PRACTICAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIPS // how to make uniform labelling as easy as possible

I’m proud to be officially collaborating with Korbond UK

I can’t believe it’s been four years since this teensy little Poppet pulled on the school uniform that was WAY too big for her (and that was the smallest size!), and trotted into reception class with a cheery wave and barely a backward glance.

She’d only just turned four and seemed so tiny – even compared to her other classmates.

But it wasn’t just Big Sis who was experiencing all these firsts – Mummy was on a steep learning curve too.

For weeks before I’d been ordering shirts and dresses and pairs of ankle socks, and twisting my brain into knots trying to figure out which uniform to dress her in (does the autumn term mean summer dress, or winter?!) or which style of lunchbox to buy (Insulated? Handle or strap? Drink pouch on the side, or separate bottle?).

Big Sis hates the feeling of clothes labels on her skin, so I spent HOURS cutting them out, then ironing in fancy name labels that had cost me nearly £30. When I look back now, I shake my head at how over the top I was. Three years later Lil Sis – by comparison – got a hand-me-down dress and cardigan, and her name drawn in with a laundry pen.

And here’s the shocker; the only difference was it that saved me money and time – two things parents with young families are usually short of.

Having this insider knowledge actually came in useful again recently…

THE KORBOND BACK TO SCHOOL RANGE

I’m very excited to announce that I’ve partnered up with Korbond – the 60-year-old Australian company that’s become synonymous in the UK for haberdashery, crafting and clothes care – on some helpful and practical Back-to-School tutorial videos using fabulous products from their Korbond back to school range of school uniform repair and care products.

Am I an accomplished crafter and sewing whizz? No. Am I a regular Mum who’s picked up some tips along the way to make life a bit easier? Yes. Basically, it’s exactly the kind of simple, practical advice I wish someone had told ME four years ago.

There are three KORBOND videos to start with – the first is ‘Quick and Easy Labelling Hacks‘ that will save you time, hassle and money. Take a sneaky peek at it, below…

The other two are ‘Stitching a Hem, Made Easy‘ where I demonstrate two really simple sewing techniques that you can use for hemming trousers and skirts, and ‘Sew-Free Hemming Hacks‘ where I show you how to take up school uniforms without going near a needle and thread.

The Korbond back to school range is widely available in major supermarkets, high street stores and online. During the school holidays you’ll find their products in the dedicated back-to-school aisle of larger retailers. 

My 5 Top Back to School Tips

• buy shoes with velcro fastenings. Not only are they easier for younger children, but they’re quicker for them to get on and off after PE class

• don’t forget to label your children’s shoes. These are often overlooked, but they’re the most likely (and most expensive) thing to get misplaced. Korbond do a great range of stickers that go inside the shoe. Also, if your child has a habit of putting their shoes on the wrong feet (Lil Sis used to do this so often her nursery teacher playfully nicknamed her ‘duck feet’) you can also label the stickers with ‘L’ and ‘R’ to help them out.

• keep the little plastic spoons you get with yoghurts and salads – they’re the perfect size to fit in lunchboxes and snack pots of cut fruit, rice, cucumber slices, etc.

• there’s nothing more annoying than a school uniform that doesn’t quite last the whole year. Buy dresses, skirts and trousers with adjustable waistbands, then take up the hems to make them the right length. The Korbond back to school range includes two options – hemming sewing kits, and no-sew hemming web. If you’re not sure how to use them, check out my video tutorial for each on the Korbond YOUTUBE channel.

• find out if there is a school Facebook group, and join it! This will be your go-to bible for everything – from double checking the date of mufti day, to tracking down lost lunchboxes, to finding out about evening get-togethers

READ: Caring for School Uniforms – Tips & Tricks to Make Them Last