Tutorial: How to label plastic floss cards

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You may have faced this dilemma - whether to use paper or plastic embroidery floss cards. Paper cards are good because you can write the floss number on them, but they don't wear well and need replacing frequently. Plastic cards last forever (literally) but it is next to impossible to write on them. Or if you are lucky enough to find a pen that marks the plastic without running, it looks something like in the picture below (A is for 'Anchor' as I also have Cosmo and a small amount of DMC in my floss box). Messy.

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A very simple solution then - just tape the label from the floss skein onto the plastic card, and you have the best of both worlds. Brilliant. Can't believe it took me years to come up with this one.

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I demonstrated here using Cosmo floss. Slide the label off the floss skein, cut it at the back, then trim it on the sides to fit the plastic card. Then tape the label to the card, and you are ready to wind your floss. Easy peasy.

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And here is how it looks with Anchor floss. The thing I really like about this method is the fact that the labels for each floss brand is distinctive, so you won't confuse the colour numbers.

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So there you go! One tidy floss box, with cards that will last forever and ever...

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24 comments:

  1. Isn't it always the way? Simple is best! I might have to change to plastic! ;-)

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  2. I love this idea! I can't believe I didn't think of it. I have been using floss for about 45 years:)

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  3. I think I have fallen in love with your floss box, so pretty, so tidy and just so colourful x

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  4. Ha ha, clever! I really must sort my floss out, it looks so pretty all lined up on those cards.

    S x

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  5. I used to keep my floss this way, but have stopped due to frustration of the crimps it put in the floss. Everytime I used it I would mist it and hang in bathroom to dry.

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  6. Oh it looks so pretty, great tip too

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  7. Great idea, but I'd be concerned about the tape breaking down after being on the floss bobbin for years. To me, that crumbly mess of old tape breaking apart in my floss box would put my OCD into overdrive.

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  8. I just use a label maker

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  9. I've been doing this for over 15 years and I haven't had any trouble with the tape breaking down. I have a keeper that holds 3 of these trays and 2 of the small ones. when I start a project I move the appropriate floss to the small container and then back when done. works slick!

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    1. Barb I love the idea of a small container for the current project!

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  10. That's awesome, I can't believe I never thought of it! Though sometimes I like to thread the cards I'm using onto a ring, so I'm not sure I'd like to cover the holes...
    I always use plastic bobbins but I write on them with a fine-tipped Sharpie.

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  12. This is such a brilliant idea. I just simply love it. You’ve really got the best of both worlds with this idea. And it is an easy way to organize your floss cards.
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  14. I just bought the plastic ones and was wondering how to label them. Great tip!

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  15. Further to my comment above, where do you get plastic ones - only ever seen paper? 😀

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    1. Hi there, my Spotlight sells them, or local quilting stores. If not you can order them online. They are a little dearer than the paper ones but virtually indestructible so they last forever! I am still using the same cards I bought over 10 years ago, and they will probably last till the end of my days :)

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  16. Where did you get the container to put these all in? I love this idea.

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    1. Hi Ashley, just from my local Spotlight (big haberdashery store here in Australia, similar to JoAnns in the US)

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  17. This blog is so nice to me. I will keep on coming here again and again.

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  18. This is brilliant. Found your blog entry when I searched Google for "writing on plastic floss bobbins." Thank you for the idea!!

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