Guide to Homemade Christmas Gift Tags

Christmas time is exciting, there is no doubt. Going out and shopping, buying that perfect gift for your spouse, or children, is a rush. What I love to do, is the wrapping of the presents, making each one different, and eye catching. Here is an idea to make your gift, that much more special, it is, homemade Christmas Gift tags. You can create different ones, for each present, and enjoy a little crafting while you make them. First thing is your supplies, if you do not have them in your craft box, head over to JoAnn Fabrics, or Michaels. The materials you will need are going vary depending on how fancy you want to get: Red, green, and white craft foam. Various styles of trim ribbon, red or green ribbon, black matte material paint in a bottle, fine glitter in the colors of red, green, and white. Christmas material in various patterns, various colors of rhinestones, and glue on eyes. At Michaels craft store, you can purchase already pre cut foam in the shape of snowflakes, Christmas trees, and Christmas stockings. If you do not want to use craft foam, you can use colored poster board as well.

1. Gift Tags using Craft Foam:

Using card board, make a template in the shape of a Christmas stocking, Snowman, or a Christmas tree. Draw out onto foam, and cut. How you wish to decorate it is totally up to you. For example, take the stocking, for the top of the stocking, you can glue on white foam, trim with ribbon for a divider. Take a marker and dot out designs of one or two of snowflakes, glue on rhinestones, or use glitter. In the white foam area, take your material paint and write the persons name, and who the gift is from.

2. Gift Tags using Old Christmas cards:

This idea is good for those who save their Christmas cards. Sort through your cards, and pick out the designs you like and trim them into the size square or rectangle you want. You can leave, the edges straight cut, or take a color co-ordinated trim and glue it to the tag. Another use for old Christmas cards is to make your own small gift boxes for jewelry and etc.

3. Edible Homemade Christmas gift Tag:

To make an edible Christmas gift tag, you want to use a gingerbread cookie recipe. Make the cookie into a man, tree, letter, or sleigh. Using the icing that hardens, write the persons name on it, and who gave it. If you have a icing bag, use the narrowest tip for fine smaller writing. Remember to make a small hole in the cookie to string ribbon through, to attach to the package. This is one gift tag, you won't put on until the day of Christmas, so mark your packages, so you can remember who gets which one until you secure it to the gift.

4. Ornament:

If you are handy at sewing. Take out your material such as muslin, and make a pattern for a snowman. Draw out onto the muslin, and cut. For the face, hand stitch the smile, sew on a small bead for the eyes, all prior to sewing the pieces together. Take narrow ribbon and sew a long piece about 8 inches where you want the arms located, onto one of the snowman body piece. Sew the snowman body together, then turn right side out. Feed little wooden beads, start with a narrow bead, short round, repeat until you have desired length for your snowman, through the ribbon,and seal with knot. Cut the Ribbon leaving enough material to glue the mittens on. Crochet a little hat and scarf for your snowman. Stuff your snow man with poly fill, and sew shut. Attach the scarf and hat with a couple of hand stitches. Take felt and cut out mittens, and secure with glue partially onto the last bead. For the name tag part, make a snow flake, or square out of white felt, and using material paint write the persons name on it and secure it to mittens using a dab of glue. Add a small orange pom pom for the nose, and let dry. This ornament will be time consuming, as for the size, you want to keep it small about 6 inches or so, it will be allot of hand sewing, but the end result is one cute snowman.

5. Pom Pom Gift tags:

Take your poster board and cut designs of snowman, or Santa. Using different sizes of pom poms for the snowman, glue the larger, medium, then smaller one onto the board. Using poster board, make a small hat for the snow man, it can be flat, glue on black felt, or use black glitter if you want,once dried, secure to the head pom pom using a dab a glue. For the eyes a small dot of black paint, the same for the coal buttons, and an orange dot for the nose. For the arms, use brown construction paper, cut into a narrow strip, and fold like an accordion, at one end, secure a mitten cut made of paper or felt. Glue the ends of the paper to the back of the poster board, and let dry. Cut out a rectangle for a sign, decorate edges with glitter and glue if you wish, and write in persons name. Secure sign to mittens with glue, let dry and repeat if you want to make more.

These are just a few ideas of some homemade Christmas gift tags, that I have made over the years. It gives your gift a little more fun, and I enjoyed making them as well. The ideas do not have to be limited to pom poms, and craft foam. You can use balsa wood to make wooden ornaments as well, and decorate how ever you wish. As for the sewing, you can sew stars, sleighs, and decorate them with sequins, and trim also. If you are a jewelry maker, make a bracelet with the persons name, attach it to a paper tag, and let this be a unique tag. Let your imagination run wild, and you can create some beautiful handmade Christmas gift tags of your own. If you get some ideas from above, and feel like crafting, it is relaxing, as it is satisfying to hear the compliments on your creativeness.