Tagged! diy size tags

I'm super duper excited about the possibilities I've discovered.  Perhaps even super duper shmuper excited.  You see, I've been giving away the clothes that Clover has outgrown...because there's a boy next who would not appreciate wearing dresses.  At least he won't in the future, he might not care so much right now.

And while I can probably tell you the size and for whom I made the clothes, passing them onto someone else might cause them frustration to try to figure it out.  So, I decided (from here on out--there won't be retroactive application, sorry) to add size labels...and then I just couldn't stop myself.  What else can I use these for?  I know there's something genius you guys will come up with.

I got my cotton ribbon from my mom and dad's etsy shop (which is doing fantastically, so much so that we kind of laughed at the sad state of mine, which I'm hoping to remedy one of these days, sigh).  They have 4 different sizes, so I asked if I could play with some and they sent 'em my way.

I started by dying it.  In fact, I might have gotten dye-happy because by the end I was mixing this color with that, sprinkling in a bit more powder here and there.  I also might have gotten carried away with the orange.  What?  There aren't 3 slices of orange on the color wheel?
*I made most of these by washing the tape first in the sink with soap, which helped to absorb the dye more quickly, but then made a few without washing it and it accepted the dye more slowly, but more evenly, so experiment. Also, these are more finely woven than regular twill, which gives a more even stamping surface.

When I called my dad to see what kind of ink pad he used on his ribbons he told me and I asked if it needed to be set with an iron.  He began reading the back...works on paper, plastic, wood, leather, elephant tusks...do not use on fabric.  Dad!  So, I set out to find something.  

I went to Hobby Lobby and asked those ladies.  Those ladies who know their aisles like the back of their price gun.  I told her what I was looking for and she said we just got a new product in!  She walked me to the display, much faster than I had anticipated, my little ones had to run.  Now, I can't vouch for these, they're new, you know, and I've never tried them.  Thank you, Hobby Lobby lady, you are the best.
*those of you not near Hobby Lobby, here's another brand online.  It's a couple dollars more, but they have a huge selection of colors...nobody seems to have orange :(

I pulled out my little alphabet stamps (which I think I got from the dollar spot at Target one day, but you can find them at craft stores) and anything else I thought would be lovely dipped in ink and went to work.

I'm still coming off an ink pad high.  

Make sure you lay your ribbon on a hard surface before stamping.  And yes, it does tell you to set the ink with an iron, wuddoyouknow.

If you're planning on making more than one, iron before you cut them up.

Just fold the ends under and stitch in place.  I didn't have any number stamps, so I had to spell it all out.

I set up a little cutting station with magnets on a magnetic strip and the cutest little pair of scissors I've ever seen on a hook.  I'm expecting them to disappear any day, all these little hands around here, they're so cute.
*the scissors were a gift from my mom, but there are some here that are similar.

You can also put little love notes inside the clothes you make, using the wider ribbon.

Or sticking out of the seam:

You don't even have to stamp it, if you don't want, it would look cute just plain, as well.

I think I might just label everything now, including my children, so I can finally get their name right when I call them.

That might be the shmuper part of my excitement.

Tag.

You're it.