The Ultimate Fabric Organization Guide: How to Store & Track Your Fabric Stash + Free Printable Swatch Card!

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The Ultimate Fabric Stash Organization Guide

If you love sewing, you probably have a fabric stash that’s grown over time—maybe even out of control! But having an organized fabric collection saves time, reduces waste, and prevents you from buying fabric you already have. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to declutter, organize, and store your fabric stash so you can easily find what you need for your next project. Plus, I’ve created a free downloadable fabric swatch card to help you keep track of your fabric details!

📌 Watch the full tutorial on YouTube! → https://youtu.be/dbzIbYajqKs

📌 Download the FREE Fabric Swatch Card → https://bit.ly/3DgqgTs

Step 1: Declutter & Sort Your Fabric

Before organizing, take everything out and sort through your collection. Ask yourself:
✔ Do I love this fabric? If you don’t see yourself using it, consider donating or repurposing it.
✔ Do I have enough for a project? Small fabric cuts might be better for scrap projects.
✔ Is it still in good condition? Get rid of fabric that’s damaged or deteriorating.

💡 What to do with unwanted fabric:

• Donate to local sewing groups, schools, or charities.
• Sell or swap with fellow sewists online or at craft meetups.
• Repurpose into scrap-friendly projects like quilt blocks, hair accessories, or doll clothes.

Once you’ve decluttered, sort your fabric into categories:
🧵 By fabric type (cotton, fleece, knit, canvas, etc.)
🎨 By color (I love organizing in rainbow order—it makes it easy to find what I need at a glance!)
📏 By project or yardage (Keep fabrics set aside for specific projects together.)

Step 2: Folding & Storing Fabric Efficiently

To keep my fabric neatly stored and easy to see, I use comic book boards as folding guides. This method creates uniform fabric "bolts" that can be stored on a shelf, in bins, or in a dresser.

🛍 Get Comic Book Boards Here: Amazon Storefront

Storage Solutions:

📚 Bookshelves – My preferred method! However, after my move, two of my bookcases broke. While I plan to replace them eventually, for now, I’m using:
🗂 Bins & Drawers – Flexible bins work well for lightweight fabrics, while thicker fleece and sweater knits go in a dresser. Tip: Avoid overloading dressers (especially IKEA ones) to prevent sagging!

💡 Alternative storage ideas:

• Fabric organizers with dividers
• Hanging organizers for small cuts
• Clear bins for easy visibility

Step 3: Keep Track with Fabric Swatch Cards

Ever forget why you bought a fabric or how much you have? I’ve been there! That’s why I created a Fabric Swatch Card to track:
✔ Fabric type, width, and yardage
✔ Pre-washed status
✔ Purchase details
✔ Project plans & notes

You can clip the cards to fabric, store them in a binder, roll them up in the fabric, or keep them in a drawer for reference.

📌 Download the FREE Fabric Swatch Card → https://bit.ly/3DgqgTs

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

With your fabric stash organized, you’ll save time, money, and frustration when planning sewing projects! 🎉

✨ Coming Soon: I’m working on a Fabric Scrap Busting Series to help you use up every last bit of fabric—stay tuned for fun projects!

📌 Watch the full tutorial on YouTube! → 🧵 The BEST Fabric Organization System! Track & Store Fabric
📌 Shop my favorite organizing supplies! → Amazon Storefront
📌 Check out my nail polish featured in my video! → A.V.A. Lacquer

💬 How do you organize your fabric stash? Let me know in the comments, and tag me on Instagram or Facebook @DIYwithAshley if you try these tips—I’d love to see your beautifully organized collection! 💕