Thursday 3 December 2009

How To: Let It Snow Gift Tags





I woke up the other morning with an idea for some cute and sparkly Christmas gift tags and, having tried it out, I was really pleased with the results so thought I'd share the process in case you'd like to try it out for yourself. Most of the things you need you will likely have already but if not make substitutions, or pay a visit to the art & craft shop - it's the perfect excuse!

Materials
lightweight card or similar in contrasting colours - I used Murano pastel paper for the tags in the picture
rubber stamps/printing blocks
embossing ink pad
embossing powder in platinum and gold
crafter's heat gun
assorted small craft punches and hole punches - I used my Japanese screw punch and a small flower punch
soft thread for ties
Photo Mount spray or PVA glue
ruler and rotary cutter or scissors

Begin by cutting out tags 2.75"x1.75" (7cmx4.5cm) from the cardstock. I prefer a rotary cutter and mat for this step as it's quicker but use scissors if you don't have one. Ink up your stamp(s) with the embossing pad and stamp the tags making sure to leave some unstamped areas on each tag. Sprinkle with embossing powder and tap gently onto a sheet of paper to remove the excess - this can be returned to the jar for re-use later. With the heat gun, melt the embossed images. 

Note: take great care with the heat gun if you're not used to them, they get extremely hot so don't get your fingers, or anything else, in front of the business end and always work on something like a tile which will not get damaged by the heat.

Once your embossing has cooled begin to punch into the blank areas you left on each tag. Aim for a random looking but pleasing design and leave room at the top of the tags to punch a central hole for the thread tie. Next, try some of the contrasting coloured card behind your punched tag, keep auditioning until you find one that really makes the whole thing 'pop'. Using your adhesive, stick the tags to the backing card - you may find it easier to stick them onto an uncut piece of card and them trim round them afterwards. Finally, punch holes near the centre top of your tags and thread some soft string or yarn through and tie in a knot.

And there you have it, original and very pretty tags to give your giftwrapping some real sparkle! Please let me know what you think, and if you make some for yourself I'd love to see!

2 comments:

  1. These are awesome!! WOW - They look so professional!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks very much, Lori, glad you like 'em!

    ReplyDelete