In the early days of Oops a Daisy, our stencils were made of brightly coloured laminated card. This made identifying which stencil I was looking for really easy, but they weren’t very durable.
The introduction of our #clearcut material was a game changer for Oops a Daisy. Our stencils are now more durable, easier to position and, as an added bonus, the waste offcuts could be recycled! Win-win, right?
Close… The only downside is that finding the stencil you need, in a stack of very similar looking stencils, can be tricky. So if, like me, you have a bunch of stencils (Okay, maybe more than a bunch), but can never find the one you are looking for, we have the solution!
The System
In the words of the fabulous ladies at The Home Edit, it’s all about creating a system! With some careful planning we’ve created a simple tool that allows you to colour-code and index up to 40 stencils at a time!
You will need:
- The stencils you want to organise (You can organise up to 40 stencils with each sticker sheet!)
- A sheet of our new Stencil Organisation Stickers.
- Index (You get a printable index FREE with your stickers, or you can create your own a table in your journal)
- You chosen storage method – keep reading for more info!
So, go grab your stencils and let’s get organising…
1. Choose Your Storage
The first thing you need to do is choose what method you will use to store your collection!
You may have noticed that our Classic and A5 Font stencils can be punched to store inside our A5 binder.
Our Pocket, Super Easy and Miscellaneous stencils often have designs that go very close to the edge, so we aren’t able to provide these punched… But don’t panic! We have storage solutions for ALL of our stencil types.
Check our guide below to decide which storage method suits the stencil type you are organising. Options include:
2. Set Up Your Index
Now it’s time to set up your index. This will make it easy for you to find your stencils when you need them, and put them all away again when you are done!
- Choose your Stencil Organisation Sticker Sheet! There are 5 colours available and each sheet will organise 40 stencils.
- Download the printable index included FREE with the Stencil Organisation Stickers (Alternatively, you can create your own index in your journal).
- Fill in your index! Write the type of storage you will be using (e.g. binder, tin, etc.) and the stencil type (e.g. Font, Classic, etc.) you are organising.
- Now add the colour-coded daisy sticker from the sticker sheet to the top of your index. (This will help you identify your stencils by the colour of the numbered stickers).
- Add the corresponding label from your sticker sheet to your storage method to indicate the type of stencil stored. You can also add the ‘Oops a Daisy’ logo stickers if you want!
TOP TIP: When using an A5 binder or our stencil storage rings, select a colour of sticker sheet that matches the ring/binder colour for even easier colour coding!
3. Number Your Stencils
- Take a numbered sticker from the sheet and place it on your stencil (We find the top right-hand corner works best).
- Add the stencil name and SIC (Stencil Identification Code) against the corresponding number in your index. You can find the names and SICs in our Stencil Directory here.
- Repeat for up to 40 stencils…
- Voila! Your stencils are organised!
Using our Stencil Storage Rings with the system!
Our Stencil Organisation Rings are a great way of collating your stencils that can’t be punched for our 6-ring folder.
Punch a hole in the corner of each stencil using the single hole punch, then number your stencils and write the names in the index as above.
Collating stencils like this means you can group more than 40 stencils together in a deep storage tin or A4 wallet!
Benefits of the System!
EASY to find what you need:
Simple check your index to find where a particular stencil is stored! The index will tell you the storage method and the colour code.
EASY to put everything away:
The colour of the sticker on your stencil will match the colour of the label on your storage method!!
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