Tutorial: 4 styles of cost-effective DIY labels

When I first started selling things on Etsy, I was looking around for ways to make the labels for my brand L.A.R.K. At that time I sold jewelry, so I printed jewelry cards and little tags. 

As with most small business startups, cost is an important factor when it comes to production. I did not want to invest money in making woven labels in the beginning because I wasn't sure if I would need so many (woven labels are typically produced in single lot of 1000pcs in minimum), as I wanted to test the waters first.

When I started making bags, I wanted to have fabric labels inside them, so I hunted around for tutorials. There are some great tutes on using iron-on paper, but here are some other cost-effective techniques you can consider using for your own crafty creations too.

1. Stencil it!

For my bags, I wanted the labels to be larger than regular garment labels, so the font was large enough for me to cut a stencil on a piece of clear sheet. I used faux leather so that I wouldn't have to worry about the ends fraying. 

For items that will need to be laundered, use fabric paint and set it according to the instructions. If your items do not need to be washed, then you can use regular acrylic paint :D  Use a brush or a dry sponge-- I prefer working with a sponge as it's faster :)

2. Stamp it!

You can also carefully carve out a stamp of your brand from a piece of rubber or a sheet of linoleum. Remember to mirror the image so that when you stamp it, it won't look like backwards writing. Be careful and you won't carve out a finger, hehehe. 

I mounted my carved lino on to an empty mint tin box, it makes a great stamp holder!

I use this stamp on my parcels, envelopes and boxes for the jewelry.

Tip: You can buy wide kraft paper sticky tape, and stamp your brand onto the tape to create sticky labels too, which will be great for packing cookies, sweets, etc.

3. Just write it!

The simplest way of all :) For my jewelry items, I needed small little labels, so I used a permanent metallic marker to write onto faux leather, and sealed it with a coat of gloss (you can even use clear nail polish as well, yay!). 

Be sure to test the color-fastness before you get to making all those cute labels! :)

4. Tag it!

You can also make really pretty tags with minimal hassle by printing them as business cards! A few websites take online orders and you'll be able to get them delivered to your doorstep within days.  I picked a slimmer size compared to normal business cards, and designed it so that one side has my brand and the other side says www.shoplark.com

Well, that's about it! If you have any other labeling ideas, do share it with me :D Since L.A.R.K has taken off well (an editor from Rolling Stone purchased one of my items, and a contributor of Huffington Post complemented my creations, can you believe that? I'm soooo blown away by God's blessings!) and I'm working on consignment orders, I've decided to invest in woven labels as they save time, while still continuing to use the stamp and tags.

I hope this post gave you some ideas on creating your own labels. If you like it, do share it! :D

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Tutorial: 2 stitch batwing cardigan!

Laze around and feel pretty in a simple batwing cardigan that you can whip up with just TWO stitches! I'm not kidding you, this is so simple and would be a fun beginner's project to get you started with your sewing machine.  P/s: Thanks to my husband for taking these pictures <3

To show you how easy it is, I'm using a large square scarf in this tutorial. I'd recommend a light and breezy material that drapes and falls nicely, but you may also substitute it with light jersey.

(Wish they were real wings to fly with...)

You'll need:

A large scarf

Pins

Needle & Thread / Sewing machine

Wear the scarf like you're about to become Superman.

Draw up the right side bottom corner to meet the top corner.

Overlap the corners about 10cm or so, having the corners point on opposite directions of each other (see pic above).

Pin in place.

Repeat on the other side. Adjust the sections you pinned until you're happy with the way it falls around you. Stitch where you pinned, either by hand or with a sewing machine :)

Yay, you're done! Time for some frolicking! :)

Btw, I'm so excited this week! My online store L.A.R.K has been featured in a some very, very cool websites :O

UK-based award-winning lifestyle and design online magazine We Heart featured the Cherry Tree necklace in their Stuff Crush list:

Minneapolis stylist Ann Marshik spotted L.A.R.K and picked out her favorite pieces for summer:

US-based Daily Candy, the ultimate insider's guide to what's new, hot and undiscovered in fashion and lifestyle interviewed me for their feature on L.A.R.K:

Stylist Kim Gray, winner of South Africa's best fashion blogger spotted L.A.R.K as well:

Online lifestyle and fashion portal Venus Buzz interviewed me for their feature on L.A.R.K too:

All in all, it's been a really fun week, and I've got God to thank for all of this! :D

Til the next tutorial..... toodlelooo!

