Free Printable Handmade Washing Care Tags

These free printable handmade gift washing care tags are perfect for hand knits, crocheted gifts, and even sewn fabric items. Make sure your lovingly handmade present receives the best care with these free washing care tags!

This set of printable gift tags includes a blackout png file so you can quickly and easy cut them with your cutting machine. Don't worry - they're also very easy to cut out by hand if you don't have access to a cutting machine.

A preview of two printable pages. One has 10 gift tags for hand made items to share care instructions, the other page is a blackout file for cutting machines. The pages are shown on a light blue background with washi tape and a red marker.

This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

If you're checking out this post, you probably enjoy either crocheting or knitting (or both!). If so, make sure you grab this free printable knitting planner and/or free printable crochet planner while you're here. (Sewists, please be patient just a little while longer. I do have a sewing planner in the works, it just isn't ready yet.)

These tags were inspired by two things: my husband's love of knitting and an unfortunate childhood experience. When I was a kid, my dad machine washed and hot dried a new, hand knit wool sweater. After it came out of the laundry, it was literally too tight for my favorite stuffed bear! Make sure your lovingly hand knit or crocheted items don't get shrunk, too - use these printable wash care tags.

How to print your own knitting care gift tags

Materials needed:

Your free printable gift tags (look for the row of purple arrows lower down in the post)
Paper or cardstock (see below)
Printer access
Scissors or paper cutting machine
- A paper trimmer is helpful for the long, straight cuts, but you'll still want a pair of scissors or hobby knife to cut the angled pieces
- For a step-by-step look at using a hobby blade for cutting printables, make sure to check out this post on how to cut printable stickers without a cutting machine
- A paper cutting machine is absolutely not necessary, but I have included a blackout png file for Silhouette and Circuit users
A small hole punch, sharp awl, large needle, or some other way to poke a hole in the top
Bakers twine, spare yarn, etc. to attach the care instructions tag to your gift

Jeemitery 1/16 Inch Small Mini Tiny Shaped Circle Metal Single Handheld...

Sunmns 3 Roll Christmas Twine Cotton String Rope Cord for Gift Wrapping,...

Astrobrights/Neenah Bright White Cardstock, 8.5" x 11", 65 lb/176 gsm,...

Jeemitery 1/16 Inch Small Mini Tiny Shaped Circle Metal Single Handheld...

Sunmns 3 Roll Christmas Twine Cotton String Rope Cord for Gift Wrapping,...

Astrobrights/Neenah Bright White Cardstock, 8.5" x 11", 65 lb/176 gsm,...

Jeemitery 1/16 Inch Small Mini Tiny Shaped Circle Metal Single Handheld...

Sunmns 3 Roll Christmas Twine Cotton String Rope Cord for Gift Wrapping,...

Astrobrights/Neenah Bright White Cardstock, 8.5" x 11", 65 lb/176 gsm,...

For the best results, print these gift tags on 32# paper or card stock. The 32# HP paper (my personal favorite) isn't as thick as cardstock, but images look much brighter and more professional. You can see side-by-side comparisons of the best papers for printables in this post. The post includes a video with actual printouts on multiple different papers and cardstocks so you can see which brings the best results. The tags shown in this post were printed on cardstock for durability.

HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets |...

Made in USA: HP Papers is sourced from renewable forest resources and has achieved production with 0% deforestation in North America.
Heavyweight premium printing: HP Premium32 is a heavyweight (32 pounds), brighter (100 bright) and whiter (163 whiteness) paper with a super-smooth...
Certified sustainable: HP Premium32 presentation paper is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and contributes toward satisfying credit MR1...

How to print your own handmade washing care tags

A preview of a printed page with 8 printable "care guide" tags for hand made items with space to list the fiber content and circle laundry care icons to show how to take care of the item.

Printing and making tags is super easy! Simply print, cut out, punch a hole in the top, complete the tag, and attach to your gift. Fill in the lines for fiber content and your name and circle relevant wash instructions: It's easy to use yarn and a darning needle to attach it to a knit or crochet gift, or you can place it on ribbon or string tied around the item.

A printable hand knit wash care tag on a purple, knitted scarf.

Because the tags are aligned, you can use a paper trimmer for the long, straight lines and a pair of scissors to cut the angled bits.

A sheet of printed tags being cut on a paper trimmer.

Free printable hand knit/crochet wash care gift tags

Please note that you will need to unzip the file in order to access the printables. The main gift tag file is a PDF, but there is also a transparent png "blackout" file for use with cutting machines. The two files are together in ac impressed folder.

An archive utility comes pre-installed on Mac OS. If you don't have an archive tool already installed, you can unzip files for free on ezyzip.com. If you have trouble, I found a helpful post from an Etsy seller explaining how to unzip any file on any device.

Not familiar with using a blackout file for cutting? I found a helpful post from an Etsy sheller showing how to use blackout files with a cutting machine. These tags are very easy to cut by hand - don't worry if you don't have an electronic cutting machine.

Like all free printables on The Artisan Life, these gift tags are available for personal use. This includes use in your own personal handmade business.

You are not licensed to alter, sell, or redistribute the files (digital or printed) to others for their use. You absolutely are not licensed to post them for sale or download on any website. Please just send your friends and family to this page to download their own copies.

If you agree to this license, you may click below:

five purple arrows pointing down on a white background

Text "click here to download your printable"

I hope you enjoy coloring these wash care gift tags! Be sure to check out these free Christmas printables while you're here:

Christmas & Holiday Printables

Looking for printables for the holidays? You've come to the right place! Discover Christams templates for DIY ornaments and decorations, Christmas games for families at home, and more.