Needlepoint Thread Storage and Organization 101

One of my resolutions is to organize my needlepoint threads. I have so much thread and find myself buying colors and threads I already have.  Alas, mine is stored by type of thread in large Ziploc bags - not a great way to keep your threads. 

So I have been looking at various creative options, in an attempt to find an economical way to store my stash without taking up a ton of room or spending a fortune.  My very large Scout Bag now holds all of my stuff and it is overflowing. So what's a needlepointer to do?  Most of my threads are wool and silk, not the tidy DMC types in most of these photos which makes the project even more challenging.  And I have tons of loose threads - threads I can identify right now by the type of thread only (Silk & Ivory, Vintage Silk, etc.).

So here are some possible options......

1) File Folder Storage
One option is to go the file folder route.  This method does not take up a lot of room.  I already have a file folder case I can use.  You can make your own like this person did but you'd need to buy those rings and I would need a ton of them. This might be a very good solution if I can find a place to buy those rings very cheaply as I would need a ton.

You can buy these from Etsy which makes sense because you won't need to buy rings and you can take small labels and add the color number for each thread. But five bars are $40 plus shipping and I will need a lot of these so this may not be an economical way to go.

2) Notebook Method
Another option is to put the threads in plastics sleeves in a notebook. This does not take up much room but the sleeves can be expensive (I need a lot) and could easily fill several notebooks.  You can buy 4 and 5 inch notebooks which is likely the size that would hold the most threads. These could stored easily too.

You can also buy these on Etsy:

3) The Popsicle Stick Method
I have seen this method used which is great for many loose threads.  But how do you store the sticks?  And I would have many of them to store.  This is definitely a cheap way to solve the problem.

4) The Ring Method
Another idea is to store the threads in Ziploc bags and put them on these rings or put your thread on little cards like below and put them on rings. This is a fairly economical way to store.

You can buy these on Amazon for your threads and store them on rings or in Ziploc Bags.

Here are the metal rings that you can buy:

You can also store these in a plastic case.  This is a very inexpensive way to go.

I am tending to go with a hybrid solution, using the metal rings, Ziploc Bags and index card in the bag (indicating color name and number) and the box above for some of the threads.  Stay tuned....I'll be back once my problem is solved and organized.  

In my next life I'll have a room that looks like this......