Learn how to organize your garage using Cricut Removable Vinyl so your labels stay adhered in all temperatures and conditions and your garage stays clean and tidy. Sponsored by Cricut.
Spring is rolling in [slowly but surely] and if you’re like me, you’ve been thinking about how you need to tackle that hot mess of a garage and get it straightened up before warm weather hits. Garages are one of the hardest areas to organize because there are so many miscellaneous items that need a home. Plus, finding a label that will stay on your plastic totes is almost impossible. I took advantage of a less-cold weekend to give a corner of my garage a makeover and I used my BFF Cricut Maker to take my organization systems to the next level.
I’ll show you how I turned a big stack of totes into ultra-organized shelving, how I customized a pegboard so things always get put away correctly, and how I made big, bold labels that won’t peel off my containers when it starts to get hot and humid in the garage. And I pulled off this whole project using just 10 sheets of white Cricut vinyl and one roll of transfer tape. Yay for budget-friendly crafting!
How To Organize Your Garage With Cricut Vinyl
Supplies You Need:
- Shelving & Pegboard of your choice
- Storage Containers of your choice
- Cricut Maker or Explore Air 2, with a few Standard or Light Grip Cutting Mats
- Cricut Premium Removable Vinyl in White
- Cricut Transfer Tape
- Cricut Basic Tool Set
- Cricut Brayer (optional, but really helpful for full sheets on vinyl cuts)
- Measuring Tape & Scissors
- Paper & Pen
Step One: Fill Containers By Category
Before you can make your garage pretty, you first have to make it functional. Start by putting together your shelving, installing your pegboard, and filling up your containers by category. Try to be as specific as you can, and use smaller containers to keep your categories ultra-narrow.
The biggest mistake you can make in a garage is grabbing those giant tote bins, slapping a label on it that says “tools”, throwing all the tools inside, and calling it organized. Instead, fill one small container with exterior screws, another with cutting tools, and another with drill bits. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration later, I promise.
Step Two: Label Your Containers
You’ve probably already realized that almost nothing will stick to a plastic container in a garage. No amount of packing tape, store-bought sticker label, or permanent marker can withstand the temperature changes. But Cricut Vinyl can. Cricut Premium Vinyl the only thing I’ve found that doesn’t peel off of a storage tote in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
Once you’ve filled all your containers, measure the front of each size of your bins and note the maximum width your labels can be. Then note all the labels you need to make. Once you have your list of words and sizes, open up Cricut Design Space and add text boxes for all your labels, making sure the width doesn’t exceed the measurements in your notes. If you’re using multiple words, it’s a good idea to split it up into two lines.
Another good tip for making vinyl word labels for plastic containers is to use a sans-serif font. Sans serif means the font lacks the little “feet” on the letters. It’s a basic font that is plain, simple, and easy to weed. You’ll probably be cutting a LOT of labels, and that means you’ll be weeding a ton of letters. Try to make it easier on yourself by using the most simple font. For my containers, I used the Futura font and it was a breeze to weed and transfer.
Step Three: Fill Your Pegboard
After your containers are all labeled and done, you can move on to your pegboard. Start by filling it exactly the way you want it to look, but don’t put the plastic braces on that keep the pegs in place. You may need to remove them during labeling, and they’ll break when you pop them off.
Wait, did she just say “labeling a pegboard?” Yep, we are going to label the pegboard. Here’s why. When you take one screwdriver down to replace the batteries in your kid’s favorite light saber, you know where it goes when it’s done, right?
But when your partner takes down twelve tools to knock off a few items on the honey-do-list, it’s unlikely they’ll remember where they all belong later. That’s because your board is half-empty and it’s now a puzzle he won’t want to figure out. So instead, they’ll either stick them on any peg that’s available, or worse, throw them all in a pile and not hang them back up at all.
Once your pegboard is filled up the way you want it, snap a photo of the layout (just in case), then measure each tool or accessory that’s hanging on it. You can reference my own list above for how you should make your list, and don’t worry about getting the measurements exactly right. A rough measurement will do.
Open up Cricut Design Space and search the image library for all the tools and accessories that belong on your pegboard. You might have to get creative with a few of the images, as they won’t all be in there. Like for my staple gun, I had to use a regular stapler, and for various wrenches, I just used the same one in different sizes. You’ll want to choose the most basic type of image you can find, and use the contour tool to remove any detail. You basically want a shadowy silhouette of the tools. Then just adjust the sizing to suit your list.
If you want to save time, you’re welcome to use the template I created in Cricut Design Space. Just adjust the sizing and add or remove images to fit your needs.
I chose to cut all my images on Cricut Removable White Vinyl, but you can use any color you want. I picked white so it wouldn’t stand out too much and make the board look cluttered. Whatever color you choose, make sure it’s removable vinyl, just in case you ever need to change your layout. After you’ve weeded and prepared your decals, adhere the tool shapes onto your pegboard using transfer tape if needed. I only used transfer tape on the more detailed shapes. The larger ones didn’t need it.
Now that your pegboard has the tool pictures behind where the actual tools go, everyone in the house will always know where to put them back. Plus, if a tool goes missing, you’ll know which one it is, which is really helpful. This was such an easy project, and I am so happy with how it turned out. Who knew a pegboard could actually be pretty?
More Garage Organization Ideas Using Cricut Vinyl
If you love these two projects and can’t wait to make your garage even more organized, here are a few more ideas of what you can do with Cricut Vinyl to tidy up your storage space.
- Picture Labels For Kids’ Toy Storage Containers
- Placement Labels For Wall Hooks And Slat Wall Storage Systems
- Customize A Workbench
- Drawer Labels For Tool Chests
- Parking Spaces For Children’s’ Riding Toys
- Welcome Decal For Entry Door
- Picture Decals For Holiday Storage Totes
- Color-Coded Cord Organizers
- Add Privacy To Garage Door Windows using Cricut Frosted Vinyl
- Customize Large Tools And Equipment
Want More Home Organizing Projects Using Cricut Vinyl?
Browse the Cricut Project category here on the blog for all kinds of home organization hacks using Cricut vinyl. Whether your have a large machine like Cricut Maker or Explore, or a small Cricut Joy, you’ll find all kinds of inspo to get your whole house Organized-ish with Pinterest-worthy labels. Like this project that mimics my pegboard decals, but they’re used inside a desk drawer instead.
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