Learn our favorite card making die storage ideas and get those precious tools organized and ready to use!
We know – there are tons and tons of card making die storage ideas out there, from tossing them in a pile (which we do NOT recommend!) to super finicky sorting systems (which we also do not recommend). Remember, the more complicated any system is, the harder it will be to use and maintain. So as with other crafty organizing ideas, we stick with simple and straightforward.
First, as with anything, it really helps to figure out how you USE your dies before you decide how to store them. Are you a planner ahead-er and know exactly what you want to use on every project? Then you might be able to use a filing system where all your dies are tucked out of sight.
Are you a scanner and grabber? Then you are going to need a system where you can see your dies easily, either just by looking up or quickly flipping through your collection.
Also, do you search for dies by company? Category? Shape? Style (ex. nested, graduated, edge)? Consider all these things before you pick a system – you will thank us later.
FAN TIP:
Cher from MA has an uncanny ability to remember every die she owns and what company they come from. So she organizes her dies by manufacturer in their original packaging using double stick tape to make sure they don’t fall down into the package. She sorts these in plastic tubs on her shelves. We wish we had such a great memory!
Once you know how you access your dies – remember, it’s more about how you will LOOK for something than how you stash it away – now you can choose your system.
Some people like to have their dies right out there on the wall so all they have to do is look up and see their entire array. The easiest way to do this is to create a die wall by attaching magnetic sheets to your wall and then simply place your dies on them in whatever arrangement works best for you.
You do need to have the wall space to do this but if you are short on that consider using the inside and outside of closet or cabinet doors or even the sides of furniture.
Magnet sheets can get expensive so here are some ways to maybe get a lot of material for a little less:
- Large magnetic sheets like these from home improvement stores
- If you have a lot of space to cover consider an industrial source like this one.
- If you want to try this out on a small space, you can get these precut sheets.
FAN TIP:
Mimi from TX has created “blocks” of dies on whatever vertical space she can find in her craft room. She has flowers all on one, nested dies on another, words on yet another and so on. She says this makes finding what she needs AND cleaning up super fast!
Now if you like the idea of magnets but aren’t a fan of the wall situation, you can “file” magnetic sheets or cards in binders or boxes. Stamp-N-Storage makes beautiful (though somewhat spendy) sturdy wood boxes for backed magnetic cards in various sizes. Other companies have similar systems so be sure to spend some quality time with Google and see which ones have the best solutions for you. Ikea has tons of containers you can use to stand up your dies and we are pretty sure that home decorator stores will have plenty of pretty items you can find to match your decor.
One advantage to using a binder is that you can use the thinner magnetic sheets and use pocket pages to arrange and sort your collection
FAN TIP:
Jean from GA uses large heavy duty 3 ring binders with pocket pages inside. She slips two pieces of magnetic rolls cut to the pocket size back to back so she can store dies on both sides. She says they weight a ton but she can easily flip through the right category binder to see what she needs.
You can, of course, just slip the original card that the dies came on into the pockets; if the dies came unadhered to the card, just use some double sided tape to hold them in place so you can see the shapes.
If neither of these ideas spark your interest, you can always just save your dies in their original packages in containers that allow you to access and browse your collection easily. Like Cher above, you can stand them in tubs or baskets, sorted however it makes the most sense to how you might look for a shape. In this case, labeling will be a HUGE help so you can quickly identify what might be hidden from view by all the other delicious goodness stashed together.
FAN TIP:
Our very own Kittie says “I have all of my dies separated by company and store them in either Ikea containers or a few Stamp-n-Storage boxes. I used to put all the dies on magnetic cards but I didn’t like how easy it was to actually lose a die. Since I only work with Rubbernecker I keep all of those ides close at hand for easy access. I keep the most current, last few releases in containers right on my desk.”
Of course Kittie has a whole different purpose in how she uses her dies but you can see that even someone who is as professional grade as Kittie uses a simple and totally approachable system.
One last tip – if you have stamp sets for which you also have coordinating dies and want to keep them together, you can adhere a piece of magnetic sheet to the inside of a clamshell storage case like this or an empty DVD case and put the dies on one side with the stamps on the other. Easy peasy!
There are also tons of card making storage ideas out there on the web. Check out Pinterest or Splitcoast Stampers for lots of suggestions. Ultimately, whatever works for you works for you. But having some semblance of organization and a safe way to store your precious tools will make things so much easier!
