How To Make Labels With a Cricut Cutting Machine

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If you've been around me for any length of time (or read this blog for a while) you know I'm a FAN of organizing all the things! And one thing I have found time and time again is that things generally only stay organized when we: 1) come up with a solid system for storing/using things and 2) label things so that everyone is on the same page about where things go! While we do have a more traditional label maker that is handy for making very small labels, I usually find that I want to make larger labels that are easy to read. And for that, I turn to my Cricut cutting machines. So if you've ever wondered, “Can a Cricut be used as a label maker?” the answer is ABSOLUTELY!

If you don't already own a cutting, then please read my unbiased review of Silhouette vs. Cricut. I personally own and use: the Cricut Explore Air 2, the Cricut Maker and the Cricut Joy. If you are wondering which machine you should choose, check out my post to help you choose the best Cricut machine for you.

Now, let's take a look at the different options for making labels with a Cricut cutting machine.

Option 1: How to make vinyl labels with a Cricut cutting machine

Supplies needed

Cricut cutting machine (used my Cricut Explore Air 2 for this project, but you could also use a Cricut Joy or Cricut Maker)
Cutting mat
Cricut Premium Vinyl
Weeding scraper tools
Transfer tape

Step 1: Create your design in Cricut Design Space.

I find that sans serif fonts are the quickest to weed, so because I was making so many labels I chose to use a very simple font. I stood in my pantry and stuck post-it-notes on each bin I wanted to label and wrote down what the label should be. Then I took the stack of post-it-notes upstairs and worked my way through the stack of post-it-notes, adding them to Design Space one at a time. I measured my bins and made sure to size each label to fit the bin correctly. That meant each label was a slightly different size since the number of characters varied for each label. This is what my project looked like in Design Space.

Step 2: Cut out your labels.

Once you click the “make it” button you'll notice that the Cricut software automatically arranges all of the words in the most space-efficient way, which ensures that use up as little vinyl as possible when you make your cut.

pantry labels made in Cricut design space ready to be cut

Step 3: Weed your vinyl design.

After you design is cut out, “weed” it so that you are left with only the words for your labels. I always use the Cricut weeder tool that looks kind of like a dental tool, lol. It works great.

Step 4: Transfer your vinyl labels onto your surface using the hinge method.

After you finish weeding away the excess vinyl, apply transfer tape over the top of your entire sheet of labels. Use a scraper tool to run over the top of the transfer tape to ensure the vinyl letters stick well to the transfer tape. Then cut each label out into its own rectangle shape.

I highly recommend using the “hinge” method of applying your vinyl label(s) to your surface. You can watch the video below to see the steps I describe. It's quick and makes it so much easier!

Choose one label and place a strip of scotch tape or painter's at the top of it. Then tape it in place exactly where you want the label to appear on your surface. Once you are happy with the placement, flip the label up and peel off the backing paper. Then flip it back down and use a scraper tool to run over the top of the transfer tape once again. This will ensure your vinyl letters stick to your surface as you peel the transfer tape off. Coincidentally, that's what you do next. Peel the transfer tape off so that you are left with your vinyl label on your surface!

That's it! You can see how some of the bins I labeled for our pantry turned out below. I love how large and easy the labels are to read for me and my kiddos. We couldn't make anything like this with a regular label maker!

pantry labels made with Cricut cutting machine

Option 2: How to make labels using a Cricut pen or marker & paper

Now let's take a look at another option for making labels with your Cricut. Frankly, I think it's the most underutilized and overlooked option. It involves using a Cricut pen or marker to write whatever text you want on cardstock and having your Cricut cut the cardstock out in whatever shape you want. This is a great way to get the look of handwritten labels without actually having to write them (I don't love my own handwriting, so this is a great option for me)!