Tuesday, December 9, 2014

DIY Reusable Felt Gift Tags Tutorial

Every year in my family we do a Secret Santa draw at Thanksgiving for gifts to give over Christmas. It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions! Not only do I have to shop for one gift instead of 7, but my fairly normal family turns into something like a spy agency for the month.  There is lying, spying, subterfuge, and we've even had to enlist a third party arbiter when someone forgot who they were buying for.


Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Part of our Secret Santa rules is that each recipient has to guess which person is their Secret Santa after opening the gift. Over the years that's meant that no one wants to actually write the recipient's name on a gift tag, lest the handwriting give them away. This time I decided to make re-usable gift tags to at least nip that problem in the bud.

Materials:

These tags are made using Lawn Fawn stamps and dies-- specifically the Winter Gifts stamp set, and Quinn's ABC's dies. The ABC dies are simply amazing-- I would not have done this project if I had to cut out all those little letters.  You'll also need:

  • Felt for tags (at least two colors)
  • Heat and Bond Lite
  • Ribbon
  • Any stamping ink (I used Momento Tuxedo black. 
  • Scrap fabric and/or felt (for letters and embellishments)
  • Coordinating ink (optional) 
  • Embroidery thread  
  • Cropodile
  • Sizzix Fabi with multi purpose platform

Let's Get Started:

First, take the large tag stamp from the Winter Gifts stamp set, and stamp it repeatedly on the paper side of the heat and bond. This is so much faster than tracing a template!

Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
A quick tip-- I didn't have a stamp block large enough for the tag stamp-- so I just used the back of a clear pyrex baking dish. Worked like a charm!
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Iron the heat and bond onto the backside of your felt. This felt will be the top felt on your finished tag. Use the outline to cut arond the outside of the tag. Another option is to use the Tag You're It die set.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Iron the tag shape onto a coordinating scrap of felt, and cut out leaving a quarter inch border around the tag.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Now for the fun part! You can decorate your tag using the stamps that came with the Winter Gift set.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!



Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
To put the names, iron on heat and bond to a scrap of fabric or felt, and use the ABC dies to cut the letters out. You can cut all the letters out at once, or do each name individually. Remember to put the heat and bond side down and the letter dies on top of the felt so they look correct to you. I messed this up no less than 3 times while making these tags.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Then it's just a matter of ironing on the letters to the tag. Use a cropodile to punch a hole in the side of the tag, and and an eyelet if you wish. Then thread a scrap of ribbon or twine.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
 Other embellishment options include doing a bit of embroidery...
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
 Or cutting the letters out of Christmas fabric.
Learn to make reusable gift tags from felt scraps using your papercrafting tools!
Right now, these are hanging on my tree waiting for the Christmas day crazies (ahem, my family!) I also plan to make a few 'from Santa' ones to use for my kids for as long as they believe. If you give gifts to the same people from year to year, I think these little tags would be wonderful to pass around your family.

If you liked this project, stop by Lawn Fawn and take a look at their other tag sets, winter themed stamps, and their adorable critters. You'll definitely be seeing more of them on MIH!


pssst... don't forget -- there's just one more day to use the ScrapbookPal discount code (Handmade) for a free sample of Scrappytape! While you are there, check out their clearance-- they have embroidery kits for $2!