Holiday Tags

My sister asked me to make some tags for her to give to a friend who received some at a party that were somehow misplaced/stolen/lost.  Sis felt bad because her friend was so excited to receive the tags in the first place.   She asked for half Christmas, half generic.  I can do that.

I used plain old manilla shipping tags from Office Max, digital artwork from Rhonna Farrar,   and Heidi Swapp from House of 3 days, Distress Inks, and ephemera I had at home.  

It is easy to make the actual tags.  I used Photoshop and brushes- Rhonna's digital