Learn how to make your own DIY pantry labels with a Cricut … even use a Cricut pen to write beautiful and custom label names! You can make pantry labels on a Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore, or Cricut Maker!
I recently renovated my kitchen with beautiful glass-fronted cabinets, and I really want to put some canisters and jars in there. But the thing is I need to label them, because otherwise the ingredients are just too hard to tell apart. I HAD been using my Brother P-Touch labeler, but those labels are just NOT very pretty or big enough to read from a distance. So I’m going to use my new Cricut Joy to create my own DIY pantry labels that look good AND are easy to read, and I’m going to show YOU how to do it, too! (No Cricut Joy yet? No worries! I’ll also show you how you can make these on a Cricut Explore or Maker!)
Watch the full step-by-step tutorial on how to make DIY pantry labels on YouTube:
For this project, you want either full-sheet label paper or the Cricut Smart Label writeable vinyl on a roll. I prefer the Smart Label vinyl’s look and feel, and it sticks better AND resists dirt and grease, too. You also need some canisters and jars to label — I’m using OXO Pop Containers as well as regular Mason jars in various sizes. If you use Mason jars, look for ones with smooth sides, as your label will stick to those better than ones with raised designs.
Now, I’m going to use my Cricut cutting machines to cut AND write my DIY pantry labels. You can make these on any Cricut, but in this tutorial I’m going to show you how to make them on a Cricut Joy and a Cricut Maker… but an Explore would also do. The advantage to using the Cricut Joy is you can use the Smart Label material without a mat, and it’s easier to take the Cricut right into the kitchen with you as you label your things. Here’s a photo of me using my Joy in the kitchen when I was testing out design styles.
Oh, and you need a pen to write your pantry labels! I’m using a black fine-point Cricut pen, which is a .4 millimeter size. The size of your pen tip matters if you use my designs. Your Cricut can write and decorate your pantry labels with the pen right in the cutting machine and they look fabulous!
Last but not least, you need a design for your DIY pantry labels — it can be simple or fancy, it’s completely up to you. I’m going to show you how to make three different styles — a super easy simple label, a big, easy-to-read bold label, and a fancy script label that is totally on trend. I’ll also show you my tricks for getting the Cricut pen to fill in the fonts for bolder and more beautiful labels! (Hint: I’ve designed some special penwriting pantry labels with 55 common pantry ingredients for you, completely free!)
So let me start by showing you how to design pantry labels that suit your style and decor! Me? I like a little retro style, and that’s probably what I’ll use for the Mason jars I put in these cabinets:
I’m excited to show you how to make DIY custom pantry labels using your Cricut Joy, Explore, or Maker! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
Materials to Make DIY Pantry Labels on a Cricut Joy, Maker, or Explore!
View my Amazon shopping list with the exact items we used to make this project!
- Cricut Smart Label writable vinyl -or- Self adhesive label paper (white or clear)
- Fine-point (0.4) pen for your Cricut Joy or Cricut Explore/Maker
- Containers (I used OXO Pop Containers and Mason Jars)
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Lint-free cloth (or coffee filter)
- Clear acrylic spray sealer (optional, used to waterproof labels to keep the ink from running when washed)
- StandardGrip Cutting Mat for the Cricut Joy (NOT needed if using the Smart Label vinyl on the Joy) or a Cricut Cutting mat for the Cricut Explore/Maker
- A way to cut your labels (I used the Cricut Joy and Cricut Maker cutting machine but they can also be cut on a Cricut Explore)
- Design #189 – My free SVG design files (available in my free resource library—get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this page)
How To Make DIY Pantry Labels
How to design, cut, and write pantry labels with a Cricut! All pantry labels have two parts -- the label shape and the label name. These are two different layers. The label shape is a cut and the label name is a draw, and the two are attached together to form the pantry label itself. Open Cricut Design Space and click New Project. To make a simple label, click on Shapes, select a shape, and size it to fit your container. Now click Text, type your ingredient name, click and drag it on top of your label shape, and resize it until it fits your label well. With the text still selected, go to the Linetype menu and choose Draw. You may also wish to change your font to to "writing" in the Style menu (if available). Now select both the label shape layer and the label name layer and click Attach. Tip: To get your label shape and label name perfectly centered, select both, click Align, and choose Center. To make a bold label, either click Shapes and select a shape OR click Images > Categories > Simple Labels and pick a more complex label shape. Now click Text, type your ingredient name, and select a bolder font from the Font menu, such as DK Carte Blanche. Click and drag the label name on top of your label shape and resize it until it fits your label well. With the text still selected, go to the Linetype menu and choose Draw. Now select both the label shape layer and the label name layer and click Attach. Tip: Here's a helpful tutorial on how to upload fonts to Cricut Design Space. To make a fancy label, download my SVGs in the next step... I've designed some special "penned" pantry label names that your pen will fill in for you to create a BOLD and BEAUTIFUL "fancy" pantry label in a trendy style. There are 55 label names in all, which should cover the majority of pantry items. I ALSO made a file with more complex label shapes than I was able to find in Design Space -- there are 48 of these label shapes. Feel free to use just one or the other, or mix and match as you please. Get Design #189 which is my free pantry label names and shape designs from my free resource library (get the password at the bottom of this post). Here’s what the pantry label names SVG file will look like once uploaded to Cricut Design Space (be aware that this is a large file and may take some time to load and save): Here’s what my label shapes SVG file will look like once uploaded to Cricut Design Space: Tip: If you’re not sure how to upload an SVG cut file to Cricut Design Space, watch this watch this helpful video training series I made. