How to Organize and Store Vinyl Sheets + TWO Free Cut Files!

Learn how to organize and store vinyl sheets with this super easy method!

Plus, snag TWO free cut files to make your own organizer in no time!

Get your vinyl & Silhouette/Cricut supplies organized and save time, stress, & money!

How to Organize and Store Vinyl Sheets + TWO Free Cut Files!

It’s New Years again!

I think most people are probably bit by the organization bug around this time every year.

It’s just the perfect time for a fresh start and a clean slate.

Ya know, all that optimistic, feel-good, “Let’s get our life together!” stuff.

One of my biggest areas of opportunity for organization is my craft supplies.

*insert screaming emoji*

I unfortunately don’t have a craft room yet (UPDATE: now I do!), so I’ve gradually taken over a corner of our dining room (much to my husband’s chagrin).

It’s not ideal, obviously, but that’s how I’m rolling, and I am in serious need of an organizational intervention, especially with supplies for my Silhouette Cameo.

Here, I’ll be showing you a tutorial for how to organize and store vinyl sheets and other flat supplies for cutting machines, AND I’m also providing you with both of the cut files I used for FREE!

• A set of colorful divider tab labels
• A cute and witty decal for the front cover

Keep reading for all the details!

Behind-The-Scenes at WTSHB

Well, I’m a little embarrassed to even show this behind-the-scenes shot, but there’s nothing glamorous in these parts!

No Pinterest-worthy, enviable, meticulously organized craft room here (but you can see my updated craft room and projects now!).

Instead, I’m keeping it real.

Yep, this is real middle-class suburbia, messy, stay-at-home-mom-of-a spunky-toddler life.

Here’s our coffee table that we moved out of our family room and into the corner of our dining room after my son became mobile.

As you can see, it is now covered in random craft goodies as well as nearly all of my Silhouette supplies.

It’s an organized mess, for sure.

Make that a hot mess.

Here’s another angle just so you can get a full appreciation for my disaster area of a craft “room” (please don’t think too much less of me!):

Not only is this disorganization a huge embarrassing eye-sore, but it causes me extreme frustration because:

1. It’s hard to find things when I need them.
2. It’s hard to remember what I currently have on hand, so I either think I have something then get grumpy when it turns out I don’t, or on the flip-side, I think I’m out of something so I end up ordering extra unnecessary supplies.
3. It results in my precious vinyl getting damaged, which costs me money.

Can anyone relate to this?!?

How to Organize and Store Vinyl Sheets (and More)!

I’m part of some groups on Facebook for Silhouette lovers, and a while ago a discussion popped up on one of them for advice on how to store sheets of vinyl.

Someone posted that they use an artist portfolio, and I thought this was not only genius, but it would also be the perfect solution for my disaster area of (mostly) vinyl.

Since I usually buy my vinyl in 12″ x 24″ sheets (except for colors that I use all the time, like white and black, which I buy in bulk rolls), I snagged an 18″ x 24″ artist portfolio/display book.

There are 24 sleeves that are front and back, so a total of what they call 48 “views.”

It would easily fit all my vinyl sheets and other flat supplies like cutting mats (with room to spare), and would keep them organized and protected.

Sounds ideal to me!

As you can see, the portfolio is basically a giant photo album.

My Stash of Vinyl & Other Silhouette Supplies

The first thing I needed to do was get an inventory of all my Silhouette supplies:

Here’s what I had in my Silhouette stash:

• 12″ x 24″ vinyl sheets
• 8.5″ x 11″ printable vinyl
  • I used this to print and add storybook images to my niece’s Classic Alice in Wonderland growth chart ruler.
    • I’ve also shared a FREE growth chart ruler cut file too!
• 12″ x 12″ vinyl sheets
• Leftover vinyl roll
  • I used this for our family growth chart ruler
• 9″ x 24″ vinyl rolls
  • Came in Silhouette’s Vinyl Starter Kit
• Vinyl scraps
  • I’ve just been keeping them thrown together in a plastic folder….works well enough.  I’m thinking now though I might look into using a smaller version of this portfolio, such as one this size, to use just for my scraps.
    • UPDATE!: I have created a separate smaller organizer for my vinyl scraps!
      
