How Labels Save Time

I’ve been itching to do this DIY labeling project every since I got my clothespins and I didn’t end up waiting to buy the perfect baskets as I thought I would. I used whatever boxes and bags I already had! So what, if it’s not perfect? Right?

So first I started with my closet drawers. I know they are not as grown up as I would like them to be, especially since I haven’t ordered new closets from Danni with built in organizers and drawers. I’ve had these drawers since high school and I’ve about 20 of them and they get a lot of my stuff organized! I always start out with good intentions when it comes to my clothes and review what goes where with the help, but somehow everything always gets jumbled up because no one remembers where to put what where, especially when we are already in a hurry.

I was inspired by this to label drawers so that getting things in their correct places because a mindless and stress-free exercise for everyone in the house! But I had no idea how I would do it until I saw this DIY labeling project on PINTEREST.

DIY drawer labels

1. Using a scratch A4 paper I folded it equally several times so I could see what size was going to go well with my drawers.
2. After folding it to 6 equal parts it was perfect. So I know that I had to have 6 equally sized labels in one A4.
3. Using the 1/6 size, I eyeballed where to glue the clothespins on the drawers. I glued clothespins using a glue gun.
4. Open a new document Microsoft Word for Mac
5. In the OBJECT PALETTE, select rounded rectangle and placed on the document
6. Changed the color of the rounded rectangle to a shade of brown
7. Copied the rounded rectangle so I had 6 of them on the page.
8. I resized it until the 6 were evenly spread out on the page with enough space in between. I just eyeballed it.
9. I decided what I wanted to label and then searched for clip art on the net, especially from Microsoft Office cliparts.
10. Drag the photos to the document and resize to fit the rounded rectangle. I aligned it to the left so that when the clothespin is on, the entire image will still show.
11. I printed a sample  on the same scratch paper first, then took it back to my drawer, folded it up and tested one image. Good thing I did because I realized it was too much to the left, so I adjusted a bit.
12. Then printed it on cream board paper. It came out like this:
13. I cut them on a cutting mat with a cutter and ruler, rounded out the corners and laminated them.
14. Clip on the laminated labels on to the drawers.

 

I also had these twine boxes on shelves in the living area, which I use to hide the stuff I use the most in plain sight. I always pull out the wrong one because I don’t know what is where. So I decided to use the clothespin label idea on this as well.

DIY box labels

1. At first I just reused some old cream calling card which I didn’t need any more and placed a DYMO label on the back side.
2. Then with the card on the clip, I estimated the position of the clothespin on the box.
3. When I knew where I wanted it, I placed hot glue on the entire side of a clothespin and immediately stuck it onto the box. I wasn’t afraid because with glue gun it comes of relatively cleanly when you don’t want it there any more.
4. The calling cards didn’t look presentable so I found these free printable Manila Tag Templates here (again discovered via PINTEREST). 
5. Using Photoshop and “Chalkdust” font I wrote down the labels for the 3 boxes on the bigger tags. The rest of the tags I plan to write on with a gold marker when the need arises.
6. Printed it on A4 board paper, cut out the labels and laminated them. I didn’t punch a hole as instructed since I didn’t need it. And it will probably weaken my laminate.

DIPLO GADGET: the laminator

Wait wait! I almost forgot to highlight the fact that I finally had my own LAMINATOR! Weeeeee! This is the ultimate housewife gadget for me. I never thought I needed it until I read The Happiness Project when Gretchen Rubin mentioned that with a laminator endless fun and projects could be had. And she is completely right! If I didn’t laminate these labels, I would just get stressed on how the cards are already dirty or bent after sometime and I’d have to print out more of them. So by investing a little, I am reducing my stress, organizing my home and creating stuff I love!

I’ll be honest and say that Krisbow is not the best brand (breaks easily & doesn’t work well – like my air humidifier!), so I’ve to be really careful with this contraption. I just wasn’t ready to invest a lot in an expensive brand. Perhaps later on. For now this will have to do. I just got tips from someone familiar with working this particular brand, so that the laminate doesn’t get eaten up by the machine (this is why I folded that blue board above, sandwich whatever I am laminating and insert it fold side first!). Just want you to know incase you think about getting one yourself.   I also need to pass it through several times and the finished product is not the cleanest – so if you are majorly OC this might not be the brand for you. =P It is cheap though. Rp 299,000 for a4 size (30 USD est.) at Ace Hardware.

For other great organizing ideas follow my DIPLO diy and my DIPLO organization boards on PINTEREST!

 

P.S.  Lower quality photos were taken with my iPhone.