When I first starting making stuff for my
Etsy shop I quickly realized that I needed some kind of label. I looked around at different etsy shops and label shops for a company to make them for me but I then I realized I could probably make them myself fairly easily! So I did! I've been making my own labels since then and I find a really cheap and easy option.
I thought I'd share with you how I make them so you can make your own too!
The first thing you need though is a stamp. I got mine made online at
Staples and I'm pretty happy with what I got. I think it cost me about $20 including shipping. That's the biggest expense when making your own labels.
here's the stamp I ordered after about a years worth of use :)
What you'll all need:
-customized stamp
-fabric paint in the color of your choice. I've always found black looks and works best.
-plain, matte ribbon OR a long strip of hemmed fabric (I've only ever used ribbon, but I figure hemmed fabric should work just as well)
-a piece of flat plastic like a yogurt container lid
-felt
Step One:
-Get out your yogurt lid and squirt a decent amount of fabric paint onto it.
-Take your felt and cut a square big enough for your stamp. Place the felt on top of the fabric paint and pat it down until it just starts to soak up.
-Using your stamp, "stamp" the felt until the paint is fully soaked in. This will be your stamp pad!
Step 2:
-Unroll your whole piece of ribbon and lay it on a flat surface.
-Dab your stamp onto the felt just like a stamp pad and then test it on a piece of paper first.
It's hard to get the amount of paint to felt ratio just right so make sure you check the stamp before you stamp the ribbon each time. Once you're comfortable with how it stamps start stamping your ribbon!
-Make sure you leave a decent amount of space between each stamp so that you have space to turn the raw cut edges under when you sew your labels on.
-Keep going until you have all your ribbon stamped!
Step 3:
-Read the label on your container of fabric paint and follow the finishing directions on it. Some need to be heat treated and some just need about 72 hours to dry.
-I usually don't cut the labels apart until I'm ready to use them. Then I just cut one off when I need it. It really saves you on losing ribbon space due to fraying.
Step 4:
-When you are ready to sew your labels on, simply iron each raw edge under and sew all the way around!
here's a finished bag with a label. I've used both a straight stitch and a zigzag to attach them and they both look pretty good.
So that's about it. I hope this inspires you to go ahead and make your own! They don't always turn out perfectly but that's the beauty of handmade.
*** UPDATE*** I've now found out that you can buy the same type of ribbon (cotton twill tape) by the yard at stores like Fabricland! So much cheaper and now I can buy and make so many more labels at once!
I've also found a place where you can order fabric ink pads,
right here. Although you don't get as deep of an imprint, it does work pretty good and it's a lot faster than the paint/felt method.
If you haven't you really should. I actually picked up this copy at a thrift store for .50!! It's in perfect new condition and when I saw the cover I knew I had to look inside. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is fantastic. It's all about a fox trying to catch a chicken but fate seems to get in the way and one thing after another happens to him. Oddly enough I actually bought this book for me, not the kids. I just know what my boys will do to it and I want to keep it nice so I can look at it forever. Maybe it'll be one of those books that I take out only to read to them, not for them to read to themselves. (aka destroying)
