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Over the past few months I’ve really felt like I need to be helpful. I know that times are tough for a lot of people and though I’m no Rockefeller I have a comfortable life. So I’ve been donating food to the food pantry and building up a donation to take to a local no kill rescue.
My yarn stash has also gotten a bit out of hand, yet again, and I’ve decided to put it to good use. So far I’ve crocheted almost 20 hats to donate to those in need. I know I could buy hats much cheaper and collect them more quickly. And though I myself have only been gifted handmade items a few times in my life, I love receiving them. Because somebody took the time to make something with their own two hands. I feel like knowing you’re worth somebody’s efforts is almost as valuable as keeping your head warm.
But I started to worry… What if people aren’t sure how to care for their new crochet beanies?
Honestly I kept thinking about this gorgeous knitted wool blanket a partner had been given that he washed and dried like it was anything else. Though he didn’t seem to care I was broken-hearted that so much effort (and expensive yarn!) went from a lovely blanket to thick and coarse something or another like a rug.
So I decided to spell it all out for how to care for these new hats so their new owners could wash them when needed without stress or worry. And it really didn’t hurt that my cheaply printed little tags also make these beanies look gorgeously high end.
Grab These Free Handmade Gift Tags
Since I understand a lot of people don’t have fancy imaging software or have no interest in installing programs on their computer, I made this pattern using Canva. It’s a free online design and publishing tool that you can use right in your internet browser. There is a paid version, but you can use the totally free version for this project.
Click to make this project and a 3 page file will open up with 3 different layout options to customize your own handmade gift tags.
Supplies You’ll Need to Maker Your Own Custom Laundry Care Tags
pssst – Love My Crochet Hook?
pssst – Love my crochet hook? I’m currently OBSESSED with my Streamline Swirl Cookie Furl’s crochet hook. I’ve got terrible arthritis my dominant hand and I can use these hooks ALL. DAY. LONG. In only 6 weeks I already have a collection over 20!
These hooks are ergonomically shaped AND the hook is the longest I have been able to find. If you experience similar problems you should check out a Furl’s Crochet Hook. Snag one at Amazon (faster) or directly from Furl’s (cheaper).
How Can These Tags be Customized?
I’m glad you asked :) These tags are a template where you can modify the text to say something different or look different with a font change. You can also swap out washing icons, if you choose to use a template with those. Download those icons for this here.
Not familiar with Canva?
No worries! I’ve created a photo tutorial so that you can swap out text and add icons to these tags like a pro. You’ll be adding these gorgeous handmade laundry care tags to your handmade work in no time!
How to Make Washing Care Tags
This tutorial is super comprehensive (my OCD is a bit bad again :). Today we will walk through how to edit the files in Canva with a full step-by-step photo tutorial. We’ll discuss your printing options and then I’ll show you how to use these fab little tags. Ready to get after it?
How to Edit These Washing Care Tags
Open the tag template in Canva. If you don’t have an account, set up a free one.
Click the Purple “Use template” button to open.
In this Canva file are 3 different options. The first is text only, the second has 3 washing care instruction icons at the bottom, and the last has 2 icons at the bottom. Scroll down to the page you want to edit.
Changing the Text
To change the text select it. Type in the words that you want to change to or change the font at the top if you’d like a different look.
If the font doesn’t fit on a single line you can modify that. With the text still selected click the button at the top that looks like three horizontal lines next to an arrow pointing both up and down. Under letter spacing, move the slider until all of the text fits as needed. If necessary, make the font size smaller using the “-” sign in the bar above next to the font dropdown menu.
Ways You Can Personalize the Text
You can change the craft below “Handmade” to anything. Some examples I used are crochet, knit, macrame, embroidery… You can also change what the lines of text on the cards say.
With Christmas right around the corner, I made several text only tags that say “Merry Christmas” at the top and then say the fiber content on the two lines below. I also made a few that say “Happy Holidays” in the big text in the center.
And then just for fun I changed some to read “Hooked in Texas.” Get in there and play around with the design to make tags that say exactly what you need them to!
How to Add Washing Care Icons to Your Tags
First you’ll need to download our free washing care icons. Open the ZIP file. Select the icons that you need and copy and paste them to your computer, somewhere you can easily find them.
Scroll down to page 2 or page 3 for the templates with frames to add washing care icons to your tags.
On the left side of the Canva screen you’ll see an option for “Uploads”. Click that. Next click on the purple “Upload files” button. Navigate to where you saved your icons and select them to upload.
Select the icon in the left bar section “Uploads” that says “Images”. Select the icon you uploaded and drag it into one of the little photo frames that looks like hill and cloud. You don’t want to just drag and drop it onto the document, if you move your cursor around those little square frames you’ll eventually see the icon go into the frame.
Continue modifying the tags by dragging icons to each of the frames. For any frames you don’t fill in, it will print with this hill and sky image and you don’t want that! Remember, if you only need 2 washing care icons on your tags, scroll down to the third page.
How to Print Your Washing Care Tags
The cheapest option is to print these tags at home. You’ll need a heavier paper, like 110lb cardstock. The higher the lb the thicker the paper. Be sure you select something heavy, but not too heavy for your home printer (check your owner’s manual). Regular printer paper will not work.
You can also print these tags at a print shop. I ran my tags at Office Depot for $1.11 on Ivory Colored 110lb Cardstock in Black and White. Be sure to select “black and white” because color prints are much more expensive and there is no color in this file anyway!
While still in Canva, click the “Share” button in the right corner. Scroll down to “Download” and click.
In the dropdown menu change the file type from “PNG” to “PDF Print”.
PDF Print selected, click on the purple “Download” button.
Open Your Tags Using Adobe Acrobat
Adobe PDF files are so common that you probably already have Adobe Acrobat on your computer. If you do not have it, you can download it here.
If you use a Apple computer you likely won’t need the program. Or if you use Google Chrome as your internet browser, you can install the Chrome PDF extension if you don’t want to download the program.
Open the PDF and send to your home printer.
How to Use These Laundry Care Tags
You don’t need anything fancier than a pair of scissors and a cheap hole punch to get going with these laundry care tags. Use a pair of scissors to trim along the faint gray line.
If you don’t have a hole punch you can grab one for less than $2 at a craft store of big box store, like Walmart. Center the hole punch at the top of the tag and punch through.
How to Add a Loop to Make Swing Tags
I like using black and white baker’s twine for my black and white tags because I think it looks sophisticated and it doesn’t pull focus from the item it is attached to you. You can also use jute twine, yarn, or any other cord you’d prefer.
Take a length of cord about 3-4″ and tie a knot in the end. If using a cord that easily frays, like baker’s twine, apply a small dab of glue to the cut ends and let it dry.
Run the cord loop through the punched hole at the top of the tag. Grab one end of the loop and pull it through itself. Pull straight up to tighten the loop around the card. Tah-dah! Instant swing tag :)
Use a small safety pin, loosely embedded to keep the tag in place. I prefer to hide the knot and safety pin inside or on the underside of my handmade items. For example I’ll push the cord through a hole in the crochet fabric and then inside of the hat run a pin through the twine and just barely into the yarn to lock into place.
Now doesn’t that hat look boutique ready? I really hope it’s new owner stays warm and feels the love that went into this hat :)
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