Ermm silly questyion but what is the best way of labeling storage boxes??

[navyeyelasH]

All the options I can think of involve, at some point in the future, the label coming off!

Is there an easy way to label plastic storage boxes that will last? Only thing I can thing of it paint but that will be hassle!

Permanent marker pen?

hmm that could be an option blithedance but I was hoping for an actual picture labelling what's inside rather than words IYSWIM. Nit sure I could draw anything remotely realistic with a perm marker.

I need like an iron on transfer for plastics?!

If you're using see through ones, could the picture be glued onto the inside?

If you want a picture, then take a digital picture of the toys that go inside each, re-size the pictures (I find powerpoint easy to manipulate) and print out on colour printer. Cut out picture and stick on front/top of box using cellotape?

You must have a lot of time though!

depends how far you wanna go, we made labels up, with a picture of what was inside written names, then laminated it them, then attached to the boxes with velcro, however this was for nursery toys (this made them chanageable and it doesn't matter if they come off cause they can be easily re attached) depends what you want really!

I hadn't thought of glueing them inside - wouldn't the glue show up from the outside?

Also with glueing them on do you think they would last?

I personally don't think gluing inside would last, and the glue may look odd, you need to protect the photo, the toys will end up ripping the photo most likely. Although doing it the way i did clearly will suit a nursery, it was time consuming but i am sure you will have a lot less boxes.

sorry x posted earlier on didn't see the replies. I have about 28 boxes I think so quite a lot.

The images are done I just got them of google images as it was quicker - it's attaching them that's tricky!

I like the idea of velcro - did you just glue the velcro to the box. How is that holding up, I don't want to have to redo this every few months!

Blueshoes, like everyone else these days I have no time and a million things to do! I just used photoshop to automate the sizing so much quicker.

I'm thinking vecro or some sort of rub on transfer might be the better options.

We bought sticky velcro, you can buy it in sticky tabs but it is cheaper to get it off a reel and have a few meters cut, your right that is alot of boxes. We finished the labels last jan ish, they have lasted well, they do come off but the velcro hasn't. (i work with 2-3, so they can be quite rough and they have lasted really well) I could prob take a photo on monday and post it if you want to see

I put mine on with sticky back plastic, onto the front it's lasted a good couple of years so far and you can easily wipe over to clean, it doesnt go manky round the edges like sticky tape does either.

double sided tape is quite strong - seems lots of people are organising things today

Sticky back plastic over the entire picture with a good say 4cm around all sides should be fine to keep it in place, plus if sticking to outside of the box it will help protect the picture.

Silly question but why do you want the image to last a long time? Wouldn't you be changing the contents of the boxes every few years?

I laminated all the pictures and then velcro-d them to the outside of the boxes. Ds's new fave habit is ripping them all off, but I'm (slowly) training him not too! Sometimes I do find that he manages to pull both lots of velcro off (the bit stuck to the box too) but it resticks ok.

I definitely would NOT recommend buying velcro from the poundstore - it all peels off again as soon as you look at it!

My laminated pics stayed on for ages (just folded normal sticky tape so was like double sided - you know what I mean) but a very recent thing for a couple of them to do is pull them all off. To be expected I suppose. I think I'll try some double sided tape as we have some VERY strong stuff that I used to hang fabric off the ceiling for our 'space' project so if it held that, should be great with little laminated pics

Hook and loop sticky pads from Tesco's - fab and you can interchange the labels. Haven't found them amywhere else though, so if you don't have a Tesco nearby

They should be in the stationery department, btw

Laminate photos
Sellotape round all four edges

Lasts at least 18m sometimes as long as 3 yrs

Hmm so many options, think I mgiht go with the hook and look thingy (I've seen them in Homebase I think) as then I have some flexibility with changing the boxes over.

Nannynick, by a long time I mean than 5 minutes; get 6 children together and they can be animals at times