How to Make Holiday Gift Tags From Scraps

Turn kraft offcuts, old cards, and paper pulp into sturdy holiday gift tags with simple templates.
You can make holiday gift tags from scraps by cutting stiff leftover paper into small tag shapes and adding a hole for string. A gift tag is a small stiff label tied to a wrapped present to note sender and recipient. Kraft card, old holiday cards, and clean scrap paper all give you a firm base.
Scraps let you match colors and patterns without buying new packs. Small pieces that seem too short for wrapping often still fit a tag. The methods below use cutting, tracing, layering, and pulp pouring.
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Layer Kraft And Book Pages
According to Sum of Their Stories Craft Blog, use 5cm-wide kraft scraps punched at one end and trimmed to about 11cm layered tag tutorial. Glue a 4x8cm book-page rectangle on top with a glue stick. Add a punched snowflake in the center.
Press each layer flat and let the glue stick dry fully. Keep the snowflake centered so edges stay caught. This keeps thin pages from curling.
Use this style when you have many small kraft offcuts. Pair light book text with dark string for contrast. Write names on the kraft back.
How Do You Cut Even Tags Without A Punch?
According to In My Own Style, print a tag template on 8.5x11-inch acetate for reuse reusable template guide. Acetate means a clear plastic sheet used for stencils. It holds its shape through many tracings.
The same guide traces that template onto many scrap types: Keep one acetate template with holiday supplies. A firm template speeds batches and keeps sizes matched. Choose thicker scrap when you want a stiffer tag.
- Cut the acetate shape with a trimmer or scissors.
- Trace it onto cardstock, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, sheet music, or corrugated cardboard.
- Cut the final tags along the traced lines.
Can You Make Tags From Paper Pulp?
According to Hobby Farms writer Patricia Lehnhardt, blend a handful of paper scraps with water in a craft-dedicated blender pulp tag method. Fill three-quarters full and run on high for one minute or more. That batch makes pulp for about a dozen poured tags.
Keep this blender for crafts only. Rinse pulp quickly before it dries. Work over a tray to catch drips.
Poured tags suit very small scraps that cannot be cut. Mix colors for a speckled look. Let tags dry flat before handling.
How Do Old Cards Extend Material Life?
According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, families can turn old holiday cards into gift tags for new presents holiday upcycling advice. This extends material life and conserves resources. It also reduces landfill waste.
Pick cards with clean backs or plain areas. Cut around the main image. Save written sides for pulp or recycling.
Store cut tags flat between book pages until wrapping time. Each reused card keeps one more piece out of the trash.