♦First, know that anything that can store rolled blueprints
also can store rolled posters, rolled children's artwork or rolls of gift wrap.
They're all shaped the same, like tubes, and are often similar in height and
material.
♦Likewise anything that can store one of those items without harming it
can store rolled blueprints. So don't be limited by the organizer name. If an
organizer is called one thing but functions for another use just as well, then
it's that too. Pictured above is a
Rolled Document Box
 by Stacks and Stacks.
♦Here's a
Blueprint/Wrapping Paper Organizer
 from Organize-Everything that uses metal grids
to keep 16 blueprints/paper rolls from tipping over. It's mobile too:
♦The "messy" way to store rolled blueprints might work for you IF you don't refer
to them often, you have the space and you don't have a huge amount of them. And
that way is to put the rolled blueprints in an empty lateral file cabinet drawer
on their side. A drawer like this can probably hold 30 or so rolled blueprints
of average height on their sides.
♦If you're storing blueprints loose (not in a
cardboard tube), make sure you fasten them with magic tape (peels back off
unlike regular adhesive clear tape), rubber bands (which sometimes deteriorate
after a while) or other fastener (some people claim old socks or hosiery bands
work as fasteners for this job).
♦The other way to store these items is vertically (in or not in cardboard tubes)
in a vertical plastic container, such as one called a gift wrap organizer
(found in most major discount retailers, home improvement stores and online. Again, they'll all be together in one "vertical pile".
♦Use a labelmaker to put a
label on the back top side of each blueprint where it's easily visible to you.
Put the label in the same spot on every blueprint. Then you can sort through the
blueprints by hand in seconds to find the one you want.
♦Pictured
below is a portable
Gift Wrap Organizing Tube
 from Stacks and Stacks that can hold any similar tube
shaped object.
♦Or put a large number on the back of each blueprint with a highlighter or label
so that it's visible without unrolling the blueprint. Then keep a master sheet
taped to the blueprint storage organizer or in a plastic pocket adhered to the bin that
lists the number and corresponding blueprint title. If you have more than one
organizer, drawer or box of blueprints, note the container number too on your
master list and keep a copy of the master list in the central location (as well
as taped to the individual organizers).
♦Also, save empty cardboard tubes from rolls of gift wrap. You can roll blueprints (or
posters) and store them in the tubes for safer keeping.
♦If you receive any items
through the mail in sturdy cardboard tube mailers (with lids), save these tubes or mailers. You can reuse
these as mailers yourself as long as you cross through and completely cover all
of the original mailing bar codes and addresses on the tube.
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