Printing homemade labels

Whether it's to organise wardrobes, food cupboards or crafting supplies, or to make stylish table settings, branded business stickers or homemade gift tags, handmade labels are not only incredibly useful, but a way to express your creativity too.

We asked two crafters and online creators how they make organisation stylish and beautiful through labelling. Caroline Prudhon runs crafting blog Linea's Papers (@lineaspapers), while Laetitia Lazerges (@Vert_Cerise) is a DIY blogger, professional crafter and author of 19 books on crafting and DIY.

"I'm a big fan of organising everything, from paperwork to the pantry, because it makes my life easier and saves me time," says Laetitia, who started her craft blog back in 2007. "Labelling is the best way to combine organisation and creativity."

The calm of decluttered spaces and organised belongings helps to lift interiors into joyous spaces, clear our minds and has a positive impact on our wellbeing. "Having an organised home is so restful for the mind," says Laetitia. "You spend less time looking for lost items and you don't need to remember where everything is."

Caroline, who has been a keen crafter since she was a child, runs a small business from her workshop in France. She decided to add labels to her office drawers to bring some character to her workspace. "I need it to be organised and functional but also pretty and inspirational," she explains. "I truly believe that a clear space brings a clear mind. Organising and cleaning the space will help you to see clearly and feel more productive. Personally, I always feel stressed or panicked by my daily tasks when my home is messy, but as soon as I put everything in its place, it's like a new day ahead."

Caroline likes to work out the basics of what she's trying to organise first before making her homemade labels. "Organisation can be overwhelming to start with," she explains. "So figure out what's important, what needs to be at hand and what can be stored together. That way, you'll know exactly which labels you will need and how many, and you can enjoy the process of making them without stressing about the where and what.

"You'll also need a durable label that can withstand sun, water and time," she continues. "Something that you're not afraid to touch with dirty hands and don't have to replace often."

Laetitia agrees that there are questions you need to ask yourself before getting started on the design. "What type of labels do you need? What will be the perfect size? The size, shape and type of container will determine your label design," she says.

"Generally, we need a few labels, so we don't want to spend too much time making each one," says Caroline.

You can create your own handmade label designs or search for ready-made templates to download and print on the Canon Creative Park app, which offers free papercraft resources for Canon printers. The app is full of customisable papercraft projects you can personalise with text and your own images, such as message stickers or Japanese style designs – search for 'Stickers' to see some of the options available.

Laetitia says it's fun to experiment with contrast and different font sizes and weights to literally put your own stamp on your items. "Make sure key information is included without cluttering the label with too much text," she says. "Don't be afraid of white space. Play with contrast. Use different fonts – two or three maximum – of different sizes or thickness to grab attention. Have fun and inject some creativity into your design with colours, doodles and graphics."

With your labels created, the fun part is bringing them to life in print. Laetitia used the Canon PIXMA TS7440, printing the labels straight from her phone with the Canon PRINT app, which works with most Wi-Fi printers. "I like being able to print wirelessly and the quality is great for showing off vivid colours," she says.

The Canon PIXMA TS7440 is compatible with a range of different creative media and Laetitia used Canon Red Label Superior printer paper and Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II for her gift tags and cosmetics labels, ideal for objects such as jars.

Caroline used the portable Canon SELPHY Square QX10 printer for her label project, which produces rich, detailed prints in square format with sticky back. "I used the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 and printed four labels to a sheet of paper," she explains. "It was perfect – the colours are vibrant and rich, the ink dries instantly and it was easy to cut out."

The Canon SELPHY CP1300 is another great Wi-Fi printer for making mini stickers for your home. Fast and portable, it's ideal for printing a huge range of media, from lab-quality prints to homemade stickers, and is also compatible with the SELPHY Photo Layout app.

You could also create homemade labels with the Canon Zoemini S2, a pocket-sized 2-in-1 photo printer, or the Canon Zoemini instant printer. Both are compatible with Canon ZINK 1.3" Pre-Cut Circle Sticker Paper, so you can design, print and stick in an instant. Use Canon Mini Print app to add personal flare to your labels printed on Canon Zoemini.

Putting time and care into gift wrapping is a sure-fire way to light up a friend's face when handing them a present. Why not add a handmade label too? Creative Park has some great options if you're looking for ideas, including gift tags and wrapping accessories.

"Wrapping is one of my favourite parts of gifting," says Caroline. "To make the unwrapping a part of the gift, I love to put some decorative details on the package, like a pretty cord and name tag. You can make the tag with a label and customise it with a picture or a fun clue about the gift," she adds.


Written by Lorna Dockerill