Make Heirloom Gift Tags for Your Homemade Christmas Gifts

Instead of using those store-bought gift tags, why not make heirloom tags for your lovely gifts this year? These tags are inexpensive and easy to make, but turn out to look really nice.

To make heirloom gift tags, you will need:

• A piece of tagboard (This is a fancy name for uncorrugated cardboard.)
• Scissors
• Make Heirloom TagsAcrylic paint, crayons, or pastels
• Rubber stamps and inkpad
• Decorative papers
• Color copies of family photos
• Glitter
• Letter stickers or another way to spell out the recipient's name
• Hole punch
• Decorative fibers
• Make Heirloom TagsProtective coating

To make it

1. Trace out an initial on the tag board. I made mine about five inches tall and an inch wide.
2. Cover the tagboard up, either with paint or melted crayon. (Melted pastels work too.)
3. Use the decorative papers and rubber stamps to create a design on the initial. You may want to use only papers and stamps with a specific theme, such as gardening or cars.
4. Add a photo or two to the gift tag to make it extra special. Those few photos turn it from a cute tag to an heirloom gift.
5. If you are a fan of sparkle, add some glitter to the tag.
6. Use stickers, alphabet rubber stamps or small die-cut letters to spell out the name of the person the tag is for.
7. Punch a hole in the tag near the top and thread some decorative fibers through the hole. The fibers enhance the tag's beauty and provide an easy way to attach it to that handmade Christmas gift.
8. Now you are ready for the final step, spraying a protective coating on the tag.

Once you have completed the tag, you may just decide you want to make more. If so, here are a few ideas for using tags:

• Use them as Christmas Tree ornaments.
• Turn them into placecards.
• Spell out a message with several tags to create a holiday banner.
• Make Heirloom TagsPersonalize stockings by attaching the appropriate tag to each stocking.