Thursday, 25 October 2012

3 ways to make custom labels for your jars

Whether you’re making homemade pickles for Christmas gifts or just wanting to give your jams a personal touch, nothing will set your jars off like your own custom labels. If you’re feeling creative, and have the technical know-how, you can get your basic equipment from specialist supplies such as http://www.southeastlabels.co.uk and make stunning labels using programs like Photoshop on your computer. But you don’t have to be a designer to make beautiful labels.

There are simple ways to customise templates, downloadable designs and even the possibility of using beautiful scrapbook paper to make your labels. Here are three ways to create custom labels that will make your homemade food jars look fantastic.

Using just paper


Whether you use some shop-bought patterned scrapbook paper or print a design onto plain paper, it’s easy to make your own jar labels with just paper and clear packing tape.

1.     Measure around your jar. If you want your label to meet, you’ll need paper strips a tiny bit longer than this. If you don’t mind a gap then make them shorter.

2.     Make sure your clear packing tape is about a quarter of an inch taller than your paper. If your label is 1 ¾” you will need 2” tape.

3.     Lay your label on the table and measure a length of tape just longer, then place it sticky side down on your label. You should have tape showing over the edge of the label on each side.

4.     Pick up the label and tape (which are now one) and carefully guide it round your jar. Your custom label may not be fully waterproof, but will be fine to go in and out of fridges and survive a thorough sponge down.





Using label templates


With a little creativity, a computer, printer and plain labels on rolls or labels on sheets, you can create distinctive labels for your home-made jars of jam or pickles. The process is similar using either Microsoft Publisher or Word, but as it’s easier for the beginner, this step-by-step guide uses Publisher as an example.

  1. From the Publisher Catalogue choose Labels and then select Jar/Product before clicking Start Wizard. You don’t need to fill in the information requested so click Finish.

  1. Clean up the bits you don’t want on the template by selecting and cutting them. Cut the boxes for Business Name, Date, logo and the line in the middle of the white box.

  1. Select Colour Schemes and choose one you like.

  1. Next add some text by clicking the Label Title and choosing your font.

  1. You can add pictures using the Insert menu. Change the size of your image by clicking its corner and dragging it in or out.

  1. Print on 3.33 x 4 inch shipping labels – or the option that matches the labels you have.





Downloading label templates


There are a number of sites that will allow you to download your own jar templates. Simply find the ones you like, download them and then print them onto your labels. Personalisation here is done the old fashioned way ─ with a pen!


Resource box


Find hundreds of ready-made designs to download


Learn how to use Word to create your jar labels


Browse classic designs of famous labels for inspiration


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