Gift tags to make~

Dear readers……
I know time is getting short….and I should have posted this craft months ago.  Perhaps you can tuck it away until next year if this week is too crazy!

I made the gift tags with a smaller, round tag attached for the name of the recipient and gifter.  The small, round tags are attached at the top of the rectangular tag with string, crochet yarn, or thin ribbon.  You should be able to see both tags in the photos.
This way I can reuse the larger tag and just attach a new circle tag next year.

Gift Tags 
Materials needed:
1. Anything you can find around the house!
2. construction paper, scrapbook paper, old notes or envelopes with interesting colors, last year’s Christmas cards, or extra cards, fabric, magazines, catalogs, handmade paper, stickers, buttons, old pins (remove pin back), old photos (make copies), plain paper
3. glitter, embossing powder (opt)
4. stamps and stamp pads
5. scissors, paper cutter (opt)
6. circle cutter..(opt)
7. markers, pens
8. Happy Tape….colorful tape to use in your tag design
9. hole punch

Assembly
1. find a tag pattern, or make your own.  Using construction paper or solid color scrapbook paper, make a rectangle the size you desire and snip the top corners off.  Punch a hole in the center top and you are ready to start.  You can also purchase blank tags in craft or scrapbook stores.
2. If you have a circle cutter, you can cut circles from magazines, catalogs, solid color paper or patterned paper.  These are for the small tag with TO: and FROM: on it.  I made them double sided, as I used magazine paper for color on the front.  I backed it with a solid color so my writing would be legible.  This is an option.  You may just want to make the rectangular tag.
3. You can cut pieces of magazines and catalogs that have the colors you desire.  I quickly went through catalogs and cut out blankets, quilts, tablecloths, etc.  Then later I cut them to size.
4. Now the fun begins: use your creativity to combine magazine/catalog clippings, paper, old cards, ribbon, and anything you can find to make the tags your own.

tags using catalog clippings, handmade paper, stickers, scrapbook paper

catalog clippings, Happy Tape, scrapbook paper, buttons

scrapbook paper, catalog clippings, stickers

Happy Tape (2 kinds/one over the other), scrapbook paper, sticker

Click here for the Happy Tape link.  (ps….check out the sale page.  Great deals!)
Thanks for looking at the post!
Judy

Craft~Snowman Pin

Hello to my favorite blog readers!
Today I have the directions for a snowman pin you can make.  It’s easy to do, in fact, my kindergartners used to help make them as presents for parents.  This is a good craft activity for those in any age group.  It also makes a great gift for someone.

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I just have one caution: if a child is doing the project, I’d make sure an adult uses the hot glue gun for safety reasons.  ** However…you may know of a great glue to use instead of hot glue.  If so, let me know!
Snowman Pin 
Materials Needed:
1. Two white buttons, one smaller than the other. Both buttons must have TWO holes only.
2. A piece of tagboard or white felt, as long as your pin needs to be, or long enough to cover where the two buttons come together.  (the snowman’s “neck”!)
3. A piece of black felt, cut in the shape of a hat.
4. a pin …..the kind with a flat back
5. a short piece of pipe stem…red or green.
6. hot glue gun, scissors.

See materials below:

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Directions:
1. The head of the snowman should have his button hole “eyes” horizontal, and the body should have the button holes in a vertical position for “buttons”.
2. Flip the two buttons over so you can work on the back.  Use the tagboard or white felt rectangle to bridge the two buttons together across the snowman’s “neck”.   Hot glue the tag/felt to the back of the two buttons, approximately in the middle.  Let that cool.
3. Hot glue the pin over the tagboard or felt piece.  The opening of the pin can be either at the top or bottom….it’s your choice.   Let it cool.
4. Take the pipe stem and wrap it around the snowman’s neck (it will have to go through the pin in back).  Twist the stem a couple of times and then separate the ends, so it looks like a scarf blowing in the wind.
5. Cut a hat shape out of the black felt and glue it on the snowman’s head.
Woo hoo….You’re done!

As with anything else, you can change this to make it your own…have fun and be creative!

Thanks for visiting….

Judy