Tool Time Tuesday...Handmade Recycled Gift Tags

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Today's tool is from the craft store. I went down the scrap booking aisle with blinders on my eyes. I stayed focus...just needed to get the large circle cutter that's on the left in the picture below. If I start another hobby, I think I'll drown in crafting supplies. Scrap booking is something I've always wanted to try, but don't want to start. Looks like it can be addicting! I only bought the circle cutter and it's great! (ok, I did buy a few sheets of pretty scrap booking paper too). The hole punch with the purple handle punches a tiny circle and the blue one on the right is the traditional hole punch. You can do so many things with them, but today's tutorial is with the large punch.






Today we are making gift tags! Recycled gift tags that is. We'll be making them out of catalogs...you know all the catalogs we get by the boat load in the mail. I used the Vera Bradley catalog because of the great prints and graphics, but any colored print will work.



Just place the desired design in the circle cutter and squeeze the handles...

and you're done!

You may have to trim away some of the paper on the side, so the hole punch can snug up against the design that you'd like. Isn't this green print cute!

Here is a snow flake on the page next to the purse...

The circle punch is open on the top, so you can center the design if you need to.

These are all the circles that I punched from one small catalog in a matter of minutes.

Next I printed out a full sheet of "To:" and "From:" on Microsoft word. I played with the layout until I could fit the words in the size of my hole punch.

Here is a close up.

Now just punch out the gift tags with the hole punch.

The easiest way to attach the decorative circle to the "To / From" circle is permanent double sided tape.

Place one piece of double sided tape on the back of the "To / From" tag...

and then place the decorative circle on top of that.

You will need a small hole for the string on the gift tag. You can use the tiny hole punch or just poke a hole with the tip of your scissors or maybe a nail.

Here is a close up of the tiny hole punch.

Just add string, ribbon, twine or yarn.

Here is the front of your finished gift tag: quick, easy and recycled.

and here is the back.

A little tutorial...

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To: You

From: sew many ways

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Have a great Tuesday!

~Karen~