Labels, labels, labels……..How do you label your product?
I don’t know what it is about labels and why they seem so challenging at times, so this year I set a goal to figure out how to effectively create waterproof labels without spending lots of money. I happened to be on a facebook group where they were discussing labeling and voila – the answer appeared:
These labels are AWESOME and they are WATERPROOF (Oil proof, vinegar proof, and essential oil proof, within reason of course), which means you can create labels that won’t streak when they get wet or if drops of essential oil or oil gets on them. The weatherproof labels come in both matte and glossy. They are easy to work with and relatively easy (depending on what you want on the label, of course!) to create. The company, Online labels, offers an array of sizes and shapes to fit every type of bottle imaginable. They also offer a design program called Maestro which you can use to create your labels and then print them out. And the best part: you can order 1 or more sheets….so you don’t have to invest an arm and a leg.
**Note: When ordering labels be sure to view all label choices and be sure to choose the type of printer you have: laser or inkjet.
If you live in Europe or Canada and have ideas for similar suppliers, please do let us know so we can share! Thank you.
Design note: I prefer downloading the template and working with it as a word doc. This is easy to do and makes great simple labels. For more ‘complex’ designs I recommend using their software: Maestro.
What about the Kraft labels? Online labels sells Kraft brown labels and so does Brown Kraft labels. These labels are NOT waterproof so you may want to use either packing tape or purchase clear labels to go over them.
How to choose a label?
Circle, square, or some other shape? This is entirely up to you and the look you would like to create for your product or gift. The first thing to do when deciding to work with a specific shape is to finalize what type of bottle or jar you will be working with and then decide how you would like the label to look. You can have one large label that lists everything about the product or two smaller labels: one for the name of the product, an image and the size and one for the ingredients. You could also use hang tags if the product is small or you want to keep it simple. Brown Kraft labels carries hang tags. I like to use the hang tags with some burlap string around some of our gift products we make each year.
Crafty Labels
If you would like to create a simple homemade type of label, this is an example:
To make this label I used the paper bags from the grocery store. I traced an 8 1/2 x 11 frame, cut the paper, and then ran them through my laser printer. The label shown here is not waterproof but it could be by simply adding clear packing tape over it. It’s a bit tricky working with packing tape but it works. I recommend practicing with the tape first.
You can also use stamps and different ink pads such as found here to decorate your labels. I am just beginning to experiment with these for our holiday gifts. I picked up a few at a local shop in our town.
What’s on your label?
This is not a class on labeling requirements but it is good practice to always include the following: the name of your product, the ingredients, and the size/weight/fl ounces of the product. Ingredient listings for cosmetics require that you list the ingredients from the most to the least. For example if your recipe has 50% shea, 25% sesame, 20% jojoba, 5% essential oils – you would list the ingredients as: Shea butter, Sesame oil, Jojoba oil, and essential oils of Roman chamomile, Lavender, and Sweet orange.
Even if you are giving these as gifts its a good idea to make sure the person knows what is in the bottle or jar.
Bottles and Jars
If you purchase products (e.g. jelly, honey, etc.) that are packaged in glass, reuse the glass! This works for most types of products except things like pickles, just recycle those jars!
Suppliers of containers include: SKS Packaging, Amazon, Specialty Bottle, and Glass bottle outlet.
Cleaning your containers
Oh no, cleaning again! Yes! When making product for yourself, as gifts or for a product line, sanitizing your containers is an important step to ensuring your products stability. To wash glass, either use hot soapy water or the hot cycle on your dishwasher. For lids, I tend to wipe them with alcohol, either vodka or rubbing alcohol. Just be sure all containers and lids are completely dry before putting anything in them. To wash plastic, I fill the sink with hot soapy water, put the containers in it to sit for 30 minutes or so. Then I rinse each bottle/jar with hot water and place in dishwasher to dry. (*I put them in the dish washer so they can dry upside down.)
Hope you have fun making your products and labels!
