[Laura Berlage]

When I started making kits for classes, I kept a few notes, but most of it lived in my head.  That worked when I had about a dozen different classes.  As that number grew, it became harder to remember everything, and it wasn’t helpful at all if I needed to call in reinforcements (e.g. family) to help me make kits to meet a deadline.  They couldn’t crawl into my head for me!  It got even harder when a host organization would request a kit I hadn’t taught in a while.  What went into that kit again???

Now that I have more than 100 different classes that I offer online, having meticulous notes about materials kits is absolutely essential.  I keep these notes in page savers (as the original paper was tearing from overuse) in a binder, organized by medium and level.  This binder is essential to my process!

Here are things I keep track of in my kit recipes:

• If the kit includes yarn or roving, what color, how much, and what weight (if yarn).
• What tools and how many (2 felting needles, 3 tatting needles, 1 threaded beading needle with light blue thread, etc.)
• What printed materials are included or if there’s a design that needs to be traced onto backing, etc.
• What specialized accessories are needed:  zippered liner bag, wooden push pins, 2 red wool miniature scarves, 2 green pipe cleaners, 4 black glass eye beads, etc.
• If anything needs to be bundled and labeled, noted in brackets (e.g. headers, warp, nails for assembling loom, etc.)

List everything out in ways that are easy to follow, much like a recipe lists ingredients for cooking.

If you are a visual person, it might be helpful to lay out a kit like an exploded diagram and take a picture.  Print the picture and tape it to your recipe, so you can visually check that you have everything.

Keep your binder in a safe place, where it is easy to access while preparing kits.  I have mine on a stand next to an ounce scale on the corner of my teaching table (off-camera).  That is its permanent home!  I always know it’s there.

What types of notes would help you best for keeping track of what goes into kits?  Start your binder!  I’m serious!  Ideas?  Questions?

[Modriscoll]

Just trying the forum out!! There is ALOT of information here!! I have a binder for my punch needle kit instructions and the designs printed. The original work as you have described is in my head and the weights are in 1 notepad and one diary, they are pages with random numbers and only I know what it is.
From this process it seems to me the key is organisation organisation organisation!! Do you have the 5 S’s cause that would be handy for me to figure out my space.

Going to hit submit and see what happens!

[Laura Berlage]

Yay, your reply worked!
Here is more about 5S methodology
https://www.simplilearn.com/implementing-5s-methodology-to-achieve-workplace-efficiency-article

I once lost one of my notes on what went into a kit, and I felt horrible! It’s so much better to have that all together in once place. Also great for peace of mind.

[Author]

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