Easy Tips to Elevate Your Gift Giving Experience!
A blog series on making hand crafted gift tags:
- Part 1: How to Create Handcrafted Gift Tags in 7 Easy Steps
- Part 2: More Handcrafted Holiday Gift Tags in 5 Easy Steps
- Part 3: Handcrafted Gift Tags for Any Special Occasion
Easy steps to make handcrafted gift tags for all your gifts this season. Get inspired and elevate your gift giving this season with these simple ideas on how to create one-of-a-kind gift tags.
Turn your ho-hum gift wrapping into fun by adding your creativity to the gifts you pass out this year. No matter the holiday, with just a little effort you too can making a gift more meaningful to the receiver.
WARNING: This craft is easy enough for a child to do WITH adult supervision because sharp scissors, hot irons and possibly fire are involved!
Items to gather before starting (you'll find many right around your home if you craft even a little!) * Many of the notions you can find here at Colorado Creations Quilting.
1) Gift tags you can purchase paper tags made from card stock such as these at craft stores and online or make your own!
2) Sharp, small applique scissors such as Karen K Buckley scissors*
3) Fusible web such as Wonder Under*, Light Steam a Seam2* or similar product
4) Applique pressing sheet*
5) Iron (a mini-iron like the one by Clover * works really well, but any iron will do)
6) Trim such as ribbon, cording, embroidery floss, pearl cotton, raffia
7) Large-eye needle (optional)
8) And of course, fabric! I've used seasonal, holiday and novelty prints that the person receiving the gift is interested in. This is a great way to slash your stash or use up small scraps.
9) Optional embellishment ideas:
-Buttons (regular or novelty), beads, charms, lace, scrapbooking stickers and/or other embellishments
-Glue such as Aleene's Tacky Glue (or even Elmer's)
Steps to create gift tags:
1) Cut a piece of fusible web that's approximately the size of your tag.
2) Following the manufacturer’s directions, fuse the web to the back/wrong side of your fabric.
TIP: I find that using an applique pressing sheet will save web from getting on either your ironing pad or the bottom of your iron.
3) Cut the fabric out using small sharp applique scissors (so that you can get in all the "nooks and crannies") - either a piece to fit the gift tag or cut out an image.
4) Peel off the fusible web paper.
TIP: Score the paper first and peel from the center out. By doing it this way, you’ll avoid fraying the fabric edges.
5) Fuse the fabric to the gift tag.
If you think that just adding the image to a gift tag isn't enough, consider fusing a background color to the tag first before fusing the image.
6) If desired, add embellishments such as decorative ribbon or buttons. Use a craft glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue or Elmer’s to secure the embellishment.
TIP: If the trim is wrinkled, sandwich it between your applique pressing sheet and iron out the wrinkles. If you're not sure if a product will melt when putting heat to it, either pre-test a small piece, use lower heat or better yet use the applique pressing sheet. Using a small craft iron such as this Clover mini-iron makes your life so much easier but a regular size iron works too. 
7) Cut a piece of trim (ribbon, DMC floss, etc.) 8” to 10” long. Thread it through the gift tag’s hole. 
TIP: If your trim is wider than the hole, thread the trim through a large-eyed needle and then put it through the hole. Finally tie a knot or bow. 
TIP: If your trim (especially cording) frays when you cut the length, put a flame to it to sear / seal the edge. Use a candle or lighter.
You’re done. They’re so easy, you can make another! Oh, and don't forget to sign the back.
I'll leave you with a "quilty" quote for the day:
That's my two cents’ worth and I'm sticking to it!
Tune in to my next blog post to discover another way of creating name tags. (There’s still time left to create more!)
Let me know how you add decorations to your gifts to give them that extra little something. If you care to share a picture of the gift tags you make, please send me a picture to info@coloradocreationsquilting.com With your permission, I will add them to this post.
Comment below and feel free to share this blog post (or my web site) with others.
Until next time, Happy Quilting,
Jackie V (‘cuz my computer hasn’t learned how to spell Vujcich)