Things to label around the home

Maintaining an organised home is no easy task, especially if you’ve got little ones running around or when life gets in the way.

Homemade labels are a great way to locate items, so you don’t waste hours searching through drawers and cupboards to find them.

Sorting and labelling also keep your house neat and clutter-free, meaning no last-minute clear-ups when unexpected guests arrive. Labelling points your family to where they should store items, making it easier for them to clear up after themselves.

Making labels is incredibly fun and allows you to trial your calligraphy, painting, and craft skills. Read our guide on things to label around the home and start organizing now.

Fridge shelves, drawers, and containers

Opening the fridge door and seeing organised food is a satisfying feeling. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, a tidy fridge is also more efficient and could save you money. Monitoring your produce and seeing its location means you’re more likely to use it, minimising food waste and eliminating unnecessary duplicate items.

There are a few options for labelling your fridge. You can either stick the labels on the shelves or sort your food items into containers or drawers and label those instead. Opt for broad, adaptable categories, such as ‘leftovers’, ‘dairy’, ‘meat’, ‘condiments’, ‘snacks’, etc.

Drawer dividers

Dividers are standard in kitchen and dresser drawers. However, that doesn’t always mean your kids will put the item back in the right place.

If your little ones are just beginning to read, labelling drawer dividers are a great way to encourage them to tidy up after themselves in a fun and educational way.

In the kitchen, place labels where people should put the spoons, forks, knives, and other utensils. Meanwhile, homemade labels in the bedroom are great for indicating where socks, underwear, and swimwear are.

Kitchen cupboards

Usually one of the last places we think to organise, kitchen cupboards are often messy and cluttered. Luckily, homemade labels for jars, Tupperware, and other containers are easy to make and result in neater, more accessible shelves.

Homemade food labels are ideal for loose spices, grains, pasta, flour, and even oils — convenient if you refill these items or transfer your products to a sturdier container. Transparent jars also allow you to keep track of how much of an item you have left, meaning you’re less likely to buy duplicate items or waste produce.

Hooks

Coat hooks are one of the home’s most used and cluttered areas. Many of us are guilty of giving little attention to our coat hooks, allowing jackets, umbrellas, hats, and scarves to pile up continuously.

Labelling your coat hooks makes it easier to keep this area tidy and quickly find your item. You can either have a dedicated hook for each family member and label it as such or divide the hooks into different types of clothes, seasons, or weather conditions. That way, when it’s mild outside, you’ll know to reach for an item on the ‘light jackets’ hook.

Herb gardens

Got a windowsill herb garden in need of some TLC? DIY garden labels are great for making your plants fun and eye-catching and also allow your family to easily identify the different types of herbs.

Ice lolly sticks, wine corks, pegs, and even yoghurt pots are ideal for turning into herb markers. Decorating the label is also a fun family activity with which the kids can get involved. Simply paint or mark the label as you wish before writing the herb’s name in large letters.

How to make homemade labels

Homemade labels can take many forms, depending on what you are labelling.

For kitchen cupboards and homemade labels for jars, DIY paint labels offer stylish and eye-catching effects. Using pre-cut labels, chalkboard paint, and a chalk paint pen, your spice pots and mason jars will soon look straight out of an interior design magazine. Make the label more elegant by applying your calligraphy skills and experimenting with different fonts.

Keen crafters and bakers may also wish to make labels for homemade items – perfect if you’re giving baked goods and knitted treasures as gifts.

Homemade scarves and gloves are even more unique with a sewn-on fabric tag. Use the block printing method to personalize your accessories, or write the labels by hand using a permanent pen.

Recipients of your homemade food items will appreciate a homemade label in the form of a tag or wraparound sticker. Labels also offer space to include the item’s ingredients and the Best Before Date.

Whichever approach you choose and whatever you decide to label, The Pen Company is on hand with a variety of pens, pencils, and markers that are great for adding the finishing touches to your homemade labels. Go classic with fountain pen calligraphy or opt for a modern design with colourful gel pen art — the possibilities are endless.