minorDIY

How to change icons for folders or files on your computer

by // 112 Comments

Organize the many files you’ve downloaded from craft summits or craft bloggers with these pretty file folder icons.

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These boring blue folders are all the same. Let’s fix that!

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New folders are constantly being added!

Please go to the Free Files Folder here to download them.

Download these for Craft with Sarah’s Christmas Craft Countdown!

These folders are specifically to organize photos you’ve taken during the winter or holiday season.

Download these for my Polaroid Photo Display Card Workshop.

Here are the folders for the Cricut Crafting Adventure 2024.

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How to change the folder icons on a Mac


Download the PNG folder icons I created. They are in the Free Files Folder – design #101 – File Folder Icons for Macs.


Double-click to open a PNG file in Preview.

Choose Edit > Copy or press the shortcut keys Command + C.


Right-click on the folder icon you want to change and choose “Get Info.”


Click on the folder icon.

Use the shortcut keys Command + V to paste the image into the icon image.


So much prettier, right? And easier to find because it sticks out from the rest of the standard folders.


Repeat the process for any folders you want to change.

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How to change the folder icons on a Windows computer

It’s a little more complicated to create custom folders for Windows, because it only accepts images with the ICO file type for icons.

Due to very popular demand, I’ve created them for you though!

Download design #102 – File Folder Icons for Windows from the Free Files Folder.

Here we have the normal, boring Windows Folders.


Double-click the ZIP file you downloaded to open it.


Save the entire ICO Files folder somewhere on your computer. It doesn’t matter if it’s in your Documents, Downloads, or on your C: drive.


Now, navigate to the folder that you want to change the icon on.

Right-click and choose Properties. (Or use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Enter.)


Click on the Customize tab, then click on the Change Icon button.

Click on the Browse button.


Navigate to the location where you saved the ICO files.

Choose the icon you want to use.


Click OK.


Now, click the Apply button and then the OK button. (In my experience, if you just click OK, the image doesn’t update immediately. It changes after you close and re-open the folder.)


Done! So much prettier!

Repeat the process for each of the folders you want a new icon for.

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I’ve had many requests for certain types of folders, but there’s no way I could create a custom folder for everything.


Instead, I created folders in 30 different colors so you can use your favorite shades.

These folder icons are designs # 101 RAINBOW – File Folder Icons for Macs and # 102 RAINBOW – File Folder Icons for Windows, in the Free Files Folder.

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Want to make your own file folder icons?

If you use Canva, PhotoShop, or any other type of graphic design software, you can design your own folders!

I’d suggest taking one of my folder icons in a PNG format (download the rainbow file folders for Mac) and then adding your text or images to it.

Save that file as a PNG with a transparent background.

If you are using a Mac computer, it’s ready to be used!

If you are on a Windows machine, you need to convert the PNG file to an ICO file.

💜 My favorite converter so far is https://www.freeconvert.com/ico-converter/. It’s free, you don’t have to create a log in, and I haven’t found that it has a daily limit of converts.

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Do you need projects to fill each of these folders now?


Click on a folder to be taken to those projects.

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Don’t want to forget this?
Save it for later by pinning it on Pinterest.
Click the image below to Pin it.

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Count me in too – Makers Gonna Learn Summit……Sublimation Camp coming up soon too. These folder icons are fab – really help me to understand what I’ve got in there – not just yellow folders. Would love Design Bundles and Font Bundles too, as I’ve hunderds of downloads from there…. best I stop now!! I’d love to learn how to do this – but yours are amazing xx

    Reply

  4. Kat says

    These turned out great! I was working on the computer while I was at my mom’s today and decided to do this while I had time. My mom was very impressed 😀 Thanks again Emily!

    Reply

    • Emily says

      Sorry, these are designed for computers. If you can use PNG or ICO files as icons on your iPad, you can use them. However, you’ll have to find a tutorial on how to do that as I’m not sure.

      Reply

  7. Wendy says

    You’re a genius! LOL I love this! Now if I knew how to make my own, I could create for each of the craft fests I’ve attended. Thank you soooo much!

    Reply

    • Emily says

      I’ve been thinking of making a little tutorial, but I’m not sure that many people have graphic design software to do it. I do have Abbi’s Cricut Craftfest folder…. suggestions of others are welcome!

      Reply

  12. Regina Byerly says

    Love the Purple Folders!! I would love to learn how to do this in windows. That would be Awesome!! Thanks!!!

    Reply

  15. Judy says

    Yes please for a Windows version. Is it possible to show how to custom label the new folder? Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  31. Evelyn E. Johnson says

    Please, I need the Windows version. I have thousands of folders on my computer, but I’d like to have Standout ones for the special folders.

    Reply

    • Emily says

      Yes, it’s easy to do on a Mac. In Windows, I need to make a special file that’s an ICO file. That’s why I asked crafters to weigh in if they’d like it. I will be updating the post with the Windows version.

      Reply

  34. Mary Ellen says

    good morning Emily I would very much appreciate it if you could show us how to make folders for windows thank you

    Reply

  42. Danetta R Harding says

    I would love a Windows version if you could fit it in between other things. You do so much for us and I really appreciate it!
    Danetta

    Reply

  44. frances says

    Emily I also would appreciate a Windows version. May I ask a question? would it work if I had more than one folder with the word SVG on it? i.e. Xmas SVG, Halloween SVG.
    TIA,
    Frances

    Reply

  46. Kathy Laubon says

    Would love the windows version also. You are great for taking this on!!
    Looks like there are a lot of us wanting this idea of yours for windows.

    Reply

  47. Pam says

    I would also like to have the Windows version/info of your organization file folders & tips! Thank you!

    Reply

  48. Joanne K says

    I would LOVE to be able to change the folders in Windows. Could you also tell us how to make our own for other parts of our life? PLEASE
    Thank you for your generosity!

    Reply

  51. Sandy Emme says

    A Windows version would be fabulous! Your creations are so useful, like the tool and pen organizers.

    Reply

  56. Debbie Desjardins says

    I would love how to do this on Windows. Thanks for all your help. Really appreciated by a new crafter.

    Reply

  57. Amy McManaway says

    I would love to get the Windows version!! I’ve been trying to organize all my stuff & I love this idea!!

    Reply

  61. Karen Guise says

    I would to see a windows version of these icons. They look amazing and really spice up the folders.

    Reply

  63. Kathy says

    I would LOVE to have the pretty file folders for use in Windows. I have changed some of them to what is available but they are anything but pretty.

    Reply

  65. Pam says

    Thank you so much! I have my projects in folders, but I always wished I could write on the folders or put a picture on them. I can’t wait to fix all of mine! I’m so excited!!

    Reply

  66. Milagros Rodriguez says

    Wow; what a change in my boring folders! Thank you very much!!!
    I would like to make folders with others names, or change the names to the ones you made, or maybe duplicate it and change the names… how can I do that? Is it possible? Again, thank you.
    Milagros

    Reply

  72. Barbara says

    I would love to see the icons for Windows. I have been trying1 to put my download files in some kind of order and this would be great.

    Reply

  78. Staci Calderon says

    I would LOVE to be able to do this in Windows!!! Would clean up my desktop and make my life a little brighter 🙂

    Reply

  81. Cathy M Brule says

    That would be great to have for Windows! It looks so neat and easy to find what you are looking for.

    Reply

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