Add a pop of color and design to an interior pottery plant, place a catchy phrase on your favorite coffee mug, or create a one-of-kind t-shirt. All this can be done with various types of vinyl films, but as any crafter knows, supplies can be great to use but tough to store.
Many Etsy shop owners, part time crafters, and avid hobbyists already use self storage to store their crafting supplies, and it can be simple and effective to store your rolls and rolls of adhesive vinyl in a storage unit, giving you the perfect place to keep your costly materials.
Prepare your vinyl for self storage
Take time to roll up any pieces of vinyl that are large enough, and you can place scraps in folders or other flat containers to keep together and orderly. You may also want to take time to separate and organize the vinyl based on type, such as regular adhesive, heat transfer vinyl, permanent, laminate film, etc, or more simply by color.
From here, take the rolls or scraps and place them in an air-tight container. It’s recommended you use a sturdy plastic tote. For starters, it will help to keep our any dust, debris, or water—all of which can render your vinyl as useless due to damage over time—as well as help avoid any direct pressure on the vinyl. This last part is important because high pressure can cause surface marring and leave pressure marks due to the softness of vinyl.
Another important thing to do during this time is to mark and inventory all of your vinyl. Know which types and colors you have in which box, and have it written down somewhere as well as label each container. For larger rolls, label them for easy perusal within the unit.
Storage features to protect vinyl
Once you’ve taken the right steps to protect your vinyl before storage, now you can find the right features of a storage unit to protect your vinyl. The biggest feature to look for is climate control, which maintains a constant temperature and humidity level within your unit.
As we mentioned earlier, water and humidity is danger to vinyl. For instance, the water will damage all paper or paper-based liners. This could cause at best cause waviness in the vinyl to causing the vinyl to separate entirely from its liner.
You may also want to find a unit that’s nearby, especially if you are a frequent crafter.
Place vinyl in a storage unit
Once you’ve taken the right steps and found the best storage unit, there are a couple of last things to do when you place your vinyl collection in a storage unit. For instance, you can place a plastic tarp or wooden pallet on the floor to keep the vinyl off the ground and away from any small amounts of water or humidity on the ground.
If you have a larger collection, line the walls of your unit with your vinyl collection so you can easily find everything—and remember large piling can cause pressure and damage.
With a storage unit, you can keep your collection of vinyl for years worth of crafting, especially when you take the proper steps!
