5 Great Organizational Tips

You've conquered desk disarray, shoe-closet stampedes, and kids' clutter. You're well on the way to a full year of succeeding in that New Year's resolution to get organized! Next stop: those drawers stuffed with photo-center envelopes, loose negatives, and stuck-together prints of people you can't identify.

It never fails: You develop a roll of film, flip through the photos a couple of times, and toss them aside intending to sort them in the future. Later, when you're on the hunt for a particular snapshot, you paw through overwhelming stacks of photos littered throughout the house or shoved into desk drawers, but the image you're searching for seems to have disappeared.

The next time you pick up your developed film, spend an evening sorting the photos right away. Make it a family event -- share laughs and reminisce about that shot of the dog eating your son's birthday cake -- and you'll be on the right track for keeping those precious memories safe, organized, and easily accessible.

Pick and Choose Weed your photos when you first receive them. Nab your favorites to put in an album or frame right away, pick out ones to give to friends, and throw away those you'd rather not remember. There's no need to keep bad exposures, blurry shots, or bloopers you won't look at again. While you sort, record an identifying description, such as the date or who's in the photo, on the back. Write with a light touch, and make certain you use an acid-free, photo-safe pencil or pen, available at art-supply and crafts stores.

Supply Corral For easy access, keep all of your photo supplies near your albums and storage boxes. If you use the family room bookshelves, for example, designate a shelf in the cabinet below to keep film, extra albums, scrapbooking materials, even camera equipment. Use labeled plastic storage tubs and baskets to keep clutter contained.

Memory Reminders Albums or binders with acid-free plastic sleeves are great systems for organizing your photos. Identify shots by leaving a blank pocket in front of each new set of photos. Slip a little labeling card in the pocket -- something to remind you and other viewers that these are moments from your second honeymoon in Hawaii or your niece's graduation party. Slide the corresponding negatives into acid-free plastic negative sheets and keep in the back of the album or in a separate binder.

Box It Up You can use boxes to create a filing system, whether you purchase specially made photo boxes or make storage containers yourself. Transfer prints from the photo-center packets to less bulky acid-free envelopes. Clearly label each envelope with dates and any other identifying description -- "Road trip to Yellowstone" or "Christmas 1998," for instance -- then separate the envelopes into specific categories for storage. Label tabbed dividers to further organize into subcategories, perhaps by year or family member. The key is to create categories that will fit all of your photos and that you'll remember when the time comes to search out that certain shot.

Think Outside the Box Line a drawer of a desk, bureau, or flat file with acid-free, archival-quality cardboard for storing envelopes of photos and negatives just as you would in a photo box. A piano bench or chest also makes a handy storage unit.