punch storage

[pamcook]

How do you all store your punches? I have a metal bin - maybe 10x12x12 and they're all just dumped into it. This works fairly well because the ones I use the most are generally on top. I have seen storage bins designed specifically for punches - they look serviceable enough but are designed for specific brands/styles. I seem to have a few of each style. I've seen people use those shoe bags that hang on the back of a door.

Maybe what I'm doing works well enough for me and I'm overthinking the whole thing. Is there a perfect solution out there?

[nchoney]

Shoe bags probably won't hold the weight over time.... there was a company that used to make a super sturdy punch holder that went over the door... I think it was Cropper Hopper... I had those way back when... they're in storage, now... lost most of the punches in Irene...

I've got a metal mesh rack that Mike's going to mount to the wall at some point... it's the size to hold ribbon spools... so it'll be good for the few punches I now have... the other over-the-door rack didn't have BIG pouches for some of these bigger things we have now

So yeah.. I'm not being much help at all.

Just looked online though and those folks are storing lots of punches in shoe holders on their doors.. so maybe they're more sturdy than I'm giving them credit for

[nchoney]

Lots of folks are doing this with towel bars...

[Monica]

Mine are in drawers, because I don't have wall space to hang them up. Probably why I seldom use them!

[Keitha]

I only have a handful; I opted instead to buy QK dies which were cheaper/easier to store. The ones I have, a few circles in various small sizes and a couple of border punches, live in the 'Cut' drawer in my Alex cart along with trimmers, CM circles cutters, hole punch and Silhouette mats. Personally, I wouldn't want them hung on the wall or over a door, but generally speaking I don't want the visual clutter, so prefer everything put away in bins or drawers.

[pamcook]

I’ve seen the bars to hang on the wall but had never seen multiples - didn’t imagine it could work. I think I like that idea best of all but I just don’t have the wall space.

I thought about moving them to my Alex but not sure the drawers should hold up to the weight. I have quite a few punches.

Will obviously give this a lot more thought. I feel like I use those I have enough to justify the storage space.

[BekiWard@msn.com]

I have a couple of Crop In Style over-the-door Punch Pals. They’re not bad, but they do pull on the door; fortunately I have a very old house with solid doors, but I still notice it. I’m not sure if they’re still available...

[Monica]

I actually was thinking that I need to go through all the punches I have and be ruthless in purging. I use the Disney ones because they're with Disney embellishments, and who doesn't use corner rounders? But I have a slew of the border ones from when EK Success and Martha Stewart partnered and sold them at Michael's, and a bunch of other random ones from over the years before I got into dies.

[pbp908]

Mine are all in a fishing tackle box. Got rid of a lot of them and now wish I still had them.

[Monica]

Mine are all in a fishing tackle box. Got rid of a lot of them and now wish I still had them.

Which ones? I may have them to send you?

[Keitha]

Pam, I agree about being concerned about the weight in the Alex drawers. The only drawer I've had trouble with coming off its track is one that was heavily loaded, and although I ordered replacement parts and my grandson took it all apart and fixed it for me, it's never been quite the same since. I'm careful about how much I put in them now.
When I bought a scallop border punch I thought I'd be all fancy and got the one that has the holes in the scallops; how I regret not just getting the plain one. That's one punch that may get purged here shortly. And one of my circle punches doesn't cut cleanly; Probably hasn't from Day 1 - I should have returned it to Michaels at the time. It's almost annoying enough to purge as well, although I will try tin foil before I do. But I think it's a defect in the punch.

[pamcook]

I had a punch - can’t remember the shape now but it stuck every single time. I would have to throw it (not drop - actually throw it) on the floor to get it to pop loose. I finally got mad and threw it out. Obviously I didn’t need it - hadn’t thought of it since!

Monica - let me know if there are any you seriously want to get rid of. I may NEED some of them.

[jfugina]

Mine are in a drawer in one of my Reflections cubes. The drawer really is too full and is so heavy it's nearly impossible to open. I've thought about putting them in an over the door holder, but since the door to my room stays open most of the time, that puts them a little too far out of sight/out of mind.

I like the look of the metal bars, but somehow it doesn't looks all that sturdy. Like, one good door slam that rattles the house would send half them crashing to the floor. Also, more than half of my punches are "old school" I guess, where they don't have the thumb lever. You have to push down on the whole image squarely from the top. And those guys are HEAVY. I wouldn't want to try to prop too many of those up on a metal rod unless it was really sturdy. Like others here, I'd love to be able to glance at a wall and see what I have. But I think that if I were to ever give up that amount of wall space, I'd want to display all of my WM rubber stamps.

[Monica]

Okay Pam, when I purge I will post pictures here so you can make a list.

[nchoney]

That was it. Crop in Style!