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.

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