Top 10 Vinyl tips

Craft vinyl is not cheap. I have learned where to look to find the best online vinyl resources for cheap vinyl but even so, it’s not something you want to waste! One of the best ways to avoid vinyl waste is to cut your design on the sheet of vinyl first then cut the excess off with a straight cutter. Using a straight cutter keeps your edges aligned to your mat and you can trim closely to the design maximizing the vinyl material.

Use a weeding berry! This trendy idea first started when a clever crafter suggested using a nail polish holder as a means of collecting scraps when weeding. Since then lots of craft brands have started to sell weeding berries or finger weeders to make the process less messy.

Some folks enjoy weeding and find it therapeutic, and then there is the rest of us who don’t. The biggest reason is usually that weeding can be a challenge to see. I have used a Brightpad several times to help me see my cut lines. Alternatively, you can also hold your cut vinyl up to a bright window for a similar effect and it’s free!

Weeding berries are great for tiny pieces but what about the larger ones? Sure, you can just opt for a general trash can or you can go for a cute tabletop trash can to collect your craft vinyl waste and keep your space tidy! Of course, I decorated mine!

Most people burnish the front of their vinyl and stop there (burnish is a fancy turn for rubbing your design with the intent to transfer it). If you experience trouble with your vinyl not sticking to your transfer tape try burnishing both the front AND the back! What if you burnish the front and back and it still doesn’t work? In that case, I would be willing to bet you are using a textured or glitter vinyl and it is best to then use a strong grip transfer tape!

So what if you have burnished well and are using the right transfer tape? Another trick to transferring vinyl is to lift the liner backing away from the transfer tape instead of the transfer tape away from the backing – this makes a HUGE difference!

I went through many stages of storing vinyl. Finally, my collection got big enough I need an all-in-one, easy-to-access, and visually appealing solution. I decided to use these storage bins and a bookshelf to organize all my craft vinyl. I also created labels for each bin so I could find what I need quickly. Check out how I made foil labels for my great wall of vinyl here!

Before I had my great wall of vinyl I use wood bins to store my vinyl. What I love about wood bins is that I can see all my prints and colors at once and easily select the one I want. To stay more organized with bins label them by type such as iron-on or vinyl.

If bookshelves and wood bins aren’t your style opt for a plastic vinyl holder that can utilize wall space! You can use Ikea plastic bag holders for vinyl rolls or opt for ones like these made to remove the vinyl with ease from the holder.

What about those scraps of vinyl that we all collect? Not large enough to wrap back into the roll but not small enough to toss in the trash. I love to store my vinyl scraps in a large 3-ring binder with zipper pouches labeled with each type of vinyl scrap I am storing.