If you think labels are just for addresses, price tags and candles, think again!
Here at Flexi Labels, we’re all about thinking outside the box to use labels in the most creative way possible. Believe it or not, labels aren’t just practical, they’re a secret weapon for parents, event planners, and anyone who loves a good DIY moment. From turning a rainy afternoon into a sticker-based activity sheet, to making party props that pop, labels can do a lot more than you’d expect. If you’ve got some old jars or buckets begging for a glow-up or some boring brown wrapping paper that need as a new lease of life, labels are your low-cost, high-impact tool for up-cycling and personalisation.
In this post, we’re sharing five non-conventional ways to use labels that go way beyond the basics. Ready to see labels in a whole new light? Let’s dive straight in.
Idea 1 - Activities for Kids
If you’ve ever handed a child a sheet of stickers, you’ll know the magic that happens next. Activity sheets are easy to set up, budget friendly, and are perfect for rainy days, car journeys, or keeping little hands busy while you finish your coffee. When designing our sticker sheets, we found that the 'build your own' approach worked best as this not only sparks creativity but it also makes for some really cute pages! From the images below, you can see 'build your own house', 'choose your outfit', 'build your own animal' and a 'create your own silly face' activity sheets. The great thing about creating these sticker sheets yourself is that you can really tailor these to your child and how they like to learn or enjoy activities. For example, you can implement their favorite hobbies, fictional characters or even make the sticker sheets themed to occasions such as Christmas or Easter.
To create and order your very own activity sheets from Flexi Labels, you will first need to come up with a design to provide to us. Internally, we use Adobe Illustrator to create these and make sure we select an A4 format. It is usually best to avoid the outer edges so that we can add registration marks later and add bleed to your designs where possible. Once you have your artwork designed, make sure to save this in a suitable format, preferably in PDF where possible. You can upload your file and fill out a custom quote form on our website to let us know you'd like to place an order for a custom cut sticker sheet. Our team will then come back to you with a quote before setting up an order and getting your sheets into production!
Idea 2 - Party Props
Want pro-looking party decor without the pro price tag or late-night craft meltdown? Stickers and labels are your new best friend. With a bit of creativity, those humble sheets of labels can transform simple household items into fun party props. If you can peel and stick, you can create party magic. The cost of custom props from party shops adds up fast and even if you do choose to purchase them, you may end up only using them once. We believe that using a few sheets of labels alongside things you already own is the way to go! From the pictures below you can see that we have created props of moustaches and union jack flags, perfect for a multitude of occasions.
To create props like these, we can do this for you in a few different ways depending on the desired outcome. If you are looking for a conventional shape, such as a rectangle, you can look to order our regular labels through our website. For example, the flags were created using our 200mm x 48mm Rectangle Labels, these are folded in half around a wooden skewer. Whether we print these for you or if you order the plain labels to print at home, this is a great cost effective way to make your props. Alternatively, if you're looking for a more custom shape like the moustaches, you can upload your artwork and enquire via our custom quote form and a member of our team can get back to you. Otherwise, you can order our A4 sheet label of your desired material, print your design at home and go to town with the craft scissors! However you choose to do it, we're confident that these props will be the life of any party or celebration.
Idea 3 - Make Your Own Wrapping Paper
Here at Flexi Labels we are convinced that any old boring, brown wrapping paper can look boutique-bought when you add stickers. It’s the fastest way to turn a last minute wrap job into a “wow, you shouldn’t have” moment. Adding stickers to your gift wrap not only personalises the experience before the gift is unwrapped but it also costs significantly less than going through the process of buying expensive wrapping paper, giftbags and ribbons. From the pictures below, you can see how we personalised giftwrap for Mother's Day and for Christmas. We've found that small intricate stickers work best at enhancing the natural beauty of the brown paper whilst adding a fun and beautiful flare. Buy one roll of plain kraft paper and a sheet of labels for each occasion and you're set for the year!
To create gifts that look like this, we suggest filling out our custom label form online and a member of our team will be in touch. With such intricate designs, we would need to check the specifics carefully to ensure that our machines can print and cut the labels that you would be looking for to personalise your giftwrap. Your designs can be uploaded via the custom label form and we can create a custom cut, giving the desired effect that the wrapping paper has been created especially for the recipient.
Idea 4 - Greetings Cards
Blank cards, scissors, and glue can feel a bit intimidating if you're short on time or lack crafting confidence when it comes to making personalised handmade greetings cards. Stickers and labels turn card making from a full-on craft session into a quick, satisfying, peel-and-stick creativity. No wonky cutting, no glitter explosions, and the results look considered and professional. A hand-stuck card takes 5 minutes and still says “I made this for you”. That beats a shop-bought card any day. Here at Flexi Labels, we’ve used our labels and stickers to create some stunning greetings cards for Christmas and Valentine's day as you can see from the photos below.
To re-create these or create your own designs at home, fill out our custom label request form and our team will be able to assist. We do have certain restrictions when it comes to lettering and small intricate stickers so it's always best to check with us first. Our Christmas card that we created does implement our 19.05mm x 19.05mm Star Labels, these could always be used as a feature on your greetings cards alongside other crafts such as drawings or paintings. After all a multi-media card is just more fun!
Idea 5 - Up-Cycling
Got a drawer of mismatched jars, tired plant pots, or buckets from the beach that have seen better days? Before you bin it, stick something on it! Labels are the quickest, cheapest way to up-cycle household bits into things that look intentional, organised, and genuinely stylish. Up-cycling doesn’t have to mean sanding, painting, or power tools. Sometimes all it takes is a sheet of labels and 10 minutes to turn clutter into something functional. At Flexi Labels, we’re big believers in “make do and mend” with a modern twist. We focused on occasions such as Halloween and Easter where kids would need buckets for Trick or Treating and Egg Hunting. Rather than spending money every year to replace or renew these items, why not use something you already have? Plus you can easily change up the design next year by switching the label.
For our bucket labels, we used our 100mm Round Labels and our 80mm Round Labels. These can be ordered on our website and you can upload your artwork to have these printed. Alternatively, you can of course opt for plain labels and print these at home. Creating your own designs for occasions like this allow you to really personalise each label and tailor them to the occassion or purpose that you are using them for. You can change them seasonally, meaning you get plenty of use out of those unwanted items, giving them a new lease of life each time!
That's a wrap to our non-conventional labels series. From activity sheets to party props, wrapping paper to greetings cards, and now upcycling – you’ve got five new ways to make labels work harder. Which one are you trying first? We'd love to see your creations on socials! Tag us @flexilabelsuk and use the hashtag #flexilabelsuk.
