Making Your Own Sew In Labels for your Handmade Crafts

This post is a work-in-progress... Part 1 (below) is rather alot of fiddling about with computers and graphics to get the layout and design of your label right so you can get to the fun part of having your labels printed on fabric and then using them in your projects, crafts and for your handmade business!

While I'm still in the process of putting together a step by step tutorial for the way I made my own fabric labels, I thought I would share with you a list of some of the tutorials I have found helpful in the past. Scroll to the bottom of the post for links to other tutorials.

PART 1

What You'll Need to Design Your Own Fabric Labels

• Your Logo
• A few basic skills in math (I know, what for right?) 
• A few basic skills in Photoshop or similar image editing software (sorry, this one is important!)
• Have a plan for the dimensions for your label eg. 2 x 2 inches when folded over
• Eventually, you'll be using Spoonflower.com to print your label design in a repeating pattern so you can order as many or as few labels as you need.

For my own fold over and sew-in fabric labels I wanted them to be

• EASY TO READ
• Show my logo
• include my website name
• and a few basic words or phrases to describe my business and the items these labels will be used on eg. 'Handmade in Australia'

For my Fabric Composition /Care Labels I needed to include info about fabric composition ie. Linen-Cotton, and a few simple instructions for how to best care for the fabric/item eg. 'Cold or Warm Gentle Machine Wash, Line Dry, Warm Iron'. More about these labels later.

Whatever text you decide to include on your labels, make sure the size of the label will easily be able to accommodate the text and choose a simple, clear font so it is easy to read. Flourishes and script fonts might be lovely in theory but when printed in small sizes on fabric they could be completely illegible and what would be the point of unreadable labels?

When you are designing the layout of your tag be sure to look at the design in Print Scale so you can get an idea of whether the text is going to be too small or not bold enough. Depending on the resolution of your monitor, you may need to double check that the 'Print Size' you are viewing matches your label measurements by using a ruler held up to the monitor screen... demonstrated below in what I hope is an understandable way!

This is just so you can check that the text is easy to read.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! First of all we need to create a template for the label.

Let's use the 2 x 2 inches dimensions to begin with.
I'm using Photoshop but you can use whatever image editing soft ware you are comfortable with. The process is no doubt very similar.

1. Open program. Create NEW file (Ctrl + N)
We want to start with a file that is 2 x 2 inches, 150dpi.
This will be the FRONT of your label.

2. Create the BACK of your label by changing the Canvas Size to 4 inches high. It's best to draw a guide line to divide the front & back sides.

3. Create Text boxes for front & back sides. Choose a font that is easily read...but it should also suit your branding too.

If you have a logo, add this graphic to the Front of your label. Instructions below.

to be continued... PART 2

Tutorials from the Spoonflower Blog:

Fabric Labels for Your Handmade Goods

Design Your Own Quilt Labels

Tutorials From Other Crafters

Stamped Fabric Tape Labels

Print & Iron Transfer Labels on Fabric Twill Tape

Using Your Home Printer & Printable Fabric Paper *

*While this technique seems simple, variations in ink, fabric, printer capabilities (and many other factors) could make this technique alot more difficult than it looks. I have not personally tried it because I found an easier way!