Too Soon?

Yes, it's only October but please don't hate me! I always end up rushing around a week before Christmas having done zero preparation so I challenged myself this year to acquire at least some semblance of organisation. So, having just purchased a few odds and ends from Hobbycraft I thought I'd try out some seasonal tags.

Favourite find was this Confetti Glitter Glue which has stars and snowflakes in it (how cool is that?!) and the Naughty or Nice stamp. I had to play with them right away and tags are brilliant for this; they're ideal little blank canvases and you don't have to stress about making a mess of them.

I rounded up some watered down re-inkers in mist bottles, washi tape, ribbon, the confetti glue and rubber stamp. Spread the confetti glue on the tag with a palette knife or something similar as it's quite thick and let it dry - this took several hours but the room wasn't very warm - then spritz with misters, add the stamp and washi tape fragments and finish with a ribbon bow. Super quick, apart from all the drying time, and easy, and I think it will make a nice addition to my Christmas gift wrapping!

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!