Making Homemade Holiday Gift Tags Using Recycled Materials

How To Make Creative Holiday Gift Tags

If you are looking for a fun, thrifty and creative way to create your very own holiday gift tags you might get lots of inspiration from resident artists at The Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, CT.  and members of the community who also submitted tags. Recently, participants were given paper luggage tags and asked to use whatever materials they had on hand to decorate these tags. I thought you might like to see some of these great tag ideas so that you could try this project by yourself or with your kids.


Holiday Tags Made From Collage Materials

This is a fabulous project for all the junk collectors out there. Finally you get a chance to use up all your stuff! Some of the artist decorated existing paper luggage tags and others cut out tags out of poster weight paper or heavy water color paper. You can also cut out tags from old work you have done . After you decorate both sides of your tag, punch a hole in the top and add a string or ribbon. Note; You can keep one side simple, but the tag looks better if you incorporate both sides.


Suggested Art  Materials

paints
crayons
markers
stamps
colored pencil
fabric scraps
old photographs
sequins
feathers
charms
recycled holiday cards
ribbons
old wrapping paper
string
collage materials
old art work
lace
felt
buttons
stencils
embellishments
sequins
Adhesives such as glue, collage medium or glue sticks

Using Old Artwork To Make Holiday Tags  

Many of the artists decided to take their old art work and  re-use these pieces in a new way. You can cut up old work with scissors or even tear up pieces and reassemble them on the tag. When you rip up old painted work on paper you get interesting torn edges which look very pretty when pasted onto the tag.

  

Adding Collage Materials To Holiday Tags

The sky is the limit on how to create eye catching tags. Adding embellishments, words, buttons and layers of materials is a very effective solution to create tags with pizazz, 

Stamping Holiday Gift Tags

Now is the time to take out  your collection of stamps and ink and create whimsical holiday tags.  

The Art Of Doodling On Holiday Tags 

Following several  Zentangle workshops at FVAC, some artists submitted doodled tags . 

Learn how to purchase these tags or similar ones by visiting  FVAC website,


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists