One of our resolutions for the New Year is to get our apartment back in pre-baby shape in terms of organization. Certain areas have fallen by the wayside since our son was born and we're going to tackle them one by one. The first might be our landing strip which is overwhelmed by piles of mail - ingoing, outgoing, to be recycled? We're not really sure.
Coming across this tutorial for a quick-sew mail sorter by Gina of Bright and Blithe couldn't have happened at a better time. It's a basic shape making this a good project for beginner sewers too. She printed out her mail categories onto card stock and then stitched that onto the fabric panels, but if you're so inclined you could get fancy and embroider them.
You can find Gina's mail sorter tutorial at her blog Bright and Blithe (see some of her other nifty tutorials here).
(via Craft Gossip, photo credit: Bright and Blithe)
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This is similar to my system, although I don't have one made out of cute fabric pockets! I just have file folders in a stand-up magazine file, and everything that comes into the house has to fit in one of those folders or it's banished. :) Smart system to keep the pockets small so they can't be overstuffed.
nice! our big bowl in the entry way is over flowing with papers and mail! loving this idea...i can even use attached to the hat rack.
Back when I had more wall space, I made one of these out of clear vinyl, only way bigger. Huge, actually. It had 30 pockets and I numbered them. It was both my calendar and mail sorter. Things I had to do, places I had to go, etc., got filed under the proper date. And because it was vinyl, I could write on it with dry erase markers.
I just machined sewed the thing. Even got the vinyl at the fabric store.
Great idea! I use a desktop vertical file with "to file" "receipts" and other categories. The problem with that is it's a little too "out of sight, out of mind" and I don't get around to filing very often. My giant filing pile would pull this sorter off the wall, so I'd be more motivated to file more often!
@ avimom - that's brilliant!
I love this idea! avimom I might have to do your idea, though!