When I first bought my Cricut I stocked up on a whole bunch of adhesive vinyl, including removable vinyl, which it turns out I hardly ever use in my projects. Adhesive vinyl is available in both permanent and removable vinyl and I tend to use permanent probably 99% of the time.
So what’s the difference and when do you use each of them
- Permanent vinyl is best used on drink ware, signs or any project that will be outdoors (i.e. car decal) as it is meant to last longer and will be harder to remove. When using permanent vinyl, you don’t need to seal the vinyl as it is designed to last years if cared for properly.
- Removable vinyl is best used for wall decals, window decals, or any design that you’d like to be able to remove easily from the surface. Removable vinyl technically can be used outdoors as well but won’t last as long as it isn’t designed to withstand the weather. The adhesive just isn’t as long lasting.
I tend to use the Oracal brand of vinyl the most. This brand of vinyl is always clearly labeled on the back of the sheets. 651 is permanent and 631 is removable. If you use Cricut brand vinyl, the packaging it comes in always indicates which type it is but also a good rule of thumb is that removable vinyl is matte. Permanent vinyl can come in matte as well but glossy is definitely the most common.
I thought I’d share a couple ways I’ve used removable vinyl in case anyone is looking for more ways to use it up!
Ideas for using removable vinyl:
Wall Decals
Removable vinyl is probably the only thing you’d want to use on walls. It is designed for that purpose and using permanent vinyl may result in paint chipping when it comes time to remove it.
Window Decals
You could really use either here but removable is going to make it easier to remove especially if the window gets a lot of direct sun.
Bookshelf Decals
With Valentines Day coming up, I added some hearts onto the back of one of my bookshelf shelves to complement my Valentines decor. These will easily be removed after the holiday and I can always change the theme for the next holiday.
Kitchen Cupboard
I added this kitchen measurements decal onto a cupboard in my kitchen. I reference it very often and it’s super helpful to have when I’m either halving or doubling a recipe or trying to make other quick conversions.
Hopefully this will help spark some ideas on ways to use some of your removable vinyl! I’d love to see any projects you try out so be sure to tag me on Instagram, @makingstuffwithsam.
Happy crafting!!
