This week I’m going to show you how I make my fabric tags that I attach to my blankets. My husband actually taught me how to do this, yay Brian! Using just one fat quarter I can get 84 tags!
Materials:
Light colored fat quarter
Freezer paper (found in the aisle with the tinfoil)
An iron
A computer and printer
Step 1: Cut your fat quarter into 8.5″x11″ rectangles, the exact size of a sheet of computer paper. You should be able to get four out of one rectangle. Cut out 4 rectangles of the same size from the freezer paper.
Step 2: Lay one of the pieces of fabric (right side up) on top of one of the sheets of freezer paper (the shiny side should be facing up). Iron them together with the steam off. Start ironing in the center and work your way out to the edges to avoid any wrinkles or bubbles.
Step 3: This is optional, but it has made a big difference for me. Along one of the short sides, place a couple pieces of tape over the edge so that your two sheets are not only ironed together, they are also taped along that one side. This will make feeding it into your printer go more smoothly and less likely to wrinkle.
Step 4: Design your tags on the computer using your favorite program, my husband made mine for me using gimp. Design them with a 1/4″ border around the part you want showing. Once they’re ready feed your ironed sheets in taped edge first with the fabric side down. Print your pages, but only do them one at a time to avoid a jam!
Step 5: Let the ink dry for a few minutes, then peel off the freezer paper backing and iron the printed side to set the ink. Now you can cut your tags apart, make sure not to cut off that 1/4″ border.
Step 6: Iron the 1/4″ border on to the back like in the picture (this makes it so there are no raw edges so your tag wont unravel). Iron the long sides first, and then the short sides. Then you can clip your corners.
This is such an awesome idea! Thank you so much! I’m so going to have to give this a try!
I read somewhere else that doing it this way makes the ink run so you cannot wash it. That hasn’t happened to you? Thanks.
Nope, I’ve washed them lots and they have held up great. And I just have a standard printer, so nothing fancy there. I think it’s important to make sure you iron it in step 5 to help the ink set. I hope it works for you!
Thanks! The other two I read, you didn’t iron it, so I guess that’s the magic trick. Thanks! I haven’t labeled the last 5+ quilts I’ve made because my Walmart doesn’t carry T shirt transfer paper and Staples etc. is too far away. Freezer paper I can get at the grocery store. Thanks again!