• Cutting mats
  • 12″ x 12″ as well as 12″ x 24″
• Specialty papers
  • Printable White Sticker Paper that I’ve used to make return address labels and birthday stickers
  • Printable Tattoo Paper that I bought for my tot’s Sons of Anarchy Halloween costume, but I ended up not using thanks to finding a perfect tattoo-sleeved shirt
  • Adhesive Magnet Paper that I used to make custom photo magnets of my son
• Heat transfer vinyl (HTV)
• 8.5″ x 11″ printable HTV
  • I used this to add the patches on my son’s Sons of Anarchy Halloween costume, a festive sugar skull makeup bag, and a cute fox onesie when my second boy arrived

How to Organize and Store Vinyl Sheets: Categories

Now that I had a complete inventory of everything that was going in my vinyl organizer (all the flat stuff), here were my final categories:

1. Oracal 651 (permanent outdoor vinyl)
2. Oracal 631 (removable indoor vinyl)
3. Silhouette-brand vinyl
4. Scraps
5. HTV (heat transfer vinyl)
6. Printable HTV
7. Printable vinyl
8. Specialty papers
9. Cutting mats

(Note: I use Oracal 651 the most and the vinyl sheets are going to be organized by color, but I won’t be making labels for each individual color…I’m not *that* OCD.)

Making Divider Tab Labels for the Vinyl Organizer

Now that my stash of Silhouette goodies was consolidated, I could move on to making the divider tab labels for the organizer‘s pages.

I decided to put my Silhouette Cameo‘s print and cut function to good use.

Note: check out this full tutorial on how to print and cut!

I first used a dingbat font called KG Flavor and Frames Five and found a binder divider tab that was to my liking.

Then I duplicated it until I had nine tabs to match my nine final categories and filled them in with bright, cheery colors. 

I then typed out each category’s name twice (one for the front and a flipped one for the back) then *BOOM!*

Instant labels!

Psssst! Keep reading for your free cut file of these labels below!

I then went to my Cut menu to see where my cut lines were.

Only the outline of each tab was going to be cut, so I therefore needed to add my own cut lines in the middle of each tab in order to cleanly fold the tabs in half.

No problem!

I just used my Line tool and drew a small line across the center of each tab, went back to my Cut menu, and changed each line to Perforate.

This would create a dotted cut line that would be perfect for folding.

Now that everything was set up, it was time to print!

I loaded up my inkjet printer with some semi-glossy photo paper then printed the tabs.

Next, I loaded up the sheet onto my cutting mat and then into my Silhouette Cameo.

For photo paper, I use the default Print Paper cut settings, but increase my blade to a #3 (make sure you do a test cut first!).

Glossy Photo Paper Cut Settings for Silhouette:

• Speed: 10
• Thickness: 15
• Blade: 3
• Cutting Mat: √

A few moments later, my tabs were cut out and perfectly perforated.

I then grabbed my trusty can of spray adhesive and finished putting the tabs together.

I just folded them in half, gave a quick blast of spray adhesive to the back, then folded the tab closed and gave it a good press.

So easy!

NOTE: When I made my smaller vinyl scraps organizer, I skipped this part and instead used some double-sided tape to stick the divider labels around the pages instead. Use whatever method works best for you!

Adding the Tabs to the Organizer Pages

To add the tabs to the pages, I just used some double-sided tape and placed a strip on the bottom of each tab.

Then I stuck the tab to the backside of a page so only the text part was sticking out to be read.

So simple, indeed.

Granted, it’s not as secure as Fort Knox, but it works well enough to stay on while thumbing through the pages to find what I need.

Plus, the tabs can easily be removed and applied to another page if when I go on a shopping spree and need to add some more pages to a particular category.

If there’s one thing I like more than organization, it’s adjustable organization!

Beautifying the Front of the Vinyl Organizer

Now that I had a vinyl organizer, I of course had to make a VINYL DECAL for it!

I mean, is there ever a more appropriate time for one?

So here’s what I came up with.

I made a slight adjustment to the Robert Palmer classic and made a decal with the phrase “Might as well face it–I’m addicted to vinyl”.

Hey, replace “love” with “vinyl” and a lot of the lyrics can be applied to us Silhouette-aholics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don’t know if truer words have ever been spoken…

Applying the Addicted to Vinyl Decal

To make this decal, I loaded up some mint vinyl (which I also used for decals here and here) onto my cutting mat and then into my Silhouette.

Once it was cut out using the default Vinyl cut settings, I weeded away the excess vinyl and then applied some transfer tape to the top and added the vinyl decal to the organizer’s front cover.

Man, I just love that mint vinyl and how it POPS off the black cover!

The Completed Easy Vinyl Storage Organization Solution!

Now that my tabs were applied and my decal was on the front, I just slid all my supplies into the pages of their respective categories.

Like I mentioned earlier, I organized the Oracal 651 by color (mostly Roy G. Biv-style, of course), but they each don’t have individual labels.

And here it is!

My easy (and super cute) way to store and organize vinyl sheets and other supplies!

Now it’s so easy to quickly flip through and see what I have on hand.

