Here’s an easy, creative way to make the gifts you give just a little more special–hand made gift tags. I did two styles of gift tag just in case you are not a got-half-way-through-my-wedding-album-and-gave-up-scrapbooking kind of person with lots of overpriced, unused, fancy card stock laying around.
What you will need: card stock* and glitter and glue for style 1 and acrylic paint and brushes for Style 2. You will also need scissors and a hole punch if you have one. I scavenged around my house and came up with some postcards, used note cards, card stock and written-on thank you cards. Here is my pile of random paper.
I took all that sturdy paper and cut it into squares and rectangles, and ovals**, making sure that if the front had a picture or print on it, the back was plain (i.e. I cut around words and print on the backside). That’s why all of my tags are different sizes.
Style 1:
This tag style uses the picture or print on your card or postcard and makes it festive. If you can use Christmas cards, your work is probably already done. If not, get out your glue and glitter and get to work.
These photos don’t quite capture the sparkly wonder that is each gift tag. I couldn’t get the light just right. But, trust me. They are glorious.
Style 2:
Style two lets you create your own design. I stayed true to easy cookie cutter-type shapes so they were easy to make. I laid out a group of tag and got busy.
I then painted my snowmen and Christmas trees and ornaments, and gingerbread men, and stockings. I just used the acrylic paint I had– which included some odd colors and which disappointingly did not include red. They seem to have worked out despite that. Other than that little commentary, I don’t need to tell you how to paint. You’ve been doing this since grade school.
After the paint was all dry, I punched some holes in tags to hang from gift bags and to thread with ribbon on packages. I also have this neat sticker making machine that lets me make strips of sticky gift tags. However if you wanted yours to stick, you could use spray adhesive or lightly applied glue. I will go in later and add ” To” and “From” with a fine tip felt or permanent marker to make these tags official.
As always, I encourage you to share these posts and share your ideas or results–especially if you try one of these projects.
* Other ideas for what to use as card stock: the backs or covers of note pads, folders, dried goods card board packaging.
**I actually cut these ovals using a fancy little cutting tool set my friend had. I don’t have one. These were left over from when I did this project a couple of years ago. I probably wouldn’t try and free-hand circles and ovals. That’s okay. The squares and rectangles work just fine.
Update and Brag Session: See some of these tags in action below:
Life Improved 