER YOURS..SHE'LL FLIP!!THANKS FOR POSTING!~{{{HUGS}}}~JEANI~

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  10. Thank you for making the cutter spreadsheet. I downloaded it and will hopefully make time to fill in with my own cookie cutters.

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  11. Haha - I'm glad I'm not the only one so pedantic about my cutters! I have an excel spreadsheet that is not only color-coded into categories, but keeps a running total of how many I have of each, how many I have actually bought (eeek!) and how many have been gifted to me and by whom and what year!! I also have a 'Wish List' of cutters to look out for. Sadly, my cutter storage doesn't look as pretty as yours - they ARE sorted and labeled, but kept out of sight and reach of my three little pigs! lol. Thanks for posting this!! Makes me feel normal! :D Kaye (Newcastle, Australia)

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    1. We sound very similar Kaye! The spreadsheet that I shared is for others to use, but my personal cookie cutter storage has a running total of how many cutters and where I bought them including the ones that were gifts and from who. I love my cookie cutters!

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  12. This is an unreal site! Unreal and I of course love all the cookie cutter! Pam @ http://eCookieCutters.com

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I love hearing from you! Cristin