Labeling 101: Label Holders

It is no secret that I adore a good label.  Labels ensure things make it back to where they belong, and create a bit of consistency when multiple people are involved.  There are endless ways to create labels and no two labels are created equally.  Aside from labeling things for the practical purposes, I always try and create labels that blend seamlessly with our surroundings and decor.  This is the part of organizing that creates a little bit of interest and excitement for me.  Because I always receive questions on my labeling methods, I started a little Labeling 101 series awhile back.  You can find previous posts by clicking the images at the bottom of this post.

Today, I am chatting about one of my most favorite method of labeling - the label holder!

Just to get you up to speed, a label holder is just that, an awesome piece of hardware designed to hold labels.  They are also known as bookplates.

I recently shared these little beauties when I revealed our under the stairs storage closet.  I love that they provide a clean and professional finish, while also embellishing anything from drawers to box fronts.  Just to share a few more reasons why I adore these holders, here are a few more projects I have used them with:

Silhouette Craft Cart Labels

Greeting Card Organization

Closing Closet Drawers

Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Business Card Organization

Holiday Binder

It seems as though whenever I use the label holders with a project, I get a few questions on them, so I thought I would do a quick post on how I use them, and a tip for printing labels for the inside of the holders as well.

There are many types of labels holders on the market.  Some that require screws, some that use brads and others that can just stick right to the front of your basket, binder or shelves.  I use them all, and have sourced a few favorites at the end of the post for you.  The one you see me use most frequently are the Bookplates from the Martha Stewart collection at Staples.  They come in a few sizes and metal finishes, and are adhesive backed to make labeling anything a breeze.

The labels come with small label inserts, which you can just write on.  Because I am not a personal fan of my handwriting, I prefer to use my label maker and just pop a printed label inside of the holder, or to get the fancy and colorful fonts I print out labels with my computer.  

The colorful labels are my favorite, and I get the most questions about those, so here is my little trick.

I start by opening Microsoft Word or Excel, and typing up the desired labels.  In that program I can change the font colors and font types to anything I desire.  I always try and leave a good amount of space between each label, for cutting them down.  The size is always a little bit of a guessing game, but after you have done a couple, it gets easier to narrow down.

I prefer to print the labels onto a thicker paper, typically cardstock weight, but even 32 lb. is great.

When I have a lot of things to label, trying to get the categories cut and fit into the label holder nice and centered can be a bit finicky.  But here is a simple trick.

Take the label holder insert, which is already cut to size and comes with most holders, and use it as a template over some tracing paper or semi-transparent paper.  The Martha Stewart labels actually come stuck to the see through backing, which is what I save and use.

Once I create one cutout template of the see-through paper, I just lay it on all of the printed labels and trace around it.  The reason I do it this way, is I am able to see and center the font, so that when I slide the labels into the holders, they are just right!

Once they are all traced, I just cut them and pop them into the holder!  Easy peasy!

This method can work for any type of label holder, just a little tracing or see-through paper, and it is simple to print, trace and cut to create a beautiful label on your organizing projects.  I am a fan!

As I mentioned, here are a few more label holder sources I adore:

{ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 }

And for more labeling "how to" posts:

Happy labeling everyone!  Class dismissed!