DIY: Make Your Own Fabric Labels

DIY is exciting and offers an incredibly immersive experience. If you also love it, why not take it to the next level? If you sell or just have fun crafting handmade products, it makes lots of sense to create your personalized label too. It will add a sense of uniqueness and personal touch to your item.

To help you do your own fabric labels, we have brought you 5 easy methods. You can choose the one that best fits your needs.

Method 1. Heat Transfer

If you chose heat transfer, try to go with a simple design.  The idea of this method is to print the artwork on a transferring paper and transfer the print to the cloth with a heating process.

Materials you will need

• Iron transfer paper
• Printer Ink Jet
• Iron
• Ironing surface – Not the regular one you use for ironing clothes. It should be hard and resist heat.
• Muslin cloth or ribbon (1/2 inch is a good size)
• Scissors

Step 1 – Check your materials and print

Check if your printer has a specific setting for printing on heat resistant paper. If so, chose it and remember to check which side is printable. Print the design on the heat transfer paper.  If you decided to work with ribbons, you would need to cut out each artwork and transfer it individually. For muslin cloth, you can transfer a page each time and trim the labels later.

Step 2 – Iron it

Preheat the iron and place your design against the cloth or ribbon. Press the iron over both of them hard, for 15 to 20 seconds.

We would recommend soaking your labels into vinegar, for about 5 min and then drying it. Gently rinse it with water to remove any strong vinegar odor. This process will help you keep the ink longer on your fabric label.

Step 3 – Cut and Trim

Cut your labels, leaving at least 1 inch on all sides. The edges will need to be folded so it can be sewn on your garment.

Method 2. Stamping

Quick and easy, perfect for lettering designs or simple logos. Stamp kits are a great option since you can arrange the format and use it over and over.

Materials you will need

• Stamping kit (letters or drawings)
• Fabric stamp pad
• Ribbon, or any plain-woven fabric you wish
• Iron and Scissors

Step 1 – Prepare your design and material

Check your chosen design and fabric or ribbon size. Make sure you will have plenty of space left to trim and sew it on your item. Prepare your fabric, cut it to the extent you will need and press it to a nice and smooth surface before stamping.

Step 2 – Prepare your stamp pad

Double check if the stamp pad works on fabric. If not, the ink will probably be gone on your first wash. Also, read the instructions, most of these inks need to be preheated before stamping. You can use your iron for this process.

Step 3 – Stamp it

Stamp it on the fabric. Press evenly and firmly so you can be sure the entire artwork will be transferred to the label. You can also let the fabric soak in vinegar and dry, to keep the ink longer. Then, your label is ready to be sewn!

Method 3. Printing on fabric

This is probably the easiest and durable method you can chose. You can also check additional tips on Wunderlabel blog.

Materials you will need

• Computer and printer
• Fabric sheets for inkjet or laser
• Iron and scissors

Step 1 – Choose your fabric sheets

Your local craft store will probably have some printing fabric sheets available. Remember to check what kind of printer you have (Inkjet or laser) and if the fabric will work properly.

Step 2 – Create your logo and artwork

You can create your logo either on Adobe Photoshop, MS Word or any other type of software you feel more comfortable. You can add the cutting grid on your design so you will be sure enough space will be left for trimming and future stitching. Remember to run some paper print tests, to be sure the results are what you are aiming.

Step 4 – Print it!

Print your labels and let It dry for about 10 minutes. After removing the paper backing, you can softly iron it for 1-2 minutes, o the printed side. Don’t use too much pressure in this method, or your design might get distorted.

Step 5 – Cut and trim

Soak your labels on vinegar and rinse it under cold water. You can dry gently using towels or paper towels. Dry it again with an iron until the sheet is dry. Once this process is done, you are ready to cut out your labels.

Step 6 – Sew it

Sew it on your garments. To avoid the edges from fraying, consider sewing around four sides.

Method 4. Sew your own label

Some modern sewing machines allow you to choose any fonts you want. You can just sew the chosen lettering on your twill tape, ribbon or other fabric. You can also try some freehand stitching if you like the idea.

Materials you will need

• Fabric or ribbon
• Sewing machine and sewing or embroidery line

Step 1 – Define the design

Define your label size and format.  Adjust your sewing machine to the chosen lettering and load it up with the thread.

Step 2 – Start threading it

This will require some dexterity and sewing skills. The good part of it is that you don’t need to worry about the ink going away with your washing.

Method 5. Custom Print

This method allows you to focus on the label design and customize it as much as you want. The design custom labels at Wunderlabel for example, let you customize 100% of your label.

Step 1 – Chose your Design

For a starter, you can choose from classic woven to satin labels or even leather ones. You can upload your own design or create it on their free software. On the website, you can find an online tool, which allows you to choose the label size, background colors, frames, texts, symbols and add some extras, as punching on the edges.

Step 2 – Receive your order within 2-3 days

After the upload of your design, you can happily wait for them to be delivered at your home or office. If you are a small business or just having some fun with your custom-made crafts, don’t need to worry about purchasing large quantities. Wunderlabel offers packages starting from 9 labels, depending on the type of printing and material you chose.

Step 3 – Iron it or sew it

If you don’t want to sew your label, you can choose labels with stickers. The adhesion is activated by heat, and it takes only 10 to 15 seconds. This is the perfect option for fabric crafts that don’t need to be washed so often, but if the label starts to lift, just iron it again.

We hope you can make good use of these tips and methods. Use all your creativity and label it as yours! And if you are seeking some cool crafting ideas to inspire you, don’t forget to check out our latest blog posts!