Tag Tutorial

There was such a nice response to these Advent tags that I wanted to do a bit of a tutorial here today with a few of the tags. If you remember last time I posted here that I took the 2Gypsie Girls Junk Drawer Advent Calendar and made them my own with what I had laying around the studio. As the tags are coming down from our advent calendar, they are finding a home in a 7gypsies drawer and still adorning our home with their beauty. I was thinking that these tags should not be limited to Christmas, but could be gorgeous simply sitting in the tag drawer on a shelf. They would still add to a January decor after all the Christmas decorations had been taken down. Valentines Day would surely be a wonderful reason to still have these tags out. Or make a Sweetheart's Day version and countdown to the 14th. Even a few made up and ready for Christmas gifts gives you all the excuse you need to make some today.

Tag #2. One of the simplest tags I made and a wonderful template for various other designs.
1. Stamp tag with a background stamp. Ink edges.
2. Circle punch book paper. Attach to tag.
3. Tie a bow from seam binding. Attach bow to top of circle punch.
4. Use a chipboard star: paint star with Modge Podge and add glitter. Or, if you have glitter paper punch or die cut into star shape. Glue star to the top of the book paper.
5. Stamp label image to bottom of card. The stamp seen here is from the WIP November True Beauty kit.
6. For the numbers (if you are doing a countdown tag calendar), either stamp, or use a font on your computer for the number. Punch number with starburst punch. I hot glued my numbers to a straight pin.

Tag#3.
1. Stamp tag with a flourish stamp. Ink edges.
2. Ink mini music sheet (Graphics Fairy) and adhere to tag.
3. Glittered frame: using chipboard frame from stash, cover with Modge Podge and add glitter. Let dry.
4. Use wide ribbon, and wrap ribbon around back of tag and then through glittered frame like a belt buckle. Tie ribbon in a knot. Glue frame to tag. This is a little tricky, but the results are worth it.
5. Add star brad (more WIP stash...you know you got them!).
6. Tuck a piece of tulle in behind star. I attached mine with hot glue so that it would be sure to stay.

Tag#5. This tag is an obvious variation on tag#3.
1. Stamp tag with flourish tag and ink edges.
2. Using french text (or it could be book paper, or music paper, or any paper you choose) glue metal frame to the top of the text. Trim around frame so text does not show.
3. Attach frame and text to tag.

Tag#7. My favorite tag. One of those projects that is so much more beautiful in person than in photo. Trust me.
1. Ink edges of tag.
2. Trim flocked paper to size, tearing top and bottom edges. (I puddled glimmer spray on my work surface and painted the white part of my paper. The white was too bright, and needed some vintag-ing. It now looks like old wall paper. Try re-coloring your papers with spray inks and play with the idea a little.) Attach flocked paper to tag.
3. Die cut heart shape from scrap chipboard. Cover in cream paper. Then cover that with cheese cloth, and trim around the edges allowing some frays to hang off the sides. Attach to tag off centered a bit.
4. Tie dyed seam binding in simple knot. Attach pearls (I use the value pack from my craft store, not expensive at all.).
5. Type the word believe, print, and trim. Ink edges. Place a glue dot on the back end and tuck in behind heart.
Note: I buy Hug Snug seam binding in white, and then dye it to my liking. The lighter seam binding used in the project was dyed in coffee. I simply dipped the seam binding in the coffee, and then squeezed dry with a paper cloth. I added some stiffness to the seam binding by spraying it with hair spritz. Then I dried the binding with my heat gun while scrunching it together, careful not to heat my hands up too much. I love this technique and use it quite a bit now.

Tag#8. Simple but pretty.
1. Border punch a piece of glittered paper. Attach to tag.
2. Print mini bingo card (Kenner Road), ink edges, add to tag allowing the glitter border to peek out from the bottom portion.
3. Trim several pieces of tulle into a circle. Layer and sew the circles on top of each other, forming a sort of simple flower.
4. Nest pearls on top of the tulle circles and attach with glue or hot glue. Just be careful! I'm just sayin'.
5. Tie seam binding in bow, add glue and tuck up underneath the tulle.

Tag#9. Ooohhh...another fav!
1. Ink tag.
2. Dry emboss tag. I used the Big Shot and a Texture Impression.
3. Stamp tag with paris stamp.
4. Print vintage Eiffel Tower photo (Graphics Fairy).
5. Glue metal frame to the top of vintage photo, and trim.
6. Attach framed photo to tag.
7. Create bow with seam binding and glue to the top of the frame.

Tag#13.
1. Cover tag with 7gypsies pattern paper, or any text/ledger paper.
2. Ink edges.
3. Attach old vintage key (Paris) to glittered pear tag with string and safety pin. (My stash happened to have an unopened package of 7gypsie tags...they were perfect...what's in YOUR stash?)
4. Hot glue pear tag to large tag to make sure it stays put.

More than anything, I hope this gets you creatively inspired to use up your stash, and make beautiful things. I hope to this gave you a bit more insight into how these tags came together for me.