top of page
Search
Writer's pictureHandmade in Windsor

Word Die or Ink Swatch Storage Idea - make your own inexpensive craft storage

Updated: Oct 15, 2023

Today I am showing you my word die storage and organisation system, and how it could be used for ink swatches. This is an inexpensive way to make you own rolodex style card system to store your word dies, or to organise ink swatches.



This video on my YouTube channel shows you how I use the system and many of the reasons why I think it works so well for storing word dies, and would also be perfect for ink swatches (I just need to get around to doing this for my inks!)





To make the slider strip to put in the bottom of your box, score your card at:


1/4" - 5/8" - 1 & 1/8" - 1 & 1/2" - 1 & 3/4"


Cut you card on the last score line you made at 1 & 3/4 inches.



This should give you 5 widths on your card of:


1/4" - 3/8" - 1/2" - 3/8" - 1/4"



Cut your strip to the length of your box, fold and burnish your score lines and glue the 1/4" flaps together (I recommend using a strong liquid glue.) You should have a trapezium shaped strip.




To make the slot on your cards, find the centre of your card and mark this at 1/4" up from the base, draw line across at this 1/4" height from the base. Using your trapezium shaped strip on the top 1/2" panel, mark the centre at 1/4" and put this mark on your card on your centre mark and line - draw around this to make the shape on your card. Cut the shape out and you can now use this card as a template for all your others.


Now you can glue the strip to the centre of the base of your box.


Add magnets to one side to hold your dies, and the die cut words to the front so you can see all of your words the right way round at a glance. I also add the manufacturer and name of the die set by writing it on the front of my cards.



The dies that gave me the idea for this storage system are intended to be used to make a memory card style scrapbook album, but I have adapted the idea for die storage. The dies are part of the CraftStash range, but aren't in stock at the moment - you can see them here so you can see how they were intended to be used:


The Ikea boxes I show in the video are part of the Tjena range of desk accessories that I can't see online in the UK shop, but these are similar:


...But I encourage you to find a box that you can recycle and make into your own word die storage.

And if you read this far, thank you, and here are some bonus photos of my desk before and after my 'craft room reset' that started me off tidying my dies this week!

Before...


And after.....



Thanks for reading,

Lesley x

30 views0 comments

Comentarios


bottom of page