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Tutorial: DIY studded hair accessory

The weather is getting incredibly hot and humid lately, and I've half a mind to shave my hair off! Unfortunately I will just look like a boy monk, so maybe it's a good thing only half a mind was involved in that thought, heh.

Studs are one of the easiest ways to take an outfit from regular to studtacular! Whether you like to go crazy with a fully studded jacket or just minimal with one studded accessory, I approve wholeheartedly :) Here's a simple DIY hair accessory that you can make in a jiffy.

You'll need:

A small piece of felt

Hair comb

2-prong pyramid studs

Multipurpose adhesive ie UHU

Scissors

Cut a strip of felt that equals the height of one prong to the other of your stud.

... not THIS stud ;-)

Cut the strip so it also equals the width of your hair comb from end to end.

Slather some sexy glue on it.

Stick the felt strip onto Ryan Gos--I mean, the hair comb.

Dab some glue onto the felt, and start studding the comb from the edge, prongs facing top and bottom vertically. Use your fingers to bend the prongs inwards (if it's tough, you can use a butter knife or even pliers). 

The idea is to latch the prongs onto the felt strip so it won't jiggle around :D

When you're done, the back of the hair comb should look like this, and the front...

... ta-daaaaah!

Enjoy your new DIY studded hair accessory! :)

p/s: Picture of Ryan Gosling from Handmade Ryan Gosling, the best thing for crafters to ever hit the Internet since the Internet.

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Fascinator fever

Okay, I don't think it's really a fascinator fever, but I really do enjoy making them! I found some nice felt and made some yesterday.

I've made a few fascinators before, and what I learnt from Threads magazine is that the base should be curved so that it'll sit on top of the wearer's head nicely. I've made flat ones before, and while it may work for smaller sized fascinators, it usually stuck out of my head in an awkward manner and would take me some time to position it before it looks ok.

With a curved base, it's amazing how easy the fascinator sits so naturally! 

And how do you like my croissant hair! Hahaha. I love it. Learnt it from Amy's tutorial after watching Karmin's Brokenhearted video (and that song kept playing in my head while I was combing the suicide roll lol!). 

Here's me thinking: "Hmmm, I think I'm gonna make my roll bigger next time... yeaaaa!"

I'll leave you with Karmin's awesome song! "D

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Tutorial: DIY fabric-wrapped hanger

Ahhh hangers! Here's a quick and easy way to recycle your old wire hangers-- you know which ones I'm talking about. The ones that got bent out of shape and cracked under the duress of the sun while drying laundry ;-)

With just a few regular tools that you probably already have at home, you can transform those old hangers into pretty wardrobe details, and you can do this while watching your favourite show on TV (mine's currently ABC'S Revenge! Love the clothes on it!).

You will need:

Wire hanger
Hammer (optional)
Scissors
Double-sided tape
Fabric scraps
(you may also use ribbon, ric rac, or even lace)

My fabric scraps were from this refashioned dress:

Now let's get started!

If your old hanger is bent out of shape like a weird jellyfish (like mine), just a couple of knocks with the hammer is all you need to bang it into shape. If the wire is not too tough, you can even use your hands :)

Bettur!

Now to stick the double-sided tape all over the hanger.

Remove the overlay strip, snip the corners and fold the tape to wrap around the hanger.

... Like so! :)

Cut strips of your fabric and start wrapping at the tip of the hanger.

Fold in one side of the strip as you wrap to keep the sides from fraying.

Continue wrapping while watching TV, and before you know it....

You've got a new pretty hanger!

Besides being a pretty addition to your closet, these hangers would also be great for bazaars and craft markets if you're selling garments. You can even color coordinate them according to a theme. 

And best of all, they're so easy to make :)

If you like this tutorial, please retweet it with the Twitter button below :)

Btw, if you're looking for a gift for a special someone, do check out my handmade store L.A.R.K-- free shipping ends tomorrow!

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