If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know I like designing and making labels for my jars, bottles etc. around my home. My laundry room is no exception. This time I wanted to try something different and decided to design and make decals for my up-cycled drinks bottles. This way they would not get damaged if they got wet and I could also include the recipe and instructions on making my own fabric softener and adhere it to the back of the bottle. I love how they turned out... with one exception! I spelled softener wrongly on my labels, but I have adjusted that fatal error on the labels you can print out for yourself below. The next step is to start making my own fabric softener which will hopefully save me money...
Fabric softener labels
Tools and materials
- Ink jet water-slide decal paper in clear
- Clear varnish spray
- Empty drinks bottle
- Scissors
- Lint free cloth
- Bowl of water
Fabric softener labels, How-to step by step
Start by washing and removing labels from drink bottle and leave to dry. Print labels onto a regular sheet of paper so you can check the labels for size and colour. Once you are happy with the size and colour of the labels, print them on to the glossy coated side of the paper. In a well ventilated area, and with newspaper laid on the ground to protect the surface, coat the printed labels with an even coat of clear varnish. Leave to dry for about 30mins. Next carefully cut out the labels. Place cut-out labels into a bowl of water and leave for up to 30 seconds. Before placing the decals onto the bottles, wet the surface of the bottles so you can slide the decals into position easily. Remove label from water and place it facing up on your bottle. Carefully slide the decal paper slightly and attach the corner lip of the decal onto the bottle. Once you have the lip attached to the bottle, gently pull the backing paper away and adhere label to bottle. Once the decal is attached to the bottle, carefully slide it around to your desired position. Then gently rub the label with a lint free cloth to remove any air bubbles and leave to dry for 3-4 hours.
Tips: Use clear varnish spray in a well-ventilated area and protect your work surface from overspray with a newspaper. To start the paint flow properly make sure you have shaken the paint enough (refer to directions on can) and spray first on to newspaper. Spray varnish 30cm away from labels and spray in a sweeping motion maintaining a constant distance from the printed labels. Ensure labels are fully coated in varnish or there will be a leakage of ink when placed in the bowl of water at the later stage.
Have a sweet day!
