Envelopes often have interestingly-patterned insides which can be used as a cheap alternative to buying patterned paper. These simple gift tags are an eco-friendly alternative to shop-bought tags. I've done Christmas ones for these, as I'm starting to feel festive, but they work with various coloured envelopes!
1. Print and cut tag shape out (or draw your own if you've got a steadier hand than me!) - I used
this one! Trace round the tag and cut out of thick cardboard.
2. Cut rectangles from coloured card (this card is made in the Lake District and sold through the Paper Mill Shop) - this will be the backing card for your tags. This size (6cm x 10cm) works well for my tree size and for making the most of an A4 piece of card!
3. Trace around the tag template onto the 6cm x 10cm cards and cut out. You now have eight tags (and two smaller ones you can use for another project!) - don't forget to rub out any visible pencil marks!
4. Choose your envelope and cut out your design - I chose a tree for these, because the inside of the envelope says '100% recycled' and I thought it was apt! It was also slightly frustrating because it was quite a small envelope with a window, so I only managed 7 trees...boo!
5. Cut slightly smaller pieces of paper in a lighter but similar colour for the 'to' and 'from' message - I've rounded these corners to match the tag design.
6. Punch a hole for the ribbon - I've used a star dye-cutter so it looks like the star on the top of the tree, but a hole punch is just as good! Keep your cut out shapes for later! It's better to do this before sticking the backing paper and the tree on so you don't end up punching in the wrong place...as I did with the first one of them!
7. Stick on your backing papers and stamp or write 'to' and 'from' on - if you put your trees on first, it makes the stamping harder! I stamped these because my writing isn't consistent enough to look tidy!
TIP: Store your stamp pads upside down so that when you come to use them, the ink has settled at the top!
8. Stick on your trees - I've lifted them slightly with some double sided foam pads for a nice effect.
9. Stick the leftover punched-out stars on the backing paper - I've raised these too.
10. Tie ribbon (this was leftover from a gift, even better!) loosely through the star, so they're ready to tie onto your presents! If the ribbon's curled, you don't need to tie until you put them onto your presents, as the curl holds the ribbon in the star.
And there you are, pretty, environmentally-friendly gift tags!
