Mix Recipe Labels

Creating your own homemade mixes is simple and saves tons of money. Labeling them for use is just as easy. Here are several different methods for adding labels to your homemade mixes.

How to Label Homemade Mixes

Before I start making mixes, I generally gather all the ingredients I need for each mix, mainly because I like to make five or so of each mix at a time. If you’re making the mixes for your own personal use, the easiest and most time effective way to label your mixes is to simply write the directions directly on the baggie itself, like this:
As you can see from the photo, these are Beef Gravy Mixes. All I’ve written on the baggies are the ingredients necessary to complete the recipe.  Add 2 t. butter and 1 c. water. Since I already know “How” to make gravy, it’s not necessary to include the instructions. To save time, this is how I complete most of the mixes for my own use.

How to Label Mixes for Gift Giving

If you’re considering giving the item as a gift or sharing it with friends, or, if you’re making mixes that you’ll need directions to prepare, you might want to make labels and attach them.

Self-Stick Labels

Easy Method: Make labels that self-adhere, simply print them on self-adhesive mailing labels, such as address labels. The size of the label needed is dependent on the size of the baggie or jar you are using for storage.

I happened to find a box of 2500 2″x4″ Avery Address labels for $2.00 at OfficeMax last year. So I print all of my labels using those. Since I use various size baggies, based on the size of the recipe, I simply cut the labels to fit each baggie.
Here you can see the individual labels on the baggies with complete instructions for preparation. I used 2″x4″ Avery Address labels and made 4 tags per Label.
Then I cut each label within the sheet in 1/4’s (which makes 4 tags per label, or 40 tags per sheet). Place the unused labels in a Ziploc baggie & put them away until needed. If you don’t want to use self-adhesive tags, you can handwrite the directions on a small note card or index card and attach it with a small piece of ribbon or yarn.
Since we use our mixes relatively fast, I don’t bother to add a “use by” date. If you’re giving a mix as a gift, a good rule of thumb is to add a note to ‘Use within 6-8 weeks”. Most mixes will last at least 6 months without any issues, but it’s nice to use them while they’re fresh!