Happy Together

A DIY craft blog

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Tutorials
  • Q&A
  • Published

Fabric Label DIY

July 26, 2016 by Jessica 44 Comments

Fabric Label diy | happy together
I have been sewing up some kids clothing lately and needed someΒ  more labels to sew in them. I decided it was time for me to go ahead and share this process with you as I have had such great success with it over the years. There are a few methods I have tried, but this is my favorite fabric label diy hands down and they have lasted for everything I have made so far (through multiple washings!).

how to make fabric labels | happy together What you need:

  • Tightly woven light colored fabric (ex: quilting cotton; and I do nothing to fabric to prep it except iron it)
  • Scissors
  • Piece of paper that fits your printer
  • Printer (I use an HP Deskjet F4280 and use the HP ink for it; I cannot speak for other printers/inks, but if you can please share your results in the comments)
  • Freezer paper (found in the section with aluminum foil/saran wrap/etc)
  • Iron
  • Design to print (I made a simple page of labels in Word, but you can create yours however you like)

Fabric Label diy | happy together
Start by ironing your fabric to get any wrinkles out. Then take the piece of paper and use that to cut out the same size from the freezer paper.

Fabric Label diy | happy together
Place the freezer paper on top of the fabric, shiny side down. Make sure to turn iron to “no steam” and iron the freezer paper to the fabric.

Fabric Label diy | happy together
Cut around the freezer paper and iron edges one more time to make sure the fabric and freezer paper is connected well.

Fabric Label diy | happy together
Place it in your printer with the fabric side facing down (or other way if your printer prints differently). I usually put a regular piece of paper on top as I’m putting it in place just to make sure it goes in where it needs to. Then I take the paper out so only the fabric/freezer paper combo is there. When you go to print labels, make sure to choose the best ink option so it takes its time to print. Now, I have had the printer not catch the fabric properly and it got jammed, but it doesn’t happen often. Just watch and if it seems like it’s starting to not catch properly hit the cancel button on your printer and pull it out. I can’t speak for all printers, but I rarely have problems with this method. Just give it a try and see if it might work for you.

Tip: Be mindful of the colors you are choosing to print with. I have only used darker colors as I feel confident they will show up well.

Fabric Label diy | happy together
Once printed, you can cut your labels out. But if it’s your first time trying this, I suggest putting the fabric in the wash after the first print so you can see how the ink holds up. Mine always has held up wonderfully well so I hope yours does too! Besides that, I leave them attached to the freezer paper until it comes time to use them as it keeps them nice and crisp and it’s easy to store them. Below is an example of them sewn in (and you can get the free skirted sweatshirt pattern here as well). -jess

Skirted Sweatshirt Pattern and fabric label diy | happy together

 

Share This Post
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • email

Related Posts

  • Labels
  • Fabric Bows Tutorial
  • Paper Tape DIY

Filed Under: diy, how to, sewing, sewing tip, tutorial Tagged With: diy, easy, fabric label, sewing

Comments

  1. Robin Rush says

    July 27, 2016 at 10:50 am

    wow what a neat trick! the printing is on the fabric? gotta try this…soon!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Yes, simply printed on fabric πŸ™‚ I’m sure the type of ink might be what makes it work, but if you use something else please share your experience. I know it might not work for every printer, but it is my go to way now and I have done it for about three years (on this same printer) now with great results.

      Reply
  2. sunny says

    July 27, 2016 at 11:55 pm

    did you use anything to treat the fabric.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      no I did nothing to the fabric at all. I didn’t pre-wash or anything πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. olga Margareth Ramos says

    July 28, 2016 at 5:57 am

    Thanks for sharing but here in Portugal we do not have freezer paper, so it is difficult for me to do this, can use the label paper instead?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2016 at 6:31 pm

      I’m not familiar with label paper, but freezer paper has a coating on one side that will stick to the fabric but it’s not a strong hold so it pulls off very easily (hence why I suggest reironing it after cutting it out). The other side is like a plain papery type. If it’s that adheres to the fabric and pulls off easily and makes it sturdy enough for the printer to grab it, I say try it out πŸ™‚ And please share your results if you.

