Handmade Gift Tags by Hastypearl

Handmade Gift Tags

by Hastypearl

Hi guys! I’m so glad that you stopped by.

I’m sharing a super fun and easy project that you can make ahead and keep on hand for your gifting.

You don’t have to do it exactly like I do, in fact…PLEASE…DON’T do it exactly like I do 🙂 Your brain has ideas I’ve never even thought of before and its fun to do your own original thing.

I’ve made so many of these over the years. Every batch is completely different than the previous. It just depends on the mood and what supplies I probably still have out on my tables from earlier projects! The last thing I ever wanted this to be was “heady”! No over thinking here…just work quick and have fun.

There are so many great things happening in Hastypearl land. I’ll catch you up on things along the way. Until then…have fun with this stepped out project!

Handpaint your paper. I buy artists pads of paper at estate sales. I love this pad of charcoal paper, because its toothy and almost feels like cloth. I’ll be sad when its all gone. I lay down dots of paint and roll them out with a brayer.

I used acrylics and inks. Use what you have!

Markers will give you fine lines. I write the words of songs that I am listening to, deep dark secrets, numbers or shapes. Anything to keep building layers.

Make sure that you dry each layer, before going on to the next. I use a heat gun.

Time to cut your tags into your desired size. I use mine as thank you notes for Etsy, or to add to a gift, so small works for me. No measuring required. I just fold my paper in half and then maybe into thirds. Just follow those fold lines and you wont even need to touch your ruler or pencil 🙂

One sheet of paper makes a lot of tags. Be REALLY smart, and do a few sheets at a time. The mess is already made and you’ll have tons of tags in the end. No two tags are ever alike.

I love this next step. Take a spool of string (yes, I’m a string junkie) or colorful yarn or ribbon, plop down in front of the tv and a great movie and start cutting. I use about 4 strands in random lengths. Do it quickly. No measuring! Before you know it, you have enough cut for all of your tags.

Next, punch holes in your tags.
Yes, I keep my punched holes to use on my mixed media art.
Yes, I am a hoarder 🙂
I put them in a little glass jar and they are lovely to look at 🙂

Now, to make the little string tails ! Make a horseshoe shape with your strings and from the back, push them through the hole in your tag.

Spread open the loop with two fingers. You’re going to grab up the loose tails…

You guessed it. Grab up the loose tails…

Pull the loose tails all the way through. Work them around a bit, until you get them just like you like.

String detail, DONE!!!
You’ve probably done that since you were a child, but its a nice finishing touch to your tags.

The back of the tag is for YOU!
I started doing these for **Hastypearl** Etsy purchases. You’d be surprised at how many notes that I have received back from customers, thanking me for the special hand written handmade notes. I will tell them details about their special purchase. If it’s art, Ill describe it or if its a vintage part, I’ll give them its provenance. With stacks of them ready to go, it’s easy, right before shipping, to add my Thank You stamp and a sincere thank you 🙂
I’ve also attached them plenty of times to a bar of artisan soap from a favorite shop or a bundle of vintage papers, for a friend!

That’s it!
What I always say at the end of a tutorial like this is…Do your OWN thing with these. Yours will…should….look different than mine. I’m sure they will look BETTER than mine. Art is like a finger print. No two pieces can ever be alike.

I hope this tutorial gets your juices going. There’s NOTHING more satisfying then doing a project that you can do quickly from start to finish. These are just the thing to scratch that creative itch that you have, when you’re not sure what you’re going to do next! Make a batch of these Gift Tags, and before you know it, you will be working on your next great Masterpiece!

As always, I’m So Glad that you stopped by 🙂

I hope that you will sign up on the right, to receive a notice when I post…

See you again…soon!

Laura aka Hastypearl

Handmade Gift Tags by Hastypearl

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