DIY Trash & Recycling Vinyl Decals + FREE Cut Files!

Learn how to make and use these trash & recycling vinyl decals as labels on the bins in your home and stay organized! FREE cut files are available too!

 

DIY Trash & Recycling Vinyl Decals + FREE Cut Files

Our area recently opened up their recycling program county-wide, and I was WAY more excited about this news than was probably healthy. I couldn’t wait to sign us up!

So we’re a newbie recycling family! Exciting, I know.

While our previous kitchen garbage can was pretty darn amazing (I LOVED just being able to swipe my hand in front of the lid and POOF! Open Sesame.), we now needed one that had dual bins: one for the trash that would go in a regular garbage bag, and one for the recyclables that would be put in loose sans-bag.

This new bin was also the perfect candidate for some vinyl decals that labeled which bin was which.

And ya know, I honestly never thought I’d share a post about our garbage can, but here it is! ;)

Keep reading to see the full tutorial AND snag the free cut files to make decals of your own!

 

Supplies

So here’s what I used to make these trash & recycling vinyl decals:

• Dual trash & recycling bin
• Silhouette Cameo
• Silver vinyl
• Craft tweezers
• Scissors
• Transfer tape
• Painter’s tape
• Tape measure

 

Our New Dual Trash & Recycling Bin: Before Decals

So here’s how our dual trash & recycling bin looked out of the box. Just your typical can.

It came with little blue and green stickers that you could place on the top of the foot pedals to identify which side was trash and which side was recycling, but I didn’t like ’em.

1. They were BRIGHT colors that don’t exactly go well in our modern farmhouse kitchen.
2. They were super small and all the way near the floor, so, hard to see (even with the bright colors).
3. I’d still have to explain to guests (and let’s be real, the three others who reside in this house), which side was which.

In order to keep things as simple and self-explanatory as possible, I decided to just whip up some of my own vinyl decals that would CLEARY and EASILY identify both of the bins.

 

Mockups of Our Trash & Recycling Vinyl Decals

It was Silhouette Studio and my beloved Cameo to the rescue, again!

Here’s how the mockup of my two decals looked: very straight-forward and very simple.

ALTERNATIVE IDEA: These files would also make great planner stickers! Just print them in your desired color, possibly remove the text (since it’ll be super tiny), cut out on some sticker paper, then plan away!

For more info on how to make your own planner stickers, check this out!

 

Cutting Out The Trash & Recycling Vinyl Decals

Once I was pleased with the designs, it was time to cut them out of some silver vinyl.

I thought this would go nicely with the stainless steel can as well as the rest of our kitchen appliances.

If I had some of this brushed chrome vinyl on hand though, I’d probably have used that!

But the silver still worked great.

 

After being cut, trimmed, weeded, and slapped with come clear transfer tape overtop, here’s how my vinyl decals looked:

 

Applying the Trash & Recycling Vinyl Decals

Now it was application time.

I mostly eyeballed their placements with just a few checks of my tape measure…

 

…then applied them one at a time using the hinge method.

This is where I first placed a strip of painter’s tape across the middle to act as my hinge. Next, I pulled the transfer tape and vinyl away from the backing on the top of the label, cut away the backing, then applied the exposed vinyl to the can’s lid.

Once that was stuck on there nicely, I pulled off the painter’s tape, removed the backing from the rest of the decal, then applied all of the vinyl.

 

The last step was simply peeling away the transfer tape.

 

Our Trash/Recycling Bins with Their New Decals!

And here’s how our newly labeled dual trash & recycling bin looks now!

I just love a good labeling project.

Now it’s crystal clear which side is which, although I’m still constantly yelling out “Trash it!” or “Recycle it!” when my kids (and…*sigh*…husband) ask what to do with a piece of garbage.

Like I said, newbie recycling family. :)

 

And here’s an action shot! Blue toenails FTW!

 

How about a little Before & After, hmmm?

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TRASH & RECYCLING CUT FILES HERE!

Just click on the ‘DOWNLOAD’ graphic below and you’ll be taken to a Dropbox folder to select your desired file…Silhouette .studio3, SVG, and PDF are available.

Then just download, cut, & enjoy!

{THE FINE PRINT: These files are for PERSONAL NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. So don’t use them with anything you’re selling or share the files/download link directly. Thanks!}

 

 

If You Enjoyed This…

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for all of my other crafty creations, free cut files/printables, and home improvement projects, like these!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!