Are any of you bin-loving, organization junkies? I am, at least in theory. Bins don’t stay on the shelf very long in our living room. I’ve tried a number of toy organization and labeling methods, but interests shift and toys rotate frequently, making my hard work obsolete. So this try, I wanted something more flexible.
Our toy shelf never looks like this.
These simple pockets hold a 3×5 card and secure on to the bins using velcro.
I found this clear plastic vinyl in the home dec department of my local fabric shop. It comes in different thicknesses, and this one is 8 gauge. Don’t buy it too thin, or it will tear easily.
For each tag, cut out a 4 x 16 inch piece of vinyl, and 4 inches of velcro. Sew the hook velcro strip on top of one end of the vinyl, and the loop strip on the bottom of the other side. Fold up the vinyl 5 inches with the velcro on the outside to form a pocket, and sew up the sides.
To keep the vinyl from sticking, I used a non-stick sewing foot, and covered the bed of my machine with masking tape.
That should help keep the house tidy for the next 5 minutes.
If you like this project, you might also enjoy my puzzle envelopes, with tutorial found here, or Make It Perfect’s Peek-A-Boo Toy Sacks.
Great idea to make the vinyl envelopes so that you can easily swap out the tags. And I love your tip about using the masking tape to make the stitch plate less sticky. So clever!
I knew it worked for the bottom of (sewing machine) feet. So why not the plate?
You’re a genius 🙂 I’m working on cleaning up my house this week, and I am planning to make some organizational aids where applicable. I may incorporate a little tag slot onto some toy bags… great idea 🙂 I feel your pain about the “5 minutes of clean”… tidy is a rare and precious thing.
I want to see!
I love it! I did something similar with my toy bins, but I hot glued the pockets on. Of course, most of them have since been ripped off (although they lasted longer than I anticipated!). I’m tempted to replace them, but I have a feeling that they’ll just meet the same fate. Sigh.
maybe you need stronger glue. This stuff is killer http://www.etsy.com/listing/58954628/gutermann-creativ-ht2-textile-glue-30g
Such a cool idea!!I LOVE bins, but I HATE putting stuff in them, go figure! I use them in my quilting studio to organize my fabric stash, in my bathroom for laundry and towels, and I need some in my entryway/dining room for all of the “stuff” (dog leash, keys, wallets, camera, etc, etc) Thanks for the tips!
If you don’t like putting stuff in bins, don’t use them! I highly recommend The House That Cleans Itself http://www.amazon.com/House-That-Cleans-Itself-Solutions/dp/0736918809 for a commonsense approach to organization.
Ooh that is soo smart! I change my labels all the time. Genius! Thanks so much for sharing this, I’ll be linking.
I do swappable labels, but found a craft-free way to do them for those of us who suck at crafting/sewing lol. Get the “badge holders” – vertical or horizontal, I went with horizontal – at Walmart, they are about $2 for a pack of 20. I threaded thin ribbon through them to hang them on the fabric bins, and vel-coins (velcro dots) to put them on my plastic laundry room bins. Very easy to swap out the labels. If you go to the Avery site and use their free online design tool there are “badge templates” that fit perfectly; I print to cardstock and I’m good to go.