Deep Thinking on Camp Name Tags
Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006
by Laura Miller
http://www.CampRatingz.com
Name tapes. Whether your kids are attending day camp or sleep away camp, these little strips of cl
You might say, I have been fascinated with name tapes for quite some time. I became aware of these little suckers my first summer at sleep away camp. It seems a pair of my underwear had fallen out onto a sports court on its way back from the camp laundry. Thanks to that wonderful little name tape, it wasn't long before everyone at camp knew it was my underwear that had been loitering for days on tennis court #3!
Cut to age 16. I had just been hired by an upscale camp outfitter in town. While I had dreams of working the sales floor, I was immediately relegated to the basement, where -- along with three other girls -- we worked sweatshop style over sewing machines affixing an endless parade of name tapes onto camp orders: White thread for the light color clothes, black thread for the darks. So, by the time my kids were ready for camp, you might say I had already done some thinking on the subject.
Sew In Tapes
My kids' first summer, I hired my seamstress to sew the name tapes into all their clothing. These labels, no doubt, stay on forever. But my kids, (who had "label issues" already) couldn't stand the itchiness of these tags - and this method was definitely pricey.
Laundry Stamper
The next summer I tried a laundry stamp. It is great for last minute labeling, but the ink did fade over many washings, and did not show up on dark colored garments. However, I still keep one around for a quick fix.
Iron-On Name Tapes
The following year I decided to try iron-on name tapes. I was appalled when the first set I ordered turned out to be cheap nylon tapes. I promptly reordered the fabric variety. But when it came time for ironing-on, I noticed something interesting. The fabric ones adhered ok, but were definitely detectible (and able to be yanked off) by those label-sensitive kids of mine. The nylon ones, however, adhered fully & completely, and never seem to fall off.never!!! What's more they are smooth and don't cause unnecessary itching. I am sold on them!
Clothing Tattoos
Clothing tattoos are the newest entry to the name label market & I am intrigued by them. They are permanent iron-on transfers that come in fun and funky colors and shapes, for the coolest camp duds around! They adhere completely to clothing and are dryer-safe. This is the direction most clothing manufacturers are going in, (think Hanes® new "labeless" underwear.) The main downside to clothing tattoos is price. They will run you about $18.50 for a set of 50 tattoos, which is considerably more than the traditional labels, and which is why I have yet to try them
All in all, it is good to have a variety of labeling products on hand: Name tapes, laundry stamps and laundry pens for last minute labeling.and those awesome silver SharpieT pens for writing on dark surfaces. I have also become a big fan of the permanent identity stickers many companies sell, which are ideal for sticking on expensive sports & electronic equipment. As always, be sure to shop on line for the best prices.
Laura Miller has been a staff member at several camps and has worked in camp marketing. She is the founder and Director of Marketing for CampRatingz.com.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)I am going to try those nylon labels. And thanks for the silver Sharpie tip; I have used Sharpies in the past, as well as laundry markers, but struggled to find light places on dark clothes (pockets worked well) to write in a name.
great article!
Very helpful...and sorta funny too. Thx for the great info!
Thx for the great tips. Who knew there was so much to know about camp labeling, lol!
Hello, Can someone please make a suggestion. I run a couple of luxury rental chalets. In one year I have lost 50-60% of my very expensive linens (all have sewn in tags) and therefore will start laundering ensuite. However, now I am looking for maybe a way to identify king/twin/queen sheets by marking all 4 corners with a color and/or tag, yes, sewn in for lasting effect. Any fabric suggestions?? Guess they don't even need to be printed, just color coded. Thank you
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