Let’s not put a label on this (or should I?)
No, this isn’t a random blog about relationship labels but it is a blog about labeling your things.
Labels can be a contentious issue and I think this is because of the rise of social media reels and TikTok videos showing women with a Cricut machine labelling everything they possibly can in swirly silver writing.
You may deduce from my tone that this is not my thing however, labels are one of the most useful things in my kit! From the humble brown card parcel tag to the white sticky address label to the beloved vinyl stickers from your local Etsy store they all have a part to play in keeping your items tidy and ensuring that everything has a home and everyone knows where that is!
Women are well known to carry a lot of the mental load around in a family - like where the clean socks are, whether a birthday present has been bought for little Ted’s party or whether you’ve paid for next week's school trip. Labels can take one thing off the never-ending to-do list because no one in your household will have an excuse for not knowing where things live and minimising the subconscious list rattling around our heads is one of the things I strive for because the list is long enough!
Different labels and labelling systems work for different areas so if you don’t like one sort there are other options. Here’s what I suggest:
Kitchen
Easy to see, wipeable/washable labels are definitely the way forward here. They will usually be in cupboards or drawers so need to be clear and easy to read. You can add these to glass jars or plastic tubs that you decant things into or add to the front of boxes that help you categorise different items in a cupboard. This can make putting the shopping away anyone's job and if you have any allergies in your house it can ensure things are kept separate where needed.
Toys
Labelling toy storage is a quick way to make sure everything goes back in the right place (ish) and can be tidied up quickly at the end of the day. Depending on the age of the children make sure they understand what's in the boxes. For babies and toddlers (yes you can start this early) find pictures of the items, print them off or cut them out and stick them on the box. If you want to laminate them to keep them clean of sticky fingers then you go ahead! As they get bigger you can start to focus on letters and words. Clear, large text with a smaller image can help with their phonics and keep the place a bit tidier!
Toy storage labels on Etsy (click on image for link)
Clothes
Most people know what goes where in their own drawers but children and teens seem to give less of a care about where things live and which is the sock drawer or the pants drawer. For smaller children large labels and pictures can work like with toys. Another easy way to ensure clothes end up in vaguely the right spot and stay there is by labelling the top edge of drawers. These are discreet so great for older children.
Linen and Towels
Your storage for these items will depend on the labelling system you choose but clear and obvious is the best bet. I have large storage bins with handles in an airing cupboard for these items so I have attached large parcel tags to show what goes where. These can be easily secured to the handles of baskets rather than trying to stick labels to wicker only for them to fall off ten minutes later.
And last, but definitely not least as we’re heading into Summer Holidays and a new school year - DONT FORGET TO LABEL ALL SCHOOL CLOTHES! I swear by the permanent sticky labels as I definitely don’t have time to sew or iron in any. They stay on forever and look great. ‘My NameTags’ are great for younger children as they have cute pictures and colours to choose from and I’d recommend ‘Stickins’ for your basic black and white labels so you don’t embarrass your tween who’s about to move up to secondary school with her full name and a pair of ballet pumps!
Stikins are great for all school uniform (click on image for link)
Where do you put labels? Let me know in the comments. Also, keep an eye out for my Label Shop coming soon for all your bespoke labelling needs!
