Storing Templates and Kopykake Images
Brace yourselves for a little a walk through my world. My messy, unorganized cookie world. This isn’t a pretty post, but functional isn’t always pretty.
I want to start out by saying that I have never been known for my organizational skills. Until recently, this is how my cookie templates and Kopykake images were stored. Looks okay from this angle but open a drawer and there’s a nightmare inside.
Sadly, although I saved almost every template/image I use, I often ended up reprinting because I couldn’t find anything in this mess.
One day I mentioned my problem to my dear friend Lisa {who is exceptionally organized} and she shared the perfect solution. All it took was a few packages of photo album pocket pages, a three three ring binder, and some alphabetized dividers to forever change my world.
Sorting through the initial mess was kind of hellish {I paid my poor sister-in-law to do it} but now finding a specific template is a breeze. Simply flip to the correct tab and each theme is neatly stored in its own little pocket.
As far as categories go, I organized them in a manner that makes sense to me so I can find them quickly. For example, I filed Snow White behind the letter “S”. This makes perfect sense to me but it might be more logical to someone else to put it behind the Disney tab. Do what works best for you.
When I finished I was able to fit three drawers worth of templates into a three inch binder. Now to find something new to put in the drawers. Stencils perhaps? I’m only kidding. Sort of.
Speaking of stencils, my friend Heather also uses a photo album to store hers. Clean and neat. Just the way my husband I like things!
Do you have an organizational tip to share? Tell me all about it. I need all the help I can get. For more tips, be sure to check out these posts:
You know I was just thinking that there had to be a better way to store all the templates and stuff. Great tip! Thanks Callye.
I recently started laminating my KK images. I use tape to put them in the box instead of using the little arms so now I can reuse my tape and don’t have to worry about my images ripping or curling due to the heat.
hmm laminating them, that’s a good idea too.
This is great Callye! With the amount of cookies you do and your creativity, I can easily imagine how difficult it is to stay organized in your cookie world. I have two big binders and I take a sheet of plain paper and I attach all the Kopykake images to the sheet with blue tape and up in the right hand corner I write Baseball or Wedding or whatever the category is and they are all alphabetized easily. This system has worked well for me the last 2 years. The problem I am having right now is that my schedule has been so crazy that I’ve been putting the KK images in a file folder instead of putting them back in the binder and now I have a big pile to reorganize 🙁 so I’ve been re-printing out images instead of taking the time to get them all organized. I need to get my office back under control, but at least the system is in place 😉
oh and then it goes easily from the sheet of binder paper into the KK because it already has blue tape on it which I prefer over those metal clip thingies.
I really like Heather’s photo album storage for her stencils. I don’t have any stencils but when (if) I start accumulating them, I’ll have to remember this.
As for my KopyKake template images, I store mine in hanging files. I categorize (tab) them using various titles, i.e., the “Corporate” folder holds any images I’ve done for a business/corporation. I have hanging files for each “Season”, “Holiday”, “Cartoons”, etc. If you don’t have a filing cabinet or a desk drawer that will accommodate hanging files with tabs, you can purchase plastic hanging file cases.
I should mention that they do make pages for 12″x12″ albums which are split into quarters making it possible to store 4 (6″x6″) stencils per page. This is a great option to mix different page protectors in the same album so you can also store larger stencils as well.
I love that idea! Thank you!
Such clever ideas!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Callye (and Lisa) for making life easier for all of us crazy cookiers 🙂
I use Snapware 6×9 3-layer storage containers. Bottom has 6 divided sections I use for tips and couplers. Middle has no dividers, I use this for most of my gel colors, top tier for boo boo stick, toothpicks, small angled spatula, parchment squares, rubber bands, etc.
Great post! I am a super organized person… my sprinkles are even organized by color… I have been known to separate assorted sugar pearls by colors if I need a certain color… My ribbons and papers are organized by color in my scrapbook room too. I know, call me crazy…. my mother is a hoarder so I have issues with clutter, lol… Anyway my KK templates are in a nice fabric box made for hanging file folders with the folders labeled like Baby, Wedding, Animals, Alphabets, Sports, etc. so If I am working on a set of cookies in a certain theme I can pull out the file folder and see all my templates. The box sits next to my KK machine on my new cookie cutter storage chest. Cookie cutters are in clear boxes by categories inside that. My cookie bags (cello bags) are organized by size with dividers for each size in a large flat basket so I can see them all at a glance. Kris
You and your super organized friends inspire me. I am an organized person but, when I get in a creative mood, things get messy so I feel like I am always organizing.
Your posts are always so timely! I am looking at my pile of templates… all stuck together because of the tape I never bothered to pull off… this will be a great summer project! Oh, and I LOVE that you hired some help for the job… I’m thinking my kids can pull this one off 🙂
I wrangled mine into clear page protectors that I alphabetized. Then I added one for numbers and blanks. So far it works great, I love that I can lay out all my potential monogram letters at once, and refer to the cookie I made as well. I also note the font, because that is one hunt I do not like!
I got nothin’. I’m a mess. 😉 Much to my husband’s dismay.
Those albums are simple brilliance! I will have to remember this. My template and stencil collection hasn’t become unmanageable yet but it is headed that way and right now I just have it in a giant stack in a cabinet. I’m starting to dread looking through it to find anything!
You know how I love to organize and I love this idea, if only I had a Kopykake I would so do this! I don’t think I have any new organization ideas since my photo books and cd binders! 🙂
Really helpful!
Good for you! I hate to say after, uh, thirty years, I keep my templates and patterns in baggies! I’m always meaning to get more organized but after a project I’m just happy to put them away wherever but I do have my cutters organized in clear plastic containers according to seasons, etc. I do like having separate containers for all petal and Disco Dusts, one for dragees, one for colored sugars. I could be more organized but perhaps this is my creative process. :). I really like the containers from The Container store because they stack so nicely and fit together perfectly. You’ve inspired me to get the papers more organized!
Great idea! I am in the process of trying to get organized and these ideas are great!
I did the exact same thing with making a alphabetized photo binder for my kk images a few months ago. It saves me so much time.
THIS IS AWESOME. I will admit that I have never thought to do ANYTHIN like this! I have never saved one image and will regret it. :/ Thanks for sharing!
Immediately ordered a 6″ album, extra sheet protectors & the larger 4 pocket sheet protectors. Got ’em and LOVE the whole “system”! Pure joy to be able to flip through pages and find what I want quickly. The empty pocket will tell me where to put the stencil or image back where it belongs after using. My stencils & imgaes were in a 3 drawer like yours and it took forever to find anythng. Especially when you have to take your time with the stencils because they always get hung up on each other, can be bent or torn and they all look alike in the drawer. What a relief! My stencils are safe & sound now. Thanks so much for sharing and having friends like Lisa and Heather! I’ll be using my stencils more often and reprinting images less often. Less frustration, less time searching, simple & easy to use. Never knew stuff like this existed. Brilliant!
THANK YOU!!!!!!! 🙂
Yessss! I thought you had posted this at some point. What a mess I have here. THANKS!!
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this is an awesome Idea for a home for my templates and stencils , TFS !
As everyone has mentioned this is an excellent organization suggestion!! Thanks for posting
Does anyone know where to get the 6×6 pocket protection pages? Thanks in advance!