If you’re looking for a smart way to take on home storage, a great place to start is by sorting out your storage solutions. The problem is, once you’ve found a place for everything, you need to be able to find them again. What’s necessary is a way of clearly and easily marking what’s inside all of those neat new storage containers, and for that, the handy Dymo label maker is perfect.
We asked Adelaide-based home organising expert Emily Lorenzo, who runs the Instagram account Organised by Emily, to test the Dymo LabelManager Portable Label Maker 160P and see if it’s a helpful tool for anyone trying to declutter their home, office or garage. Here’s what she thought…
Taking the Dymo Label Maker Out of the Box
Inside the box, you’ve got the Dymo LabelManager Portable Label Maker 160P, a three metre starter roll of black-on-white label tape and a quick-start guide. To get started you also need six triple-A batteries or an AC adaptor if you have one handy.
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Getting Started With the Dymo LabelManager
Once you’ve loaded the batteries, it’s time to put the label roll in the Dymo. It’s a really simple process. Basically you pop it in, close the label maker and it’s ready to go.Â
The refill rolls for the Dymo LabelManager come in three widths – 6mm, 9mm and, like this one, 12mm – and also in a 7m length. That’s super handy for creating different-size labels for different projects.
There’s a large LCD display on the label maker and a qwerty-style keyboard laid out like the one on a computer.
Today, I need to create some labels for our children’s playspace and for our office, but it would also be great for organising cleaning products, school supplies or the pantry.
How to Use the Dymo Label Maker
I typed the word ‘recipes’ into the Dymo LabelManager so I could label one of my files. You get a preview of what you’ve typed on the screen, which is a great function that lets you check what you’ve input before you print it out. That way you won’t waste any of the labels by printing out spelling mistakes.
What I really love about this Dymo label maker is you can format the text. I can change the font, make it italic, use an underline function, and even make the type bigger or smaller. There are so many ways you can change and customise your label depending on what you’re doing.
There are up to six different font sizes (depending on the width of the tape), eight text styles, and four different boxes you can choose from. There are also 228 symbols and images you can add to your design, so you can get as creative as you like.
The finished labels will stick to just about anything, including plastic, paper, glass and metal. So you can use the label maker to sort out your kids’ school books, canisters in the pantry, pegboards in the garage or your craft bins.
SEE ALSO: How to Get Your Kids Organised Without Breaking a Sweat
Get the Job Done With a Dymo Label Maker
Now I’ve tested the Dymo label maker and know exactly what I’m doing, it’s time to finish the project in the playroom. Even though I’m making more than 20 labels, the process is simple and fast.
The Dymo LabelManager Portable Label Maker 160P is definitely a handy little device to have, particularly if, like me, you’re on a mission to ensure everything has its own place and a space to be stored around the house.
What To Try
- DYMO LabelManager Portable Label Maker 160P
- DYMO D1 Label Tape 12mm x 7m Black on Clear
- DYMO D1 Label Tape 12mm x 7m Black on White
- DYMO D1 Label Tape 12mm x 7m White on Black  Â
- DYMO D1 Durable Label Tape 12mm White on Red
- DYMO D1 Label Tape 12mm x 7m Black on Green
- DYMO D1 Label Tape 9mm x 7m Black on Yellow  Â
- DYMO AC Power Adaptor
- J.Burrows AAA Alkaline Batteries 8 Pack
- Really Useful Box 8 Drawer Storage Assorted Colours
- Mode Large Storage Basket 17.3L Grey
- Otto Brights Terrazzo A4 Deep Document Box