Gift Tags From Old Wrapping Paper

I found an old roll of Christmas wrapping paper from last year in the back of the closet. It was tattered and torn and looking like it was ready for the trash. A 'normal' person would have tossed it out, but not me... I had to find a way to salvage bits and pieces of the shimmering paper. So I made some holiday gift tags with the pieces that I could save and sent the rest of the roll to the recycle bin.

Using Decorative Napkins To Make Cards And Tags

I love decorative napkins. I think they add a lot to a table setting and they can really help to set a theme for a party. Well, I finally figured out what to do with those left over napkins that never get used -- use them on cards of course.

Find an image on the napkin that you like and cut it out. Then peel the (usually two) layers of backing papers off. This leaves you with a single(very thin) layer with the image you want on it. Lightly spray the back of the image with a spray adhesive and mount it onto card stock. This will give you a sturdy piece to work with, and you will be able to place it on your cards and tags.

Stamped Tags

Tags are really neat to work with because you can use them for so many different things. They're great for journaling on a scrapbook page, for pocket cards or regular cards, for gifts, for collage and mixed media pieces, or for tagging our handmade goodies.

I blended pigment inks to create the background for this tag, and then I added a stamped flower at the bottom.

Making Memorable Gift Tags

Whenever you're giving someone a gift, don't forget about the gift tag. It's always nice to use unusual papers to make memorable tags. When I made these I thought that it would be cute to fill in the crossword blocks with different words like --With Love -- Happy Birthday -- Just For You, or the person's name. You could fill in the blocks with whatever sentiment you'd like just to give your gift that extra special touch. What's really nice is when you're able to coordinate your gift wrap paper and your tags and give your gifts a designer look.

Use Your Artwork to Make Hang Tags

There are times when I like to use my own drawings and paintings ( even the doodles and practice pieces that don't turn out too bad) for gift tags. They add a very personal touch and just as with adding mini paintings to the front of a card, they become mini pieces of art attached to the gift.

Let color take control

There's nothing like receiving colorful correspondence or seeing a gift adorned with a colorful gift tag. This set of blank note cards and gift tags is a great example of just how well vibrant, colorful papers will 'pop' when layered on top of a complimentary solid colored background. I always try to find papers that have interesting patterns, shapes, and designs on them because those are the papers that will usually get your attention. Soft muted tones are beautiful too, but every now and again it's good to have a splash of color.