How To Label Back To School Supplies
Stop Lost Property
As a mum of 3 kids all at school, January can be just as expensive and busy as December as I try and get everything needed for back to school!
My shopping list for back to school each year includes new school shoes, uniforms, socks, books, lunch boxes, bottles, stationery, and last but not least, a Value Label Kit.
Even though labels cost more than a Sharpie pen, from past experience I’ve found that investing in labels will end up saving you much more in the long run, as lost property can be easily identified and will be returned to you or the classroom teacher.
Before I started labelling with Bright Star Kids Labels, I’m not sure how many school hats, jumpers, lunch boxes, and stationery items my kids have lost. The unlabelled property does not always end up in lost property as it can be quickly claimed as someone else’s property! On average, I spend around $250 per child on all of their belongings, and with hats and shoes being one of the more expensive items, it’s essential that they’re labelled clearly.
Personalise School Belongings
Labels Combo Pack:
Before back-to-school time, I like to get one of the School Labels Kit that has all the labels I need for my kids’ belongings. The stick-on labels are super durable as they’re 100% waterproof, fade-proof, scratch-resistant, and dishwasher safe & guess what else?… They include Bright Star Kids’ popular Wrap & Stick clothing labels. No more ironing on labels. The best part though? My kids don’t report any lost property anymore.
My kids love picking their own labels combo pack and the live preview on the Bright Star Kids website makes it a really fun process. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time for this as there are lots of designs to choose from, perfect for babies right up to the fussiest tween or teenager! On the other hand, if your child wants something plainer or doesn’t want an icon, never fear because there is also a Plain Labels Value Kit that will just have their name printed on a plainer style label.
Stick-On Labels:
The stick-on labels can stay stuck on most types of smooth plastic surfaces, like the ones in the image above. Some frosted finished plastics don’t allow the labels to stick properly, but usually, most containers have an area that is completely smooth so just pop the label onto that section. That’s where the tiny labels come in handy, as they can usually fit onto even the smallest section.
The Subject Labels that come in the School Labels Kit come with a blank area that you can write on the subject and class name. I find a permanent marker works best as it looks nice and neat.
My kids love sharing their stationery with their classmates. With this in mind, I like to use the Tiny pencil labels to label everything so all their bits & pieces end up back on their desk & in their pencil case! Replacing all these things during the year is a right pain and can end up being very costly.
Shoe Labels:
I use the Round Shoe Labels in my kids’ (very expensive) school shoes. They’re really easy to use, I simply stick one of the coloured round labels into the shoe and then stick the blank clear round label over the top. This gives the name label extra protection against the wear and tear of my kids’ feet (if you don’t do this the writing might rub off). These labels again have outlasted most of my kids’ shoes so they’re really durable!
Clothing Labels:
To label all of my kids’ uniforms and other smaller clothing items like socks and hats, the Iron-On labels are perfect. The labels merge well even with stretchy fabrics like socks.
I used to label my kids’ clothing with a permanent marker, but they looked really ugly after a lot of washes. The fading and smudges made it hard to identify. After finding these Iron On Labels, I’d never go back to writing on my kids’ clothing.
These iron-on labels are really easy to iron on to most types of fabrics and they’re washing machine & dryer safe. They’re so durable that I’ve found they’ve outlasted most of my kids’ clothing. They’re pretty much impossible to remove so they’ll never be able to be claimed by anyone else!
For Back To School, we recommend the School Labels Value Kit because it includes a label for every little thing:
- Stick On Name Labels in various sizes (for lunch containers, drink bottles, & stationery)
- Iron On Labels (for hats, socks & uniform items)
- Shoe Labels with clear protection covers (for school or sport shoes)
- Subject Labels (for various subjects)
Another great thing about name labels is that I’m finding as my kids get older, they go on more excursions & even overnight camps. I now label everything that goes away with them, from their socks & undies to the toiletries they need to take with them. I usually keep extra labels from my label kit that I keep in a drawer. As I need them throughout the year, I can just pull them out & label the necessary items. How convenient!
I hope this helps you a bit with your back-to-school organisation.
Got Any Back To School Hacks?
We’d love to hear your tips and tricks on getting your kids ready for back to school. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram. Who knows we might feature your cool back-to-school tips and tricks on our blog?
Searching For Cute Back To School Labels?
We’ve got you! Check out our range of cute designs for our school name labels. We’ve also got school supplies you can personalise like bento lunch boxes, drink bottles, and more! The best part? These are all made in Australia and shipped super fast. You’re going to love them!
