How to organise magazine clippings
I subscribe to a few too many magazines.
I can't help it I just love food mags.
One of my favourite weekend morning activities is sitting with a pot of tea and the latest foodie inspiration.
The only problem with this obsession is the space the magazines take up. I didn't want to get rid of any of them because how would I find the recipes?
I didn't like ripping anything out because a) I didn't have a way to organise the clippings and b) I didn't want to pass on ripped magazines.
My technique for a while was using post-it notes to mark the recipes I liked the sound of. The only problem with this system was I could never remember which magazine a particular recipe was in. I decided that since I bought the magazines and the people I pass them on are getting them for free a few missing pages shouldn't hurt. Then I put on my thinking cap and came up with a free way to sort and organise the clippings.
I used some folder dividers, plastic sleeves, ribbon, plain paper and two exercise books I picked up at the Big W back to school sale for 5 cents each (yes 5c bargain!).
One book I dedicated to crafts and other projects (I subscribe to Better Homes and Gardens too).
The second exercise book is full of my favourite food pics that I use for inspiration for styling. I'm only just getting into this and trying to improve my skills.
The recipe clippings were the last thing I organised. I used the dividers and separated them all into the following categories:
- meals
- sides and finger/party food
- baked goodies
- desserts
- occasions
I stuck the recipes on blank paper and slipped each piece into a plastic sleeve. I added a few empty sleeves to each category (so I don't have to take the whole thing apart every time I add a recipe) and stacked them all on top of each other.
I've also started sorting my Pinterest boards into the same categories to make it nice and easy to find recipes.
Then it was time to make them look pretty. I covered the exercise books with some leftover fabric from my latest sewing project. For the front and back of the recipe folder I cut two pieces of cardboard from a box and covered them in wrapping paper then put it all together with two paper clips and tied a ribbon on each one.
There you have it, two shelves worth of magazines compacted into a folder and two little exercise books.
What about you? How do you organise your recipes?
Inspired2cook says
Great tips for organizing recipes!!! :)
Claire says
Thanks!
Glamorous Glutton says
I stick the recipes in my book after I have made them. I used to save them all and then found some unreliable!! Not me surely LOL. Your system is so pretty and like NQN I still have a hefty folder of things that I haven't tried yet. GG
Claire says
Haha no I always blame the recipe too. I don't think I could get through all my recipes in a lifetime.
Nic@diningwithastud says
Fab tips! I use the lever arches and have had to even cull my cull. It gets a little out of control lol
Claire says
I always start off with great intentions of trying recipes but I've discovered that unless it's easy I won't make it. Makes the filing a bit easier.
The Café Sucré Farine says
You are so smart! I love all your ideas - it's funny because I was just organizing recipes tonight! Thanks for some great tips!
Claire says
Why thank you! Glad I could help.
Shamelle@BetterBloggingWays says
I also have something similar. I collect recipes from both newspapers and magazines.
My biggest problem is keeping the index..sort of like having a table of content so that i can quickly find the recipe I need.
Have you come across any ideas for quickly finding stuff within the book?
Claire says
That is a tricky one. I'm lucky in that if I like a recipe, I'll add it to my blog so that forms my 'searchable' index.
It would take a bit of maintenance but setting up an excel document would probably be your best bet. Maybe with columns like recipe, main ingredient, cuisine type and then where to find it. I know there are ways you can make the columns into drop down boxes so you could do a search for say 'chicken' & 'Mexican' recipes and they would all come up. It just depends on how you like to categorise them.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
haha much better than my manila folder (which I haven't dared to open in years for fear of everything spilling out)! :)
Claire says
I know that feeling. The ones that I actually had ripped out were all just stacked in a box. Not easy to sort through!
ELIZABETH BRADSHAW says
Great idea, I also do this but now have 21 lever arch files full - each have 1 or 2 files devoted to a variety of clippings, eg beef, chicken, oriental, desserts (3 of those!!).
Having clipped for a number of years I now find my tastes have changed, and also recipe styles change.
Claire says
21! Wow that is impressive. Yes you're right about tastes changing. When I was going through all the recipes to cut out, heaps of the ones that I'd marked didn't take my fancy anymore.