ARE YOU ALWAYS LOOKING FOR FUN, FRESH AND FRUGAL WAYS TO REDECORATE OR GET ORGANIZED? ME TOO! WHAT’S MY SECRET? PRINTABLES, OF COURSE!
So just what are printables? Unless you’ve had no access to the internet over the last number of years, you’ve likely heard all about Printables. Printable labels, artwork, motivational quotes – you name it. A quick search reveals thousands, if not millions, of options when it comes to printables. But what exactly are they?
Simply put, Printables are designs created to be printed. Seems simple, no? But there often can be much more than meets the eye. So let’s look a little closer and discuss what printables are and how you can find them, use them and maybe even make them!
What are Printables?
Printables are images or objects designed to be printed. They might be artwork, organization tools or calendars. You can print labels for your kitchen, bathroom or wine bottles! Printable planners offer a much larger range of options and designs than you could find in your local stationery store. A quick search on Etsy shows thousands upon thousands of listings for printable wall art.
Basically, anything that can be printed into a physical copy that you buy as a digital file is considered a Printable. For example, in my own Etsy shop – I sell digital printables including seasonal decor, gift tags and cross stitch and quilt patterns. These products are all sent to my customers in a digital format and they print them out at home or by using their favourite print shops, like Staples or Walmart.
In the past, I have purchased games, cards, photos and decor as printables. I love the range of products that are available to me!
Watch how I’ve used a St. Patrick’s Day printable to make a piece of tiered tray decor:
Where to Find Printables
Depending on what you’re looking for, there are almost limitless sources of Printables!
Many designers sell Printables through online shops like Etsy or their own shops through their websites. And many of those designers even offer FREE Printables! Say what?
That’s right! You can find amazingly beautiful free Printables all over the internet. Here are some of my favourite sites:
Just a Girl and Her Blog – Abby Lawson
*Note – I’m not affiliated with these blogs – I just think they have really great products!
You’ll also find some free Printables that I’ve created in my Member Vault! You can use the form below to get instant access and download your favourites:
Why you should use Printables
Aside from the sheer volume of selection that Printables offer, there are several advantages to using them.
Ability to Resize
When you buy a physical product from a store, what you see is what you get. If you’ve bought a picture, let’s say, and it comes sized as an 8×10″ print, you’ve bought one 8×10″ print. That’s it. But when you buy that same 8×10″ print in a digital format, you now have the ability to resize it. You could print it as a 4×5″ or a 16×20″. Depending on your needs, you can create the perfect size of print for your space!
Print Multiple Copies
Have you ever bought a print that you absolutely love, only to realize that one season of the sun hitting it has caused it to fad like crazy? Yeah, me too. But when you have the digital file, if your image fades or becomes discoloured or worse – damaged – you can just print a new one!
Limitless Options
As I mentioned before, searching for Printables will bring you an overwhelming amount of results. The more specific you get in your search, the better luck you’ll have. You can search for spice labels in a certain colour, shape or style. There are countless journals and calendars available to suit pretty much every person’s taste. And birthday cards, decorations, gift tags, party accessories – the list goes on!
Different Ways to Use Printables
Not all printable products are created simply for display! In my own Etsy shop, I have multiple products that aren’t designed as wall art. In fact, I sell gift tags and recipe cards to print and cut out. I do, of course, sell decorative prints as well, but these can be used in more ways than one.
Any images that you purchase that can be resized could be repurposed into greeting cards. You can use them on birthday invitations. Prints can even be turned into wrapping paper for smaller gifts!
I’ve created a simple eBook to help guide you through the many uses of Printables, which you can get here:
Regardless of what you decide to do with them, Printables are a fantastic option for pretty much every person, on every budget! The hardest part might simply be deciding what you want.
What Tools You Might Use
Believe it or not, you don’t really need anything fancy to make good use of the Printables you find online. Basically, all you need is paper and a printer! How simple is that? Most of you likely already have those in your home. You can check out my favourite – I just got it, and I am LOVING it!
So what are some other tools you might want to use? Here are just a few that might come in handy:
And that’s just for starters! You can easily add your own touches to any printable before you display it.
So as you can see, when working with Printables, the possibilities are practically endless. Decide what you want, look online, print and display. My FAVOURITE type of decorating.
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