For fun, I made a jar label for a cheesy crack spread I regularly make.
Do you make something in your kitchen at home that's stored in a jar or other container? If so, why not make a fun label?! That's what I did, because I'm goofy like that. Read on to see the steps I took to make the label with my Cricut Maker. My recipe for a cheesy crack spread is at the end.
The Digital Designs
Watch the full project through the video linked in the thumbnail above.
Unlike my last blog post where I was Decorating My Cricut Maker, I didn't brainstorm ahead of time. I jumped right into Adobe Photoshop and threw shapes and text together. I knew I wanted to use my brand's logo and colors. I also had a couple cracker images I wanted to use in the design.
Otherwise I just placed text and shapes to see what I liked. I didn't really care about perfection and didn't put much thought into it, although I think the front label looked good. I didn't have confidence that things would go well post-design. I mentally prepared for the labels to be ruined.
Another possible reason why this was quick may be because my mind is mainly focused on this week's release of Two Point Hospital's new DLC, Off the Grid. Two Point Hospital is a simulation game I'm currently obsessed with, next to The Sims.
Print to Cut Stickers
I uploaded the labels into the Cricut Design Space. I resized the images to 3.5 inches to better fit the jar I planned to put it on. I turned on my printer and loaded my Cricut Explore Printable Sticker sheet properly. I then went through the motions to print and my designs.
I thought I resolved my ink issues from last week, but the printed colors were once again saturated. This tells me that either I'm using some really cheap, subpar inks in my inkjet printer, or I need to re-tweak my printer settings. The images were not representative of how they look on my laptop's screen. Like last week, I didn't really care and proceeding with letting the Cricut cut the stickers.
Prepping the Jar
I peeled the labels off an old jar I saved. I didn't worry about getting all the sticky off since I was going to place a sticker over it anyway.
Once I peeled most of the old label, I applied my labels to the jar. I wasn't sure if I should've cleaned the jar before applying my labels. I thought about it but figured things would go wrong when I tried to wash it later, so I pressed on.
Protecting the Labels
Since I make this cheesy crack spread regularly, I planned to use the same jar repeatedly. That meant it would be washed when emptied. I applied 3 coats of dishwasher safe Mod Podge (decoupage) to the front label, letting it dry for about a half hour between coats.
I only applied 2 coats to the back label, because I was curious to see if that made a difference. I let the first coat dry for about an hour before I applied the second coat.
While I waited for the Mod Podge to dry, I decided to spray paint the jar lid with a white paint and primer.
An hour after applying the third coat of Mod Podge on the front label (2 hours after the second coat on the back label was applied), I noticed the colors faded noticeably. I was bummed, especially since it was saturated in color to begin with.
The Wash Test
I was too curious to know if the labels would withstand water. I hand washed the jar with a sponge and some dish soap. I don't use a dishwasher, so I wouldn't be able to tell you if it will survive a wash cycle.
To my surprise, the front label survived. Nothing odd happened to it.
On the other hand, the back label wasn't as fortunate. I saw areas where the ink bled, and water spots formed. That didn't bother me since I initially made the back label with the wrong ingredient measurements.
My Conclusion
This was a fun and easy craft project (for me, at least). My biggest surprise was how well the front label held up when washed and scrubbed with a sponge. The pessimist in me truly thought I'd have to print more stickers to replace any that washed off during this project. I'm glad I was proven wrong in this case.
My biggest disappointment was how my images printed with saturated colors. Either I used the wrong settings (I think I used RGB instead of CMYK) when I created the labels in Adobe Photoshop, used subpar ink in my printer, or didn't properly modify the settings in my printer's software application. Shame on me.
Overall, this was a corny and pointless craft project. After all, I have no business reason for creating jar labels. Yet I still enjoyed it. I'll probably make more fake branded product designs for fun.
Bonus Recipe
Video above starts at 3:38 where I demonstrated making my Cheesy "Crack" Spread.
Ingredients:
8 oz sour cream
10 oz cream cheese (approx. 1-1/2 containers of 7.5 oz Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Spread)
2 cups shredded cheese
2 tbsp Ranch dressing
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Steps:
Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
Put the now "Cheesy Crack Spread" into a container.
Refrigerate overnight for best taste.
Optionally lick the large bowl and spoon. You can also take a cracker, run it along the sides of the large bowl, and then devour, but you'll still need to lick the spoon.
The spread tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight. It tastes good served cold or hot.
I like spice, which is why I use jalapeño cream cheese, but you can use plain cream cheese if you don't like the added heat.
I call it a "spread" because that's how I often use it. I've also used it as a dip, topping (e.g. sandwiches, burritos, stew), and meal ingredient. If you try this recipe, try it on crackers, in a sandwich wrap, or as a veggie dip.
What's Next?
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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