• Hmmmm, how much silver 651 do I have?….PLENTY!
• Do I have any royal blue?….YOU BETCHA!
• I just need a little white….I bet I have a scrap!….SURE DO!
• Where’s my last sheet of printable vinyl?….RIGHT HERE!
• There’s a sale going on now! Should I stock up on anything?….THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS ‘YES’!

Everything couldn’t be easier to add to or remove from the pages.

Seriously.

And there are still plenty of pages left if when I get more supplies.

Another thing I love about this vinyl organizer is that it doesn’t take up much space: it can easily be laid flat on a table or the floor, or slid behind a bookcase, shelf, or into a closet.

Once loaded with supplies, it is a wee bit heavy, and I wish it had a closure of some sort as well as a carrying handle, but it’s not like I’m going to be lugging this thing across a college campus or anything.

It certainly serves its purpose and reduces the clutter while keeping my supplies damage-free.

Most importantly, it provides me with some organizational sanity.

All in all I LOVE THIS VINYL ORGANIZER!!!

It has rocked my Silhouetting world. :)

Now I just need to organize the rest of my craft stuff…and house…and life…ha!

DOWNLOAD THE FREE VINYL STORAGE ORGANIZER CUT FILES HERE!

Like I mentioned, you can download both of the cut files and make your own set of vinyl storage organizer labels as well as the vinyl decal for the front cover for FREE!

The colors and/or descriptions on the labels can easily be changed out, too, in case you have different categories you’d like to use with your vinyl organizer.

I’ve also since created a miniature organizer that is solely for vinyl scraps, and I have a NEW set of free labels that you are welcome to download as well.

There are several new categories, and I show a new way to attach them to the pages!

Just click on the ‘DOWNLOAD’ graphic below and you’ll be taken to a Dropbox folder where you can download the file(s).

Both files are .studio formats for use in Silhouette Studio.

Enjoy!

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

Some Notes About These Free Vinyl Organizer Cut Files

• LABELS: If you want to change the color and/or the text of the label tabs, no problem!
  • Just ungroup and make your desired changes.
  • The font I used is KG Feeling 22, so if you want to change the text and keep this same font, you’ll need to download and install it on your computer.

• VINYL DECAL: Lots of people have asked about the fonts and dingbats I used in the front decal as well, so here they are, and they’re all free!
  • The script font is KG Seven Sixteen
  • The inline font is Ostrich Sans Inline
  • The frame around the decal is KG Flavor and Frames Five
  • The swirls and center divider are Bergamot Ornaments

The BEST Way to Organize Vinyl Scraps (and More)!

Like I mentioned, I’ve also created a miniature version of this organizer that is solely for SCRAPS!

Don’t forget to check it out and snag TWO new free cut files!

And here’s how I’m now storing my other Silhouette goodies, as well as the rest of my craft supplies!

See my full review of the WorkBox 3.0 craft cabinet!

The Silhouette Challenge

Last month I took part in my very first Silhouette Challenge with my red-nosed reindeer photo ornament Christmas cards.

I had so much fun being a part of it, I made it one of my blogging goals for 2015 to complete ALL TWELVE challenges this year!

And wouldn’t you know it that ORGANIZATION is the theme of January’s challenge…perfect!

Not only that, but this year we’re having little bonus challenges each month as well, and this month’s bonus challenge is….wait for it….VINYL!

Ha! I think I nailed it with this project. ;)

Want to Check Out More Silhouette Organizational Projects?

My Silhouette Challenge buddies and I are all sharing projects on our blogs today, so peruse the projects below for a wealth of Silhouette inspiration!

{The collage is clickable so just click on a picture, or you can find links below!}

1. Please Excuse My Craftermath… // 2. Simply Kelly Designs // 3. Daily Dwelling // 4. Ginger Snap Crafts // 5. Our Southern Home // 6. Sowdering About // 7. The Moberg Family // 8. Decor Adventures // 9. Pineapples and Pinecones // 10. Patina Paradise // 11. The Thinking Closet // 12. It Happens in a Blink // 13. Adventures in All Things Food // 14. From Wine to Whine // 15. Practically Functional // 16. Dragonfly & Lily Pads // 17. unOriginal Mom // 18. One Dog Woof // 19. Creative Ramblings // 20. My Favorite Finds // 21. Create it. Go! // 22. A Prudent Life // 23. Where The Smiles Have Been // 24. Barb’s Life // 25. Everyday Paper // 26. Pitter and Glink // 27. Peanut Life Adventures // 28. Feto Soap Blog // 29. Our Rosey Life // 30. Two Purple Couches // 31. My Paper Craze // 32. TitiCrafty // 33. Lil Mrs Tori

Thanks so much for stopping by!