Yes, I know, Walmart and other big-box or discount places sell little gift tags you can tie onto your gifts. But who wants to spend $2 a pop for these little cardboard gift tags, when you can make loads of them yourself for a lot less money (and a much craftier, customized look)? This is part of papercrafting–making personalized items that cost less and also use up material that you might otherwise throw away.

The reason I chose to cover gift tags on this Papercrafting Post is because it’s a useful item that could easily save you money if you know how to make it yourself. You just have to be willing to break out a little creativity and spend a bit of time putting it together. Not as hard as it might seem!

What You’ll Need

1. Card stock of any color OR unlined index cards of any color
2. Any colorful or patterned paper you have lying around (crumpled-up tissue paper, old wrapping paper, etc.)
3. Solid-color printer paper OR construction paper
4. Double-stick tape OR a glue stick
5. Single-hole puncher
6. String, thread, ribbon, OR yarn

Eight Steps to Your Own Gift Tag

1. Cut out a piece of card stock or an index card in the desired shape. Doesn’t have to be square–you could even cut it into a really fun shape if you want to!
2. Using your cut-out shape as a guide, cut out a piece of your selected patterned/colorful paper. Make sure that your paper’s shape is about a centimeter/half an inch bigger around the edges than your card stock/index card shape.
3. Wrap your paper shape around one side of the card stock/index card, taping or gluing down the edges as you go, kind of like wrapping a present. You will end up with one side of the tag completely covered with the paper and one side just covered around the edges. This is what you want.
4. Get a piece of your solid-color piece of paper and cut out a smaller version of the shape of your gift tag.
5. Affix this to the back of the tag (the side that is only partially covered) with tape or glue stick.
6. Use a single-hole-punch tool to punch out a hole in your gift tag, for the string to be threaded through.
7. Sign your tag on the solid-color side as appropriate (better to write on it now rather than wait until after you’ve tied it to your gift, trust me)
8. Thread string, thread, ribbon, or yarn through the hole and tie to your gift, and you’re done!

Resources

Available at Office Supply Stores

• Card stock
• Index cards
• Printer paper
• Double-stick tape
• Glue sticks
• Single-hole punchers

Available at Big-Box Stores’ Craft Sections

• Wrapping paper
• Construction paper
• String, thread, ribbon, and yarn

Likely Available In Your Home
Don’t forget to shop your home first–you might have more crafting materials hidden in your junk drawers and recycling bins than you’re aware of.

• Old giftwrap/tissue paper
• Scraps of printer paper and construction paper
• Random bits of thread, yarn, string, or ribbon–even a twist tie can work!
• Index cards that have been barely used and could be erased