Labelling!

[Stevie77]

How do you label your children's uniform? After a failure last year, I'm hoping to learn from more experienced parents.

Last year I bought sew-on labels. My god, that was a mistake. We ended up ironing them on with wonder web and it did not last.

Stick-on ones can apparently be scratchy and I always wonder how they could come off once the clothes are too small (as I'd normally put them in a clothes recycling bin, so wouldn't want chd's name on).

Do the iron-on ones come off when you want them to?

[SavoyCabbage]

Some of the iron on ones sort of melt into the fabric when you iron them in so they will never come off.

I have used the 'classic dots' iron on ones from 'stuck on you' and they haven't moved at all.

[ouryve]

Sharpie on the label

[Buttercup27]

Mynametags are great, I use them on everything.

[Stevie77]

Hmmm...

What about iron-on wovens? I want something durable but it doesn't need to withstand a nuclear attack. I'd just like to be able to get it off if I want to.

[Shannaratiger]

Washing marker or Sharpie on label and seam.

[ErrolTheDragon]

I had sew-on ones... mostly unused once I realised that the best way is sharpie on the label. Make sure you buy the school socks that have the white strip which is there precisely to be written on! There are just a few things which really do need labels sewn on (few enough that it's not too onerous a task) - sports socks are one case (double over into a loop and sew the ends on, you only need a few firm stitches that way and it allows them to stretch).

[QuizteamBleakley]

Second the mynametags.co.uk opinion. Get the stick on ones and you can then use on cloth ear and lunchbox / bags etc. They do iron on ones, too but - trust me - the stick on ones work brilliantly.

[BackforGood]

Sew on are definitely the best way. You can of course take them off when you want to pass clothes on after yours have outgrown them.

[Stevie77]

That wa the intention but I can't sew!

[ErrolTheDragon]

I doubt that - unless you have some physical or visual impairment, obv - you really can't sew sufficiently to do name tapes. But it's a tedious task, whereas with a sharpie you can be done in minutes.

[helloalll]

Definitely mynametags...brilliant!

[Inkymess]

Mynametag

[rainbowunicorn]

Another vote for using a sharpie on the label and inside shoes, on lunchboxes and bags etc so quick compared to iron on or sew on.

[hibbleddible]

Another vote for my name tags. The stick on ones are great and can be used for lunch boxes, water bottles, shoes etc too.

When I pass the uniform on I will just cut out the laudry tags (where the labels are meant to be attached). Easy as pie.

[Madcats]

Sew-ins served us well from age 2 until DD moved to Juniors (I used Cash's name tapes with the optional pictures of a creature/thing on plus name). They were fine when she was younger and adults were closely supervising. Since she moved to year 3 I've noted that some of her newer bits of uniform seem to have been swapped with un-named older pieces. Maybe parents don't spot sewn on labels...hmm.

I am a year into my experiment with sticky and iron-on labels.

We first found Oohlalabel.co.uk. I liked them because I could order some small dots (self design) which could incorporate my daughter's name and my mobile phone number. They have survived in shoes and snack boxes in dishwashers for a year (actually that is a ridiculous number of sports and school shoes, but you get the idea) and swim goggles (not the wretched school swim cap tho). I had this crazy idea that schools and sports clubs might text me if they found DD's kit (nope), but it was useful to teach a young child that "mummy's phone number is in your shoe" if we lose each other when out and it helped DD identify her shoes/trainers/ballet stuff from the inevitable heap in the changing room.

I'm now working my way through a multipack of "stuck on you". My particular "must have" are the iron on sock labels (which I bought before we sent DD to a PGL holiday and school residential). Most were ironed on in February. I think they have survived an 8 pairs of pants rotation since February and an assortment of socks and T Shirts. Their shoe dots are okay; I've had to replace a few.

I also have a sharpie, but I find I need to rewrite after a handful of washes.

Now if somebody could tell me which pen works in a swim cap....

[Happy36]

Laundry pen?

[Pengweng]

Not had any experience with how these hold up but I've bought Stikins (sticky labels) for all shoes/water bottles etc and Trons for iron in labels (they do not come off though, they melt on to the fabric).
I have labelled the washing tags too but i've heard too many stories of these being cut out and then you can't prove it is your kids so i added the iron on ones too. I may have been overzealous in my labelling though. DH said three stickers on each Wellie was too many. hahaha.

[yazzy85]

I have stikins but also ordered some trons iron on ones after reading on here that labels can also be cut off!

[Bunnyjo]

I have opted for these stick-on labels. The reviews are good and they can be used on clothes, shoes and water bottles, so are pretty versatile too.

So far, so good.

[Sunseed]

My name tags, and this year I've included my mobile number under the name. Sharpie when I've run out of labels.

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Iron on labels all the way. The laundry labels get cut.... Learnt my lesson after losing 2 school jumpers last year.

[FrecklyEthel]

Iron on (so what if your kids name is there after, at least you donated!). But it needs to be ironed somewhere the person putting the garment on can't miss it. Experimenting this year with stamptastic, even quicker than a sharpie!

[NotCitrus]

Marker pen or biro. Instead of surname, put year and class - makes it more likely the item will get back to your child (chance of a 5yo getting to Lost Property and finding their item before someone else has nicked it is about nil).

Biro gets faint by half term so I can re-do it and update the class each year.