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, here’s here’s how to download and upload SVG files to the Cricut Design Space app . To use the label shapes, upload them to Cricut Design Space, click Ungroup, pick a shape, and resize it as necessary for your pantry containers. I recommend 2" for Mason jars and 4" for larger containers like the OXO Pop Containers I use in this tutorial. To use the label names, also upload and ungroup them, click and drag the one you want to use on top of your label shape, change the label name layer to Draw, select both layers and click Align > Center, then click Attach. Tip: If you need to add an extra word to your ingredient, such as "Cake Flour," click Text, type the extra word, change the font to an appropriate font (such as Cricut Sans Writing font), change the Linetype to Draw, click and drag to position it in place, then Attach to the label. You can write and cut your pantry labels on either label paper (white or clear) or Smart Vinyl writeable vinyl. If you use Smart Vinyl on a Cricut Joy, you do not need a mat — it's very easy and works well! If you use Smart Vinyl on an Explore or Maker, you need to put it on a Cricut cutting mat (I used a StandardGrip mat) AND you need to place it on the mat a little bit to the left so the vinyl is at the edge of the grid. Alternately, you can move your labels a bit on your preview mat screen so they don't cut right at the edge of the material. Material settings for label paper on the Cricut Explore or Maker: Use "Paper, Adhesive-Backed" Material settings for label paper on the Cricut Joy: Use "Premium Vinyl" with less pressure Material settings for Smart Label on the Cricut Explore or Maker: Use "Premium Vinyl" Material settings for Smart Label on the Cricut Joyr: Use "Smart Label Writeable Vinyl" Tip: Be sure your prime your pen before you put it into your Cricut. Priming means to try writing with it to make sure the ink is flowing freely, and if it is not, keep writing until it does. Putting your pantry labels on your containers and jars is the easiest step! First, wipe down any surface you want to apply your labels to with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth or wipe, such as a coffee filter. Now carefully peel the label off the backing and place it on your container as straight as you can. If you use label paper, you'll probably be able to reposition it if you get it crooked, but you will NOT be able to reposition the Smart Label very easily. Note: The Smart Vinyl can be peeled up from the backing with a finger, as I do in my video, but if you find it hard to pull up, just weed the vinyl around the label first. And I definitely recommend you weed first for any intricately-cut labels, as otherwise your label may want to tear at the corners as you peel it up. Tip: When you place your Smart Vinyl on a container, start at one edge and smooth across from one edge to the opposite edge to avoid wrinkles and bubbles. Now, the question is -- which is better, label paper or Smart Label vinyl? Let's compare. Stickiness: The Smart Label vinyl sticks WAY better to containers than label paper. After only a few days, the label paper was already starting to lift off my jars. So if you use label paper, you'll need to reinforce them with extra tape or glue. Ink Application: The ink looks quite a bit more bold and vibrant on the Smart Label vinyl than it does on the label paper. So that's another point in favor of Smart Label. Look and Feel: I definitely prefer the glossy, white, and smooth finish of the Smart Label to the matte finish of the label paper. Smudging: The ink is smudgeproof on the Smart Vinyl immediately after writing, whereas you need to give the label paper more time for the ink to dry. Eventually, both are smudgeproof. Now, it's important to note that neither the label paper nor the Smart Vinyl is washable, BUT, because the Smart Vinyl surface is glossy, you could wipe cocoa dust and greasy fingerprints off the Smart Vinyl labels a LOT easier than you could off the plain label paper. Tip: If you think you'll be touching your containers often with damp or wet hands, and don't want to risk your ink running, just spray them with a clear acrylic spray sealer a few times (wait about 5-10 minutes between coats). I've used this sealer brand to coat labels and protect the ink. Do note that you'll probably want to weed the excess vinyl from your Smart Vinyl before spraying it, as otherwise it might be hard to peel up your label.DIY Pantry Labels
Materials
Tools
Instructions
Step 1: Design Your Pantry Labels in Cricut Design Space
Step 2: Get my Free Pantry Label Design Files
Step 3: Write and Cut Your DIY Pantry Labels
Step 4: Apply Your Pantry Labels to Your Containers and Jars
Label Paper vs Smart Label: Which Works Best?
Notes
Fonts Used in This Tutorial:
And now that I’ve tried making these DIY pantry labels on different Cricuts and with different materials, I know what is going to work best for me. My vote is definitely for the Smart Vinyl, and I’m going to use the Cricut Joy because I can go matless and take it right into my kitchen. I’m super impressed with this little thing.
Get my free SVG files to make your own DIY pantry labels!
I cannot wait to see YOUR DIY pantry labels! Please share a photo in our Facebook group or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.
Love,