Writing reliable care cards for handmade felt products
How a felt maker can verify washing advice, brief an editor and designer, test a printed care card and avoid unsupported promises.
Gather care information you can substantiate
Group products by their real fibre content and how they are made. Record what you have actually tested on samples and which conditions are supported by your material suppliers. Do not promise machine washing, colourfastness or resistance to shrinking merely because a different brand makes such claims. Where performance remains unknown, say so rather than inventing certainty, and encourage careful handling. Keep the supplier notes and sample results available for updates.
Write for a customer in a hurry
A useful card answers practical questions: what to do after a spill, what to avoid, how to store the product and who to contact with a question. Lead with actions instead of the story of the workshop. Leave room for the product name and batch where different versions use different fibres or colourants. Printed guidance must be understandable without scanning a QR code or creating an account. Digital access can supplement, not replace, essential wording.
Separate technical approval, editing and design
An editor can remove ambiguities; a designer can improve contrast, font size and the fit of the card inside a parcel. Neither should invent textile properties that the maker has not verified. Agree who signs off the technical statements and who keeps the editable files. Request one printed proof before ordering a quantity. Check the layout in the actual packaging so crucial wording is neither cropped nor hidden.
Test the instructions with someone unfamiliar
Show the draft to a person who has not seen how the felt is made. Ask them to explain the care steps in their own words. Check that icons do not contradict the written advice or imitate official symbols without a legitimate basis. Read the card under ordinary light and inspect how the paper behaves inside the bag or box. Revise the digital master before producing the remaining cards.
A hypothetical UK workshop example
Imagine a felt-accessory maker in Leeds creating five distinct care cards for small product batches. They combine wool supplier guidance with their own sample observations, commission plain-language editing and ask a designer for one printable proof. This is a fictional example of the workflow, not a customer testimonial or a claim about an actual studio.
State limitations and the rights you need
A care card does not replace product information that may be required for a particular sale. Do not turn untested properties into guarantees. In your brief, list the product types, verified guidance, intended languages, print and digital formats and who has final approval. Agree in advance who owns or may use the design, and ensure you can update the editable template when the material or production method changes.
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