Pamela’s Gallery

The idea for this pocket came to  me from something Etha Schutte shared a while back, when we were talking about the way we store our stamps.

Now you all know, I prefer mine in a numbered cd case, and I have a print out with all my stamp sets sorted by theme, and numbered. It’s very easy for me to flip thru the pages of my little ‘catalog’ and find (remember) a set I have, look at the number, and just pull the cd case out. BUT-I do have several sets that do NOT fit into the cd cases…and I’ve tried all sorts of options for storing them, and was not happy with any of them. UNTIL I saw the paper envelope Etha shared…..it was a great big ol light bulb exploding over my head! SOOO, I’ve designed this happy little tutorial to show you how to create your own pockets, and help save the planet at the same time!

Here we go!

Click any of the thumbnails for larger views, email me if something isn’t clear.

Supplies needed:

Empty cereal boxes/shipping boxes/cardboard inserts (one of what ever you have on hand, not all three)

Plastic bags/transparencies/large pieces of plastic like gift boxes or barbies come in (one of what ever you have on hand, not all three)

Glue stick, double sided tape/tape gun

Scissors/craft knife

White copy paper

12 x12 sheets of scrapbook paper (I use the inserts that come in many albums, since I don’t use them for anything else, they just pile up!)

To make a storage pocket for a stamp set that is 8.5×5.5:

a few Supplies

Step 1: the pocket

Take one sheet of 12×12 scrapbook paper and fold the left and right sides in about 1/2 inch, then fold almost in half (you want there to be about a 1/2 inch border at the top of one piece) Finally, seal the left and right edges closed with a strong adhesive, I recommend double sided tape

fold sides in about 1/2 inch

fold bottom half up to top, so there is a half inch showing

use adhesive to seal edges

Step 2: the insert

Cut a piece of scrap cardboard (cereal box, the flap of a mailing box etc) about 8.5 x 5 inches.  Use either sharp scissors, of if you are handy with a utitlity knife/razor, they work great on cardboard!  I am using the plastic bag that I send my stamps in. It’s a resealable bag and perfect for this idea. (If you don’t have this type of bag skip to Step 3.)

Slide the cardboard into the bag, and slip the print out (that comes with your set) in there too. Now close the bag.

Cut cardboard 8.5x5 inches

Slip the insert into the bag, on top of the cardboard

Step 2a Insert if you don’t have any resealable bags:

If you don’t have any resealable bags, you can use a gallon size plastic bag, just fold over and tape the excess down on the back side, OR you can cut a transparency to fit the card board, glue the print out (or stamp your own) onto the cardboard, then adhere the transparency over that. Having the print out will help you keep order with the stamps, and alert you if one is missing.

Step 3: Finishing

Either stamp the images on the outside of the pocket, or glue another print out  on the front pocket. Label the top edge that you left exposed, with the number of the stamp set on one corner and the name of the set on the other corner.

Name on one corner

Set number on the other corner

Now just stick the stamps on top of the plastic, and then slide the whole thing into the pocket!

Place stamps on top of plastic. These have all got repositional tack it over glue on the backs of them.

Slide the whole thing into the pocket. IF a stamp does come off, it will be in the pocket!

Step 4: Storage

I am currently storing these in a plastic tub, but when you make the smaller sized pockets (for the 4×5sets) they will store nicely in those mini milk crates. The basket fits nicely on my wall shelf too.

Don’t forget you can keep track of your sets, by stamping the images on plain copy paper, and keep in a 3 ring binder. Add the set number, and/or name and you’ll always know what you have and what set it belongs too! I have mine sorted by theme, so it’s easy to just pull the numbered set and go!

I create a whole bunch of these in the 4×5 set size for my sister Mona. She lives in NY, and sending her CD’s with sets in them wasn’t so easy to do! SO necessity IS the mother of invention right? lol…………hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and you get YOUR stamps organized today!