Iron-ons vs Tag-mates™

Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!® clothing labels withstand the wear and tear of laundry and children beautifully! But should you get iron-ons or tag-mates?

	Iron-ons	Tag-mates™
	Iron-ons are the classic choice for clothing labels.	Tag-Mates™ are ideal for quick labeling – no iron necessary!
Size (approx)	46mm x 12mm (1-3/4" x 1/2")	21mm x 10mm (13/16" x 3/8")
Photos	(In contrast to the above photo, iron-on labels are currently manufactured with rounded corners.)
Method of application	ironing onto fabric	stick to clothing labels
Time to apply	3-5 minutes	5-10 seconds
Durability	Withstands washer and dryer. If label begins to peel, can reapply with iron. (Following original application instructions.)	Withstands washer and dryer.
Ease of removal	Many people are able to just pull them off by picking at a corner that has come loose over time. By design, however, the iron-on label ever so slightly melts to adhere to the fabric.	With a little effort, comes off cleanly. (Clothing in this case had been through numerous cold water washes and regular dryer cycles.)
Text size	The identical text will always appear larger on the iron-ons than the tag-mates.	It is possible to have larger text-size on tag-mates if you order the labels without an icon.
Limitations	Fabric must withstand the heat of an iron.	Clothing item must have a clothing tag. (Many tops are now made without tags.)
Advantages	Can be used on clothing, whether or not a tag is present.	Quick and easy to apply. Can be used on non-clothing items.
Hacks	- Double your iron-ons! - Removing iron-ons - Help! I've got more than one child! See all iron-on hacks.	- How do I label boots? - Larger size text for Tag-Mates™? - What else can I do with Tag-Mates™? See all tag-mate hacks.

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Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama and I receive free products for my involvement in the program. I'm also a Mabel's Labels web affiliate and I earn a commission if you use the following link to purchase your Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®

Help! I've got more than one child!

What do you do if you have more than one child and don't want to spend a fortune on personalized labels for each one? Here are some ideas for you:

Solution A: Family name

From the FAQ on the Mabel's Labels website:

I have 2 kids, could I have half my order as "Jenny" and the other half as "Kate"?
Unfortunately we can’t split orders. But you might consider going with the family name, so everyone can share the labels.

Should you order the Classic Stickies you'll be able to give each kid their own colour (assuming you've got no more than three children).

Solution B: Give children have same initial

If your children all have the same initial (such as Nicole, Nancy, Nathaniel and Ned) you're all set. Get the initial with your family name!

What's that? You didn't name your children with the same initial and you don't want to rename them? No worries.... we have more ideas below!

Solution C: Two children -- icon / no icon

If you've got two children with a large age difference, you may be able to convince the older one that icons on the stickers are for little kids. Then order your labels with the family name and cut off the icon for the older child to use. The younger child will identify anything with the name and the icon to be theirs.

Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution D: Two initials

If you need labels for two children, Nicole and Mabel, you could order the label as shown to the right.





Then for Nicole, cut off the ",M" and the icon. Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.




For Mabel, you cut off the "N." Again, be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution E: Two initals, short family name

If you have a short family name and need labels for two children, Nicole and Mabel, you could order the label as shown to the right.




Then cut the label in half, one for each child. Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution F: Multiple initials

Use all the initials separated by a "/" for Nicole, Mabel and Tricia. No cutting required!

I hope you've found an idea in here that works for you. If you have other solutions you'd like to share, please let us know!

Removing iron-ons

Mabel's clothing labels resist the wear and tear of laundry and children beautifully! Iron-ons are the classic choice for clothing labels.

But can they be removed?

The short answer is, it depends.

Many people are able to just pull them off by picking at a corner that has come loose over time. By design, however, the iron-on label ever so slightly melts to adhere to the fabric.

If you have been aggressive with the iron (by heating longer than recommended on the package) to adhere the labels (as I was with the socks shown to the right*), you may be left with a little bit of residue on your clothing. Note that I was able to remove the name part of the label, but not the base part that melted into the sock.

Some people recommend to "Try ironing it and when it is warm ease up a corner and pull fairly hard." I understand that some people have had success with the following method:

1. Place a piece of parchment paper over the label and heat the label with a hot dry iron.
2. Remove the parchment paper.
3. Pull it from a corner while the label is still hot. (Be careful not to burn yourself! Use a blunt knife to do this.)
4. Peel label away from the clothing.
   
5. The label may break as it cools.
6. Repeat as necessary.

I haven't had a chance to try heating up the label and then removing the residue -- when I do I'll post back here with the results.

Alternately, one could iron a new one over the top (should the item be used by another member of your family).

Variables which may affect the ease with which labels are removed: washing in hot water, excessive washing, time, fabric (smooth cotton vs fleece).

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* The labels on had been on these socks for about six months. In that time they had only been washed in cold water.

Double your iron-ons!

If you're ordering iron-ons with a short name, here's a hack to consider. Get the name printed up twice on the same iron-on, with 6 or so spaces between them. (See example image to the right.)

Before applying the half-sized iron-ons to clothes:

• cut the iron-on in half vertically
  
• cut rounded corners for each half (approximated by the red dotted lines in the image to the right) Failure to round the corners will result in the iron-on prematurely lifting and peeling.
  
• apply the half-sized iron-on as you would a full-sized one
  
  

Pros:

• twice as many iron-ons for the same price!
• labels fit nicely on tiny items (think infant socks)
  

Cons:

• Will not work with long names.
• Only one image per iron-on, so only 50% of your half-sized labels will have an image.
• It is time consuming to cut rounded corners on the half-sized labels.
  
• You buy fewer iron-ons which means I earn less commission! (Booooooo.)