With postage and greeting card prices at an all-time high, many people no longer buy them, especially when giving gifts in person. Cards are not required, but wrapped presents must be marked. Consider using homemade tags instead. Forget about the peel-and-stick variety. Decorate small lightweight wooden cutouts with scrapbook paper, paint markers and eye-catching embellishments. You might never use store-bought labels again.
Necessary Supplies
To get started you will need plain wooden gift tags in a shape of your choice. They can be found in countless shapes, and some are made to match the occasion. You will also need scrapbook paper, thick clear-drying craft glue, a sharpened pencil, scissors, a paintbrush with a fine tip, pearl stickers, fine glitter, gem stickers and paint markers or fine-tip markers.
Scrapbook stickers can be added to personalize the tags for the occasion. For example, when giving birthday gifts to a little girl, look for flowers or cute pet stickers. They make decorating easy, and they can also be applied to wrapped packages. You do not have to be an artist to apply paper, decorations, glitter and stickers. Absolutely anyone can decorate gorgeous tags for birthday gifts and more.
Procedure
Begin by tracing the perimeter of the tags on the back of the scrapbook paper. Carefully cut out the shapes, and spread a very thin layer of craft glue on the wood. Apply the paper, and allow it to dry for 24 hours before continuing.
Next, consider enhancing fine details with glitter. Use a fine-tip brush to apply glue to a few of the details. Sprinkle on fine glitter of your choice before the glue dries. Flower petals, snow, rainbows and even the tiny highlights in eyes can be enhanced with glitzy details.
The next step involves adding larger embellishments. Apply peel-and-stick pearls and/or faux faceted gems. Do not overdo it. Use the photo as a guide to see how and where pearls and other decorations can be applied. In any case, be sure to leave room for labeling the tags. Otherwise, consider adding the names to the back instead of the decorative side.
Apply scrapbook stickers to the papered tags. Consider adding a larger sticker on one end and a smaller one in a corner. Finish by writing the names of the giver and recipient in the center. After opening presents, the date and contents of the package can be written on the back. They make fantastic keepsakes for kids and adults alike, and they are far more memorable than stickers.
Source: Advanced Crafting Experience
