storage for stencils
 

How do you store your stencils? I have great storage for everything else but the stencils come in so many different sizes, shapes and themes. They also get "tangled" together easily. I only have a few stencils but plan to invest in more. My "freehand" quilting barely rivals the scribbling of a three year old.

i like the idea of hanging them on pants hangers in the closet

I hang mine on a hook on the peg board but first I take one of those little plastic thingey's that keep the bread wrapper closed and I staple it to the top edge of each stencil, then when I want a certain stencil I can just slip it off the hook and don't have to remove all the stencils hanging in front of the one I need.

go ahead, laugh at me, I thought this was asking how to store PENCILS and wondered what was wrong with the age old method of sticking them in a coffee cup!!!!! speaking of coffee - guess I need some more!

I group mine by size/shape, then put a round notebook ring through them, and then hang on a Command strip hook placed on the side wall of my closet. I have 3 groups and it makes it easy to find the one I want: long and wide for borders, medium length and narrow for inner borders, and square for blocks.

I kind of do the same thing, love it. I use the big ones from plastic garbage bags that I do not use and they are bigger and u have more room.
http://signatures.mylivesignature.co...C68D6DB95A.png

LOL, exactly what I thought too. I need tea.

i bought one of those hangers type things from Joanns it is a round metal hoop with a hanger type thing on the top , i have 3 one for rulers,one for mats, and the other for stencils they hang on the back of my door

I'm using one of the smaller metal hinged Command Strip hooks attached to the wall. I also use them to hang my rulers.

I, too, hang mine on the pegboard, but what a fantastic idea to attach the clip from the plastic bag closure things. I will be doing that to mine too now. Thanks for making my life a little easier! Hugs and smiles.......

I didn't laugh but did snicker a little.

I have dresser & I have boxes for different sizes. I also have a open shelf under some drawers I put some of the larger ones.

I hang them on a shower curtain clip then put that on my peg board...they are easy to flip and take out!

What a good idea. Members here are so resourceful.

Here's how I store mine...

I store them behind pictures that are on our walls. The picture frames keep them flat.

Great idea -- can you imagine what a burgler looking for a safe would think?

I have put some in page protectors before. At the present time they are tangled in a drawer... gotta do something about that!

The previous owner had cup hooks in the beam in our sewing room so I hang them from there. Have to watch though...the cat likes to get at them. I have to keep my project boxes away from the hanging stencils so he can't get on the boxes.

this is still MY favorite way to store them too! Tried most of the gadgets sold for this purpose and they all fail when you want the stencil in the middle of the pack! I have not only quilting stencils, but stencils for painting, inking, etc, so I have TONS of stencils!

I Know!
 

I just have to tell you, I read that title at least 3 times before I saw that it wasn't storing Pencils! What tricks our brains can play on us:) Perhaps this explains why I can read my cutting instructions so carefully and then cut wrong! My last one said "place fabric wrong side down" and I carefully cut it wrong side up!

really good suggestions.
Pat

Oh, my thanks for the chuckle. I misread all the time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am still contemplating my options but there are some great ideas here...

LOL, I too read pencil

I use one of those clothes hangers that shows you how to hang in each hook and you unhook it from the rod so it hangs down. but I put it under my shelf so I can put a open hook in each one of the other hooks and arrange them by size. I have another that I hang and use for small gift bags for secret sister doings.

I like legal sized file folders for smaller ones. and i have some that fit very nicely in the 12 x12 inch scrapbook paper holders. really big ones were problematic for me until i put two shelves really close together in my quilting closet. Now i have then all on two shelves.

I just found an ad for clear peg boards that I think might look nice and be very functional.

I actually use pizza boxes. Pizza Hut and Pappa Johns let me have them, I just went in and asked.

Pizza boxes sound like a cool idea.

My FB built a plate rack with wooden pegs below it all around my sewing room. On one of the pegs he Hung brass chain looped. Then he opened a few links in the chain for hanging rulers, pencils, etc. Works great for me. That should be DH and stencils. Dumb smart phone seller.

I use an artist portfolio. I have a black one that zips on 3 sides. I bought plastic inserts in different sizes. Now all my stencils (I have a lot) are all in one place. Luann in CT
http://www.dickblick.com/products/bl...io-portfolios/
http://cdn.dickblick.com/items/150/8...01-3-2ww-m.jpg

What great ideas. I like the idea of having them in the closet and using the little plastic things off bread wrappers . Now if I can just keep a certain someone here from throwing them out.