      Reply
  4. MaryLee Vennemann says

    July 28, 2016 at 8:45 am

    how do I view your tutorial on how to make cloth labels?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2016 at 6:32 pm

      Hi πŸ™‚ It’s just the written portion and pictures here on the post, but maybe soon I can make a video to give a more visual how to.

      Reply
  5. Laurie says

    July 28, 2016 at 10:35 am

    Wow, I want to try this! You make it look so easy — and purchased labels are SO expensive. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2016 at 6:26 pm

      You are welcome πŸ™‚ I hope that you are able to make it work for you too.

      Reply
  6. Denise/DIY Crush says

    July 28, 2016 at 11:49 am

    Very nice tutorial! I love in how many different ways fabric labels can be made! I’d love to invite you to submit your DIY to our site! We publish projects such as yours in a dedicated post and share/pin/tweet them many times! Find the submission link in the top menu!

    Reply
  7. Nora says

    August 22, 2016 at 9:50 am

    You are really resourceful! I’ve never seen this before.. I was thinking to make some for the kids shirts but it seemed like alot work in my head. Really thanks for this great shortcut it’ll save me a lot of work.

    Reply
  8. Kate says

    August 23, 2016 at 10:37 pm

    This is so cool! It would be perfect for my bestfriends preloved shop. Thank you for this. Hope you could check out my blog too: https://thediyplanet.wordpress.com. Thank you πŸ™‚

    Reply
  9. Lillian Palko says

    September 15, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Did you reverse the font/or mirror image it before printing?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:55 pm

      I did not mirror it πŸ™‚ I did it just like printing a regular paper document. -jess

      Reply
  10. Karen Morgan says

    September 16, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    Thank you for sharing your label making technique! May I ask do you attach the labels once trimmed with pinking shears with a staight stitch or zigzag stitch?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:54 pm

      I just use a simple straight stitch but you can sew it on however you like. I have always looked at all kinds of clothing labels and see many that are sewn on with the raw edges and I like how “artsy” it makes it feel hahaha. If that makes any sense πŸ™‚ -jess

      Reply
  11. Diane says

    November 15, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    Worked beautifully. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 4, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      Yay! So glad it did πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. Gabrielle says

    December 4, 2016 at 9:58 am

    It worked! I was using a HP OfficeJet Pro 8620. I had to change the print setting to print as though it were printing on photo paper or regular paper, best draft otherwise it pulled the sheet to quickly and jammed but once I figured that out they printed wonderfully! It seemed kind of light so I ran one sheet through a second time and that was a complete fail because it didn’t print in exactly the same spots so for anyone else – don’t try it, it’s not going to work lol.

    Thank you for the tutorial! I love my new labels!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 4, 2016 at 4:00 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m glad it worked out for you πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Sherri says

    December 11, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    Great diy label idea. I’m going to try. πŸ™‚

    I love the font. What is the name?

    Thanks,
    Sherri

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 23, 2016 at 2:30 pm

      I hope it works out for you πŸ™‚ On my label, I handwrote the “happy together” on my ipad and turned it into a graphic and the other font is market deco and the font for the blog title is markella.

      Reply
  14. Tiffany says

    January 19, 2017 at 12:20 am

    Can you use this on a office copier? Would love to try it at work.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 17, 2017 at 11:42 am

      Hmmmmm I’m not sure. It just depends on the ink and if the machine can do it without jamming up. Maybe another commenter might have something to say about this?

      Reply
  15. Sue says

    October 23, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    Hello, these turned out fantastic. First try on my HP printer. Now I will just wash them to make sure they stand . Thank you for sharing this tutorial.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      November 1, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      You are welcome! I hope you had success πŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. Simon says

    December 24, 2017 at 3:45 am

    Hi Jess,

    Thanx for sharing this. I’ve been spending ridiculous money on labels online. May I ask what font you use for your labels? I really like the font.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      March 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      You are welcome πŸ™‚ I hand wrote the happy together on my tablet and then I believe I used the font Market Deco for the size part.

      Reply
  17. Heather says

    March 2, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    It worked beautifully until I washed my finished label to see how it would hold up πŸ™ The ink didn’t stay as dark and now my label is barely legible. I guess my inkjet printer (EPSON WorkForce WF-3640 with Epson ink) isn’t a good one to do this with? Thank you for the tutorial though, it was well written and easy to follow πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      March 19, 2018 at 6:17 pm

      Well I think it’s great that you gave it a try! You just never know sometimes. I wish it had worked out for you. And who knows, they might have changed the formula of the ink or something that makes it respond differently for this type of project (I haven’t made any in a while, but I have had similar things happen to me and it was a change on the manufacture end). Thank you for sharing your experience πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Joyce Newman says

      March 21, 2019 at 4:58 pm

      If you let the sheet dry after printing, and then soak for 5 minute in white vinegar, it should set the ink.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 5, 2019 at 6:14 pm

        Thank you so much for sharing this tip!

        Reply
  18. HWCT says

    August 13, 2018 at 5:31 am

    Am in love with the way u have made the fabrics design, but my question is this, is the freezer paper from the normal paper we used to inprinting house? Secondly, after print the print out are we gonna separate the clothe away form the paper? Thank u.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      August 14, 2018 at 6:10 pm

      Hi πŸ™‚ Freezer paper can be found at the grocery store where the tinfoil and seran wrap is. And yes, after printing, you separate the fabric from the paper.

      Reply
  19. harjit says

    August 26, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    Wowww

    Reply
  20. Mercy says

    May 24, 2019 at 5:54 am

    I was very skeptical about this, but it worked! I followed the directions and it came out great! Thank you for the great idea!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      May 30, 2019 at 2:29 pm

      Oh yay! I’m glad it worked for you πŸ™‚

      Reply
  21. Joy says

    November 8, 2019 at 1:24 am

    I don’t understand the fabric you used. Could you explain for me please.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 2, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      I used regular cotton fabric from the quilting fabric section. It has been the easiest to use and is common. I suggest this since it is a bit thicker and woven tighter than some other fabric types.

      Reply
  22. JH says

    December 1, 2019 at 8:34 am

    This is probably a silly question but should the ink go on the freezer paper or the fabric?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 2, 2019 at 4:36 pm

      You want it to print on the fabric πŸ™‚ So make sure it’s the side of the fabric you want it to be on.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tutorial: Make your own fabric labels – Sewing says:
    July 27, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    […] Fabric Label DIY, by Happy Together […]

    Reply
  2. 18 EASY Tutorials For Making Your Own Fabric Labels - DIY Crush says:
    December 11, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    […] Fabric label DIY by Happy Together […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

facebook instagram twitter pinterest etsy

photo(125) Welcome to my blog Happy Together. My name is Jessica Fediw and this is where I share my adventures in life, crafting, and more. Thanks for stopping by!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

happytogetherbyjess

happytogetherbyjess
Did you know that if you added eyes (made from sti Did you know that if you added eyes (made from stick on vinyl) onto an IKEA upplyst cloud light it looks like a cloud from the Mario video games? Cute ☁️ #ikeahack #ikea #mariodecor #supermariobros #kidsroomdecor
More Here Follow on Instagram

 

Categories

Copyright

The images and content of Happy Together are protected by copyright laws. DO NOT distribute or copy the content found within this blog without written permission. DO NOT edit or remove watermarks from any image.

If you want to share an image feel free to pick just ONE IMAGE with a direct link to its original post. For questions contact me. Thank you!
Creative Commons License

Copyright © 2021 Β· Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework Β· WordPress Β· Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.