Tools of the Trade

Day Twenty-Eight: Sistema Storage

A few years ago, I spent each day in January writing about a different tool I use in my maskmaking. As I am currently redesigning my entire website in the new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit this project.  Each day in January 2021, I’ll share a different item that I use in my studio. I hope some of these can help other people who are interested in making wrestling masks. 

In my previous place, I had a bad mouse infestation; they got into my cardboard boxes of fabric and made a lovely nest, and then proceeded to make the rest of the apartment a wreck. The day I got rid of them, I started getting rid of all my cardboard and transitioning to plastic storage, preferably locking plastic storage. All my spandex is in locking 15 quart Hefty boxes (which I can’t find in stores anymore, so I guess I can’t buy any more spandex until I use up what I have now.) For small items, I lean towards the Sistema line of storage. They’re well made, they lock, and have a gasket in the lid to keep moisture from getting in.

I bought most of my Sistema boxes in big variety multipacks at discount stores like TJ Maxx or Marshall’s (where they were really inexpensive!). That used to be the only places I saw them, but now they seem to have been picked up by Walmart.

My favourite Sistema boxes are the “split” boxes, which have two compartments under the same lid. This is perfect for organizing any items that come in two parts, like snaps or grommets. The split boxes come in small, medium, and large sizes. The “Snack Attack” boxes (rightmost in the picture) are made to hold carrot sticks and a dip, but they’re perfect for grommets, where the backing rings don’t take up as much room as the grommets proper, and can be stored in the hummus compartment.

Too much spandex.

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