When you are in need of a quick gift tag, your paper stash is the perfect place to turn to. If you need some inspiration, here are 5 ways to whip up a gift tag in 5 minutes or less because let's be honest - the holidays are not a time when you have plenty of time to spare.
Playing Cards. Super simple. Hole punch the corner and add some ribbon / string / fabric. Attach a label to the front along with the gift recipient's name or initial. (Everyone is my family has a different initial, so I often just use that instead of full names.)
If you like the design on the front and don't want to cover it up, no worries. Flip the card over and add the label to the back.
Postage Stamps. It doesn't get much easier than this. Dig through your collection to find your favorite red, green, and Christmas postage stamps. You could also use gummed seals - those seals that look like postage stamps, but were distributed by charities such as the Red Cross and Boys Town. Attach the stamps or seals to blank gift tags using a glue stick. You can buy a bunch at the craft store or make your own. Add some red and white baker's twine and write the recipient's name on the back. You could probably make at least 5 of these in your 5 minutes.
Turn Your Gift into a Parcel. Make your gift look like an old fashioned parcel, even if you are giving it to the recipient in person. Wrap the present in brown kraft paper or slip into a brown kraft bag. Add some old postage stamps and labels. Feel free to get creative with the address label. My mom doesn't really reside at the North Pole! Tie up with red baker's twine and you're all done. This doesn't meet postal regulations, but will if you make a few easy adjustments.
Omit the red baker's twine, use a real address, and replace the used stamps with valid postage and you're set to pop your gift in the mail!
Milk caps. If you thought the postage stamp tags were easy, you're going to love these. Use a standard hole punch to punch a hole at the top of some vintage milk caps. Thread with your choice of ribbon / string / fabric. I used some vintage seam binding for this set. Write the gift recipient's name on the back, or specify their initial with alphabet stickers. These also make cute ornaments for miniature Christmas trees!
Metal rim tags. These gift tags were made using metal rim tags and a 1" circle paper punch. Punch circles out of various red, green, and Christmas papers. These 1" circles will fit perfectly into standard sized metal rim tags. Attach the circles to the metal rim tags using a glue stick. Punch a hole at the top of the tags. I used an extra small hole punch from Jo-Ann and threaded through some red baker's twine.
You could use just about any type of paper for this project - scrapbook paper, sheet music, ledger paper, book pages, BINGO and other game cards... You can also use damaged papers because you only need a 1" section. Leave the gift tags plain, or add letters and other embellishments.
Grab a cup of hot chocolate, bust out your paper, and create a supply of gift tags so you're ready to go when it's time to wrap. You'll be able to build quite the collection in less than an hour or so!
THURSDAY'S DEAL: Pink Paper Packs are back! Pink & Purple Paper Packs are available in the shop in limited quantities. These will not be restocked for awhile once sold out.