Photocrafting DIY Labels

Sometimes we need to get something done in a hurry or we don’t want to spend much money. Labels are the perfect photocrafting opportunity! You can finish your project in under an hour and it will only cost you a sheet of label paper! DIY photo labels are also one of the most creative photocrafting projects. There are almost an unlimited number of things you can do. Get ready — you’ll need your photos, some label sheets, a computer, and a printer.

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Avery is the master of labels. They offer all sizes and shapes; the labels print easily on either inkjet or laser printers; the backing is truly sticky so it stays where you put it. They also offer templates for their labels to make it easy for you to design your own using Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop or even online with their design tools. In fact, most other label products state on their packaging the corresponding Avery product number.

The photo examples above are ones that I’ve done over the years using Microsoft Word with the Avery templates. However, today I discovered the simplicity of using the Avery site and their design tools. I think the easiest place to start is on the Avery Template page (note that there are over 1900 different templates.). You might have fun browsing through the choices using the categories on the left before you purchase your own labels. When you have your labels, simply enter the product number (e.g. 5164.) Click on the label and a green “Select this Template” button will appear. On the label page, you can order labels directly from Avery but to start designing, select “Template for this Product” under Helpful Resources. Choose the blank layout for photocrafting (usually the first choice). You then select Edit All if you want all the labels to be the same or Edit One if you want each label on the page to be different.

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As usual, upload the photos you want to use. Avery offers a great gallery of clipart and some nice shapes that provide a good space for a text box.

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Design each label, preview and print. Note that you can print it immediately on your own printer (inkjet or laser) or you can order pages directly from Avery. We’re going for quick and inexpensive today so we’ll print them ourselves. If you wanted a more professional look or a large number of labels, it would probably be wise to use the Avery printing process.

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I like the shipping labels, not only for shipping packages but they are a convenient size for creating a wide variety of label types. I used the labels above for children’s Christmas gift bags, for my reminder notebook (I always keep a list going!), for a box to keep the tags from new plants we buy this year, and for the containers of applesauce I’ll make from our apples (using a photo of the apples we grew last year.)

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I regularly make return address labels both for myself and for friends. What better photo to use than our familiar pet dog, Caesar (Photo Socks, Valentine Photo Mug) This time I selected the 30/page address labels (Avery product 5260) that I always keep on hand. I uploaded the photo, added the address, and printed the page — all in less than an hour. (Don’t forget to put your label page in the printer!)

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Once you invest in a box of labels, the fun begins. The rest of my products were inexpensive — a notebook, gift bags, and container from Dollar Tree plus an empty orange candy box. Need more ideas? The Avery site lists labels by shape, by use, and even by material. Try the arched labels for wine bottles, put round labels on party favors, or create star labels for special awards. Be creative!