Oh my, I've spent so many hours trying to solve the problem experienced by many a Copic owner..........STORAGE!
As my collection grew so did the storage dilemma - initially I used the plastic boxes that the Copic sets come in, adding more as required. I stored them on their sides to keep the pens horizontal - holding the boxes together with parcel tape.
Unfortunately the pens are only gripped at the end and as you can see they dip downwards and the more boxes you stack the worse this gets - when you pull one pen out several follow!!
Not to mention this type of storage is not overly stable and even after adding blu-tac to stick the boxes to the wall I was greeted several times with a cascade of Copics all over my desk.
I am sure I don't need to tell you that various solutions are available - Totes, Racks, Cubbies and boxes but I wanted something that keeps the pens horizontal and allows me to store them in colour order and gives space for additional pens.
One solution then caught my eye - some people were using "eggcrate louvre" as used in suspended ceilings. However, I personally didn't like the wooden dowels that were being used to suspend the eggcrate - so I challenged my hubby to come up with a cleaner solution.
And here it is..............
This little beauty will take 396 Copic Sketch!!
If this is a solution that would work for you too here are the details you might find useful:
Storage Box - we chose a "Really Useful Box" (11 litre) because unlike a lot of boxes its square inside - no annoying internal bulges.
2 x Eggcrate Louvre - I got mine online as they aren't so easy to find here in the UK
Transparent silicone sealant
Hack saw
Handy-man Husband (Oh boy, the mess I would have made trying to do this myself)
Oh and I mustn't forget the Sizzix mat that was sacrificed..... you can see a portion of it attached to the front on the box - it was well worth cannibalizing the poor mat as it makes the whole box rock solid - I did not want the pens falling all over my desk anymore!! I am not saying you have to chop up your prized Sizzix mat, it's just what we used - you just need something of reasonable density to ensure the stability of the unit.
And in case you were in any doubt here's a side view:
Because the eggcrate is siliconed in at the base of the box and the top the pens are held securely and of course without the use of dowels you are not losing valuable pen space!!!
*****Additional Info*****
I've had quite a few emails asking where you can source the items required to make this storage unit, so here goes:
Storage Box:
In the UK, Really Useful Boxes are quite common, mine came from Hobbycraft.
Rest of the World -use Search Engine for suppliers
Any similar box will do, it just looks smarter if your box is square inside and saves you cutting your Eggcrate into a strange shape and of course maximises marker storage.
Eggcrate Louvre:
USA - Try Lowes or Home Depot
Rest of World - use Search Engine (that's what I did)
size of squares: 15mm x15mm
NB. This storage system is suitable for:
Copic Sketch
Copic Ciao
*****New Information*****
I have had a couple of emails recently asking how you attach the top eggcrate to the box.
Cut your eggcrate to size and before applying silicone sealant around the edge of it attach 4 pencils with wire, one in each corner.
Having applied the sealant carefully place the eggcrate inside the top of your box.
Now adjust/twist the wire so that the pencils lay firmly across the corners of your box, this enables you to hold your eggrate securely in place whilst the silicone sealant dries.
Once dry simply untwist the wire and remove the pencils
Then all you have to do is to put in all your markers
*********
I am chuffed to bits with my new storage - it stands with pride on my desk and the knowledge that it has room for quite a few more pens is a bonus!
What do you guys think??
