Okay, I saw some of the boxes that store tips, but honestly hate to spend that much on it, and I dont think it would fit all my tips.

So, I was thinking, If I took one of the smaller lidded boxes that you can get at walmart, (they have some cute see through pink or green ones for 4.00 right now) and put some of that green floral foam in it, and stuck the tips down in it so they wouldnt move, would that work?

RIght now they are in a small box, (the 1.50 one from WM) but are all jumbled, and by the time I go through the 87 of them to find the #3 tip, I have forgotten what I am doing or my icing is hard. LOL

Do any of y'all have a cheaper method to control all your tips? I am hobby baking, and each month I sneak a little out of the household budget to buy a new gadget, but hate to waste my allotment on a special 'AHA we have someone gonna spend 69.00 on an altered 5.00 fishing tackle box' cake box...

I would think the foam would shed on the tips. The cake store I shop at has a wall of those tiny nail bins. Ok not sure if the for nails but it's big and full of tiny little drawers. They have stickers on every drawer with the tip number(s). The drawers aren't deep, probably big enough to hold 4-5 regular size tips. It's a great system and looks like something you buy at home depot not michaels

I too have been using a hardware organizer for nail and bolts for years. It has small drawers like previously suggested. The drawers are labeled, I keep the tip cleaning brushes, the couplers and most smaller item decorating things. Love the hardware stores. HTH too.
Hammy

I bought the blue storage container from wilton which has a spot for tips, big waste of money, I've thought of buying the clear plastic containers with small compartments from the DIY stores, it would be easy to keep organised and you could label the top with each tip#

Went to the hardware store yesterday with the hubby.. I LOVE to go with him in there because you always find something that could be used for caking! I think sometimes he thinks I'm a little crazy.. The little bins for nails/bolts/screws are perfect for tips!

Got this at the Dollar Store.

Honestly, I had thought about the harware store, I LOVE that place. LOL and getting the screw bins. I agree, they are best.
I'm just soo short on room, I thought I would have to get too many of them. Maybe not. I think my OCD would let me put 1-5 in each one. if they were the same type. I have used the ones from the tackle part of walmart and put my nail tips (for acrylics) in them. LOVED that. made it SOOO easy to find.

Heck, when I was in middle school and got my first makeup, I stole my granfathers tackle box and cleaned it up and put the make up in it. LOL I've used them for everything since then. (that was before Caboodles came out... I LOVED caboodles... LOL )

I also wondered about taking a small peice of plywood that would fit in one of those containers from walmart- and drilling holes in it. then taking a small dowell, cutting it to about 2 inches. glueing the dowells down and the tips standing on that.
cause your right, the floral foam would possibly get shavings all over.

Thanks for sharing y'alls ideas!! I just hope to get it organized as cheaply as possible!!

I got a nail/screw/hardware holder at wal-mart for 10.00, it has 24 drawers in it, and sits on my countertop. I have each drawer labeled with the number. I'm getting another one for my ameri-colors

This is how I store mine, on a spool rack from the fabric store. I added extra posts (nails) between the ones already there. I stack each kind of tip (and duplicates) on its own post. Tips go in numerical order. Each crossbar is labeled so I know which is which when sorting. The rack sits on a box where I store couplers and other stuff underneath the rack.

I bought a wooden thread holder at Walmart, it hangs on the wall or stands on a flat surface and has about 60 pegs on it (the one shown in the pic has 120). I just pop my tips on the pegs, if I have 2 or 3 of the same tip I just stack them on top of each other on the same peg, and I put them up in numerical order. It's super easy just to grab a tip!

Hey KathyTW... Great minds, eh?

Here is what we use. I couldn't find a great pic from work so I found something similar on the internet. I got mine at walmart. I use the bigger drawers at the bottom to store cupplers, large basketweave, etc. I put more info with the discription of each photo.

Yup, the plastic tool bin designed for small hardware like nails, screws, nuts, and bolts picture above is what I store my tips in. I have them divided up among the drawers and the drawers labelled as to what's in each. This is how we stored our tips at Publix and I loved it so much I bought one for my home use.

I use my Wilton tan/burgandy tool caddy. It is still useful to me, but sometime soon I'll probably convert to the thread spool holder. When I have the separate shop (which I will be starting on soon - YAY!).

These are great ideas! Jennifer, that is the cutest baby pic!

Sugarfrosted.....you know it!!!!

I use bead organizer from Walmart, I think it was $2.00

THANKS Y'ALL!!

a spool holder!! why didnt I think of that?? my grandmother was a seamstress and I spent MANY MANY MANY hours of my childhood doing her thread colors by the rainbow as a child... LOL (yes, OCD... LOL ) I guess thats kinda what I was going for in the nail in plywood idea. But put it in a box so it wouldnt make a mess when dropped! LOL

Awww Jennifer sooo cute!! adn I'm bettin he'd LOVE to get into those drawers!!

See, if I had the space, I would LOVE to have that.

Mine kinda have to be in those rubbermade boxes, cause I have to move stuff all the time, its just sat in the kitchen. On a counter.

I would LOVE a seperate place to keep it all, since I dont even have enough room in my kitchen for my own pots and pans, and food, much less extra cake stuff! LOL

But y'all have really helped me with ideas.. THANK YOU!!

I use the exact same one that JenniferAtwood does. When I need to take them anywhere with me they are already in the box and I have labels on the outside saying what number and some for what use. Like grass tip, rose tips, leaf tips ...etc. with the number also.

I just wrap just lay it flat on it's back in a container/box and travel. If someone else is going to help me unload I wrap it in saran first. I use the big 18' - 24" plastic wrap you get from a supplier and just go around real quick. That way if they drop it all the little drawers won't go flying out.

I use empty clear plastic egg cartons. Most of my tips are large ones and wilton storage boxes are too small.