Friday, April 24, 2026

Paper Memories Sidekick Kit | Organizer Tutorial + Full Project

This project got blown out of proportion instantly… haha! What started as a simple plan to recreate a cute desk organizer turned into a whole collection of coordinating pieces.

From this


To this


This organizer actually has a bit of a story. It was part of a swap I received back in 2021, and I loved it so much that I brought it with me all the way here to KSA. It’s been sitting on one of my carts ever since, holding little bits and pieces of my crafty life. So I thought, why not try to recreate it?

Handmade loot I received from Dr. Grace Lamina

My fave of all! This organizer had so many stuff inside - from bag charm, tags, crochet embellished paper clips, memorydex cards to ribbons and trims!


With a bit of measuring, guessing, and figuring things out along the way… I think I did pretty well!



For this project, I used Traci Reed’s Trailblazer collection, which was just perfect for this project. I love the wooden pattern paper that gave the organizer the wooden effect.



Although you can read more about this project (and see the rest of the team’s amazing creations) over on Traci’s blog, I wanted to share a step-by-step tutorial here on how I made the organizer.


Materials Used

  • Patterned paper – Trailblazer collection by Traci Reed
  • Tim Holtz Guillotine Paper Trimmer
  • CutterPillar Crease Score Board
  • Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue
  • Pompom trims
  • Scissors

Organizer Instructions

1. Choose your organizer base. It can be plain cardstock, but for this one, I chose the wood-patterned paper from the Trailblazer collection.

2. For the main base, score an 11 x 8.5 cardstock at:
  • Long side: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5
  • Short side: 7, 7.5, 8



3. Cut a slanted portion from the corners where the score lines meet (just like the reference photo).



4. Using the same design cardstock, trim another piece to 6 x 8.



5. Trim another piece to 5.5 x 11 and score:
  • Long side: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5
  • Short side: 4, 4.5, 5




6. Do the same slanted cuts on the corners where the score lines meet.


7. Trim another piece to
2.5 x 9 and score:
  • Long side: 0.5, 8.5
  • Short side: 0.5





8. Again, cut the slanted corners as in the previous steps.



9. Choose the patterned papers you’ll use to line the inside pockets.

10. Trim them to the following sizes:
  • 6.75 x 7.75
  • 5.75 x 7.75
  • 3.75 x 7.75
  • 1.75 x 7.75
11. Adhere these pieces to each panel before assembling the organizer.

12. Fold along all score lines, then adhere the 6 x 8 piece to the largest base (11 x 8.5).









Trim the excess on both sides



13. Adhere the second-largest base to the front of the 6 x 8 piece.





14. Attach the smallest base to the front of the previous layer.





15. Optional but cute: line your organizer with pompom trims! I added it to one panel as a little tribute to my swap mate who made the original piece.


16. Finish it off by embellishing with flowers.




What’s Inside My Sidekick Kit

Of course… I didn’t stop at the organizer.

I created a whole Paper Memories Sidekick Kit to go with it:

  • A mini album that can double as a scrapbook or journal. I added a small frame on the cover so you can personalize it, while the inside is left open for flexibility - photos, journaling, or memory keeping. It also includes pockets, inserts, and tags.
















  • A folder organizer filled with cards from the Trailblazer collection, perfect for storing letters, journaling cards, or those little bits you’re saving for future layouts.







  • A “List of Me” ring-bound set, which is such a fun and personal piece. You can fill it with lists like things you’re grateful for, favorite books, favorite food, or even random thoughts, and keep adding more over time.



  • And a journaling cards holder, a simple folio with a string closure. Once you’ve used all the cards, you can repurpose it as a sticker or ephemera holder.







What started as recreating a well-loved organizer turned into something even more meaningful (and a bit excessive! hehe) - a full set that holds not just supplies, but memories, ideas, and little pieces of me.

If you’d like to see more details about this project and check out the rest of the team’s creations, make sure to visit Traci’s blog as well.

And tbh… this is your reminder that sometimes the best projects are the ones that don’t go according to plan.










Oh and of course, scraps were turned to mini notebooks!









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Paper Memories Sidekick Kit | Organizer Tutorial + Full Project

This project got blown out of proportion instantly… haha! What started as a simple plan to recreate a cute desk organizer turned into a whol...