The Ultimate Guide to Organizing and Storing Printables (Without the Mess!)

Tired of printable clutter? Let’s create a simple system to store your digital and printed resources so you can craft, plan, and play anytime—without the chaos!

Let's face it: One of the main ideas of using Printables actually is that we can easily store them on our computer and print them when we need them, right? I mean that's actually one of my main reasons I love Printables so much - I don't need to store printed papers everywhere in my home but just get them printed when I need a fun game for my god child, a tag for my mum's birthday or a game for date night 🙂 - but then: I need to find them. So somehow we need to create a system where we can store our Printables!

Are Your Printables Taking Over? Let’s Fix That!

You've downloaded so many beautiful printables—planners, activity sheets, craft templates—but now they’re everywhere. Piled up on your desk, buried in random folders on your computer, or lost in a bottomless stack of paper.

It starts small. You print a few cute worksheets for your kids, a meal planner for your family, and a holiday craft project—but before you know it, your once-organized space is a mess of papers, and finding anything feels like a scavenger hunt.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone!

Many busy moms and creative crafters struggle with:

• Messy stacks of papers – making it impossible to find what you need
• Reprinting the same things – wasting paper and ink because you misplaced the original
• Feeling overwhelmed – you want to create, but clutter is blocking your inspiration

Now, imaging this instead...

• You have a clear system where every Printable has a place - on- and offline!
• You quickly find exactly what you need—no more searching or reprinting
• Your printables stay clean, protected, and ready to use anytime

Ready to get organised? Let’s break it down step by step!

Step 1: Sort Your Printables by Category

Before you can store your printables, you need to sort them—because an unorganized collection means wasted time when you actually want to use them.

Take 10 minutes to go through your Printables and group them into categories. Common categories include:

• Home & Family Printables – Meal planners, cleaning checklists, family calendars
• Kids’ Activities – Coloring pages, educational worksheets, printable games
• Holiday & Seasonal Printables – Party decorations, gift tags, festive crafts
• Craft & DIY Printables – Die-cutting templates, project instructions, labels

Sorting your printables immediately gives you clarity—and once you see them organized, you’ll never go back to random stacks of paper!

We do that because we do not wanna throw away what you have printed for the one or other reason. But it's up to you - you can also do a deep cleaning and just concentrate on your digital files and do it as I have stated above: Print when you need what you need and never store anything outside your computer 🙂

Actually that's what I did when I started organising my Printables: I simply have thrown everything away and concentrated on my digital files. I just wanted to start clean. But that's been just me - you do as you like! Don't think that I have not printed a single Printable and have it lying around at all 😉

Step 2: Digital Storage (Never Lose a File Again!)

Is your computer filled with random “download (1).pdf” files? If you don’t have a system, finding the right file can feel like a nightmare. For me that is especially my Download folder. I swear it gets messy when I look away for a minute- when I get back to my computer a huge amount of files "has been downloaded" and somehow found its way on my computer! 😉

Let’s clean it up and make sure your digital printables are just as organised as your physical ones.

• Create a Printables Folder - Store all downloads in one central location
• Use Subfolders by Category: Example: "Kids Activities", "Colouring Pages" - If you have an offline storage you might want to create the same categories on your computer as you have outside.
• Rename Files Clearly: Instead of "download123.pdf," try "Winter_Activity_Book.pdf"
• Use Cloud Storage for Easy Access: Google Drive or Dropbox let you access files anywhere (that's not a must though - a folder on your hard drive which gets backed up or an external hard drive - even a USB Stick as Printables are not that large - do the trick as well)
• I also like the idea to add Emojis to my folders than I can find them much quicker and it looks good! You can easily copy and paste them from your favourite messenger. That's how it looks on my computer:

Sure, I do have subfolders - like Christmas, Halloween, Easter and so on for my Holiday folder - you see I do have a huge collection of Printables 😉
Still, this feels much more organised and when I need something I just go to the folder and get it - the great things about PDFs are the preview images of each PDF so you easily know where you find what!

Step 3: Physical Storage (No More Paper Chaos!)

If you prefer having printables ready to go, you need a system that keeps them neat, accessible, and safe from coffee spills and sticky fingers!

Best Storage Options for Printed Printables

• Binders with Plastic Sleeves – Perfect for planners, worksheets, and reference sheets
• Clipboards for Daily Use – Keep your go-to printables visible and accessible
• Labeled Storage Boxes – Great for seasonal or rarely used printables
• Expanding File Folders – Ideal for separating activities by theme or subject

Pro Tip:
Place your most-used printables in a binder by category, so you can flip through and grab what you need instantly! Don't forget here as well: Use the same categories as on your computer - it makes things easier!

Step 4: Make Printables Easy to Use Anytime

You finally have a system—but how do you keep up with it?

Here’s a simple maintenance plan to keep your printable collection under control:

• Schedule a Monthly Cleanup – Delete or recycle printables you no longer use
• Print Only When Needed – This saves paper, ink, and space!
• Store New Downloads Immediately – No more cluttered "Downloads" folder
• Use Labels & Dividers – So you can grab what you need in seconds

The Result? More time crafting, less time searching!

Why Organising Your Printables Will Improve Your Life

• Saves Time – No more hunting for lost files or papers!
• Reduces Stress – A clutter-free space means a clutter-free mind.
• Maximizes Use – Actually enjoy the printables you collect!
• Supports a Sustainable Lifestyle – Print only what you need, when you need it.

You’ve put time and effort into collecting amazing printables—now it’s time to keep them organised and ready to use!

Which storage solution are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments below!

And don't forget to fill your Printable folders with beautifully designed Printables 😀 from the Pepper Printable Club! Join me 🙂