Name labels for kindergarten: what stays on, and what comes off
Label the small things first. It isn't the snowsuit that vanishes — it is big, expensive and almost always comes home. It is the single mitten, the wool sock and the hat, and they vanish again and again. Start there; the rest can wait.
The four types
Iron-on labels
Best for: Cotton and most ordinary garments
They hold well if you actually follow the time and temperature on the pack — most that come off were pressed too briefly. Poor on wool and membrane fabrics: on shell suits and wool base layers the iron can damage the garment.
Sew-in labels
Best for: Wool, outerwear, anything meant to last several seasons
The only type that survives everything, including wool that gets washed often and handed down. Costs time, not money. Sew them into the seam, not the fabric itself.
Stickers
Best for: Boots, shoes, water bottle, lunchbox
For hard surfaces they are clearly best. They survive dishwashers and rain, and they are quick. On fabric it depends on the type: some are made for clothing and hold through wash after wash, others come off straight away. Check what the pack says, and test one label on a single garment before labelling the whole wardrobe.
Marker pen
Best for: Anything, when you're in the hallway realising something isn't labelled
A fabric marker on the care label lasts surprisingly well. It fades over time and is invisible on dark garments, but it is free and takes ten seconds. Underrated as a stopgap.
Worth knowing
- 1Label both mittens, not just one. It sounds obvious, and it is exactly the half people skip when they are in a hurry.
Wondering how much there actually is to label? The kit list has quantities for every age and season — and it also says what to hold off buying: