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If you make crafts - whether that’s knitwear, quilts, bags, clothing or gifts - a sewing label is one of the nicest finishing touches you can add. It makes a handmade item feel considered and complete. But when you sit down to order one, the question of what to actually put on it can feel surprisingly tricky.  The good news is that there’s no single right answer. What goes on your label depends on who you’re making for, whether you’re selling your work and what you want the label to say about you. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you decide. What to include: Your name or brand Most personalised sewing labels feature a name. That might be your own first name, a maker’s name, a business name or a short phrase like ‘handmade by’ followed by your name. This is usually the most prominent element on the label - the thing that identifies who made it.  If you’re making items to keep or give as gifts, your name alone is often enough. If you’re selling through Etsy, at markets or through your own shop, your business or brand name tends to work better, as it’s what customers will remember and search for. Care instructions Care instructions tell the customer how to wash and dry the item. This information can be genuinely useful - a buyer may not know that a hand-knitted item needs gentle washing or that a quilted cotton tote can go in the machine.  Whether you include them depends on the item. For a simple knitted gift going to someone who knows the maker, care instructions might be unnecessary. For garments, homewares or anything that will be washed regularly, they’re worth including.  Care instructions can be written as short text (for example, ‘hand wash cold’ or ‘machine wash 30’) or using standard international care symbols, which take up less space on smaller labels. If you’re selling items, using recognised symbols can help buyers quickly understand washing requirements without needing to read lengthy instructions.  A website, social handle or contact details If you sell your work or want people to be able to find you, a short web address or social handle is worth adding. This is particularly useful for items sold at markets or given as gifts, where the recipient might want to find more of your work later.  Keep it short. A website address or an Instagram handle works well. Avoid anything that takes up more than a single short line, as label space is limited. Made in and country of origin If you’re selling handmade items commercially, including a country of origin on your label may be a legal requirement depending on the product type and where you’re selling. For most small makers selling in the UK, this is worth checking before you finalise your label design.  Even if it’s not required, ‘handmade in the UK’ or ‘made in [your country]’ can be a positive selling point, particularly for buyers who value locally made products. How label size affects what fits This is where many makers run into problems. It’s easy to design a label with several lines of information, then realise the label itself is too small to make it legible.  As a rough guide:  A narrow-woven label (around 10 to 20mm wide) usually has room for a short name and perhaps one other line of small text.  A standard label (around 25 to 40mm wide) gives you more flexibility - a name, a short care instruction and possibly a web address.  A wider label (50mm or more) can comfortably accommodate more detail, including care symbols, fibre content and longer text.  If you have a lot of information to include, it’s worth considering whether some of it could go on a separate swing ticket or care label attached to the item, rather than trying to fit everything onto a single woven or satin label. A few things you probably don’t need Not everything needs to go on the label. Some makers try to include too much, which can make labels feel cluttered and difficult to read. In most cases, you don’t need:  A long description of what the item is - it’s usually obvious without needing to check the label  A price - this is better on a separate swing ticket if needed, so it can be removed for gifting  Multiple languages, unless you’re actively selling in multiple, international markets What to put on a label for a handmade gift If you’re adding a label to something made as a gift, keep it simple and personal. A short ‘made by [name]’ label is often all you need. It adds a personal touch without overcomplicating the item. You can browse personalised sewing labels to see size and format options or take a look at the wider range of craft and sewing labels if you want something a little different. What to put on a label if you’re selling your work For makers selling through Etsy, at markets or via their own website, a label needs to do a bit more work. At a minimum, include your brand or maker name. A website or social handle and a brief care instruction are also worth adding if space allows.  If you’re unsure about the right label size or format for your product, the Woven Labels UK team can help you work out the best option for what you’re making. Get in touch to discuss your requirements. Ready to add your maker’s mark?  Browse personalised sewing labels and craft labels from Woven Labels UK, made in Britain and available in woven, satin and cotton options.  Shop sewing labels

When you’re putting together your first clothing range, labels can feel like a detail that comes later. In practice, getting them right early saves a lot of reworking further down the line. Care labels and size tags are not just finishing touches - in many cases they are a legal requirement, and even where they are not, they are what buyers and end customers expect to see.  This guide covers what each label type needs to include, the difference between them and how to think about applying them to your garments. Care labels and brand labels are not the same thing It’s worth being clear on the difference, because the two are often confused.  A brand label carries your brand identity - your name, logo, and sometimes a tagline or country of origin. It’s usually the label a customer sees first and is often positioned at the back neck or back yoke of a garment.  A care label carries the practical information a buyer needs to look after the garment - washing temperature, drying instructions, ironing guidance and fabric composition. This is typically a smaller label sewn into a side seam or hem, or sometimes combined with the brand label depending on the garment construction.  Some brands combine both on a single label. Others keep them separate. The decision usually comes down to how much information you need to include and how you want the garment to look from the inside. What care labels typically need to include UK and EU textile regulations require that garments sold to consumers include certain information on a durable label. While you should verify specific requirements for your product category and market, the main areas to cover are: Fibre content - the percentage composition of each fibre used in the main fabric, for example ‘80% cotton, 20% polyester’  Care instructions - washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry-cleaning guidance, typically shown using internationally recognised care symbols  Country of origin - where the garment was made  Manufacturer or supplier identification - usually a brand name, registered name or address  If you are selling into the EU as well as the UK, you may also need to include language-specific labelling depending on the market. It is worth taking advice on this if you are exporting. Care symbols are the small pictograms used on most garment labels to show washing and care instructions. They are internationally recognised and take up far less space than written instructions, which makes them a practical choice for smaller labels. Size tags: what to include and where to put them Size tags are typically a small label sewn into the back neck or a seam, showing the garment size. For most clothing brands, this means a standard size designation - XS, S, M, L, XL, or a numeric size - though some brands also include a measurement or fit descriptor.  Size labels are often separate from both the brand label and the care label, giving you flexibility to use the same brand and care labels across different sizes without reprinting everything. Some brands integrate the size into their main back neck label, which works well for simpler ranges with fewer size variations.  Woven, satin or printed: which label type is right for care and size information? The right label material depends on your garment, your brand and your budget. Woven labels are durable and hold up well to repeated washing, which makes them a strong choice for care labels on items that are washed frequently. They can carry both text and care symbols clearly.  Satin labels offer a softer feel against skin, which can be an advantage for labels positioned at the back neck. They tend to be used for brand labels as much as care labels, and work well for printed detail.  Cotton labels are a softer, more natural-feeling option. They print well and are often used for care labels where comfort against skin is a priority, particularly in childrenswear or next-to-skin garments. If you are unsure which material suits your product best, the Woven Labels UK team can advise based on your garment type and how the label will be positioned. How garment labels are applied Garment labels are typically sewn in, either by looping and sewing into a seam or stitching flat. It’s important to consider how and where you’d like care labels to be, so they have minimal effects on wearability or style but provide all necessary information. If you’d like some advice, we are happy to chat through options, and if you are using a manufacturer, it could be useful to talk to them too. Getting the label content right before you order Once labels are produced, changing the content means a new run. Getting the content confirmed before ordering - especially fibre content percentages, care symbols and size designations - avoids unnecessary cost and delay. If you are working on your first range and want to talk through your requirements, get in touch with our team, who can help you work through the options and produce a digital proof before production begins.  Browse the full range of garment labels and tags, or explore designer labels for brand label options. Ready to label your range? Woven Labels UK produces garment labels, care labels and size tags for clothing brands of all sizes, made in Britain with low minimum order quantities. Get a quote