Canning labels are designed to identify homemade jams, jellies, pickles, sauces, and other preserved foods, but their usefulness doesn't have to stop at the pantry.
If you have extra labels left over from a canning project, there are plenty of practical ways to put them to use around your home, kitchen, garage, classroom, and more.
Here are 17 ideas for using extra canning and jar labels.
1. Organize Your Pantry
Use labels to clearly identify dry ingredients and pantry staples stored in jars or containers.
Flour, sugar, rice, pasta, oats, baking ingredients, snacks, and other foods can all be easier to find when containers are clearly labeled.
For frequently used ingredients, you can also add helpful information such as the purchase date or the date the container was filled.
2. Label Homemade Food
Canning labels aren't limited to traditional canned foods.
Use them to identify homemade sauces, spice mixes, baking mixes, syrups, dressings, or other creations stored in appropriate containers.
Include the product name and preparation date so you know exactly what's inside and when it was made.
For homemade preserves, you can create custom jam and jelly labels designed specifically for your jars.
3. Identify Food at Parties and Gatherings
Hosting a party, picnic, potluck, or family gathering? Labels can help guests identify dishes, drinks, and serving containers.
Use them to write the name of a dish or distinguish between similar items.
If you're identifying foods for guests with allergies or dietary restrictions, make sure any ingredient or allergen information on the label is accurate and verified.
4. Personalize Party Cups
When everyone is using similar cups, a simple name label can prevent mix-ups.
Set out blank labels and markers so guests can write their names before adding a label to an appropriate disposable cup or other smooth surface.
This can be especially useful for birthday parties, family reunions, graduation celebrations, and other large gatherings.
5. Label Lunches and Snack Containers
Labels can make it easier to identify lunches when several family members are packing food for school, daycare, or work.
Add a name to lunch bags or appropriate food containers so everyone knows which one belongs to them.
You can also add a short note or message to make someone's lunch a little more personal.
6. Organize Refrigerator and Freezer Containers
If you frequently store leftovers or prepared meals, labels can help you keep track of what's inside each container.
Write the food name and date on the label before storing it.
This is particularly useful when meal prepping or freezing homemade foods that may become difficult to identify once they're frozen.
Always follow appropriate food-storage and food-safety guidelines rather than relying on the label alone to determine whether food is safe to eat.
7. Organize Animal Feed and Pet Supplies
If you have several pets or farm animals, labels can help keep different foods and supplies organized.
Use them on appropriate storage containers to identify:
- Dog or cat food
- Chicken feed
- Bird seed
- Treats
- Supplements
- Grooming supplies
- Other animal-care products
You can also include feeding instructions on a container so another caregiver knows what each animal receives.
8. Keep Sports Equipment Organized
Families, teams, and coaches often have several pieces of similar-looking equipment.
Name labels can help identify helmets, equipment containers, storage bins, and other appropriate items.
Before applying an adhesive label directly to sports or protective equipment, check the manufacturer's instructions. Some adhesives or modifications may not be recommended for certain equipment.
9. Label Kids' Storage Bins
Toy rooms can become much easier to manage when everything has a designated place.
Use labels to create categories such as:
- LEGO® Bricks
- Cars & Trucks
- Art Supplies
- Puzzles
- Stuffed Animals
- Board Games
For younger children who aren't reading yet, pair the words with simple pictures, colors, or symbols to help them identify where things belong.
10. Organize Craft Supplies
Canning labels can also be repurposed for craft-room organization.
Use them on containers holding beads, buttons, markers, ribbon, thread, paint supplies, scrapbooking materials, or other small items.
Clear labeling can be especially helpful when you have multiple containers that look nearly identical.
11. Label Garage Storage
Garages tend to collect a little bit of everything, which makes labels particularly useful.
Add them to compatible storage bins, drawers, containers, and toolboxes to identify categories such as:
- Hand tools
- Electrical supplies
- Painting supplies
- Garden equipment
- Automotive supplies
- Hardware
- Seasonal decorations
For hazardous chemicals, automotive fluids, pesticides, or similar products, keep them in their original properly labeled containers and follow the manufacturer's storage instructions rather than transferring them into generic labeled containers.
12. Organize Garden Seeds and Supplies
Gardeners can use extra labels to organize seed storage, planting supplies, and gardening tools.
Labels can identify seed varieties, planting dates, or the year seeds were collected.
If you're saving your own seeds, including the plant variety and collection year can make next season's planting much easier to organize.
13. Add Labels to Farmers Market Products
If you sell homemade or homegrown products at a farmers market, a well-designed label can help your packaging look more consistent and professional.
Depending on the product, your label might include:
- Product name
- Flavor or variety
- Business or farm name
- Logo
- Ingredients
- Net quantity
- Contact information
Food products may be subject to federal, state, and local labeling requirements, so make sure your labels include any information required for the products you're selling.
14. Create Homemade Gift Labels
Homemade jams, jellies, sauces, cookie mixes, and other foods can make great gifts.
A custom label gives you room to add the name of your creation along with a short message such as Made for You, From Our Kitchen, or the date it was prepared.
You can coordinate the label design with ribbon, twine, or other packaging to create a more finished presentation.
15. Use Extra Labels as Gift Tags
If you have unused labels after a canning project, they can double as simple gift tags.
Apply one to suitable gift wrap, a box, or a gift bag and add the recipient's name and a short message.
This works particularly well when the label design already coordinates with the gift or occasion.
16. Organize Office Supplies
Labels can help bring order to desks, cabinets, supply closets, and home offices.
Use them to identify folders, storage boxes, drawers, cords, chargers, pens, mailing supplies, or other items.
For shared spaces, clear labels also make it easier for everyone to return supplies to the correct place.
17. Label Seasonal Storage
Holiday decorations, camping gear, winter clothing, summer supplies, and other seasonal items often spend most of the year in storage.
Labeling the outside of each container lets you identify what's inside without opening every box.
Instead of simply writing Christmas, consider getting more specific with labels such as Christmas Lights, Ornaments, or Outdoor Decorations. The extra detail can save time when you need one particular item.
Get More From Your Extra Labels
Canning and jar labels are useful anywhere you need a simple way to identify, organize, or personalize appropriate containers and surfaces.
If you have extras after your next canning project, don't throw them away. Use them to organize the pantry, label storage containers, prepare homemade gifts, or bring some order to the garage or craft room.
And when it's time for your next batch of homemade food, explore custom food labels from Decals.com to create labels designed around your products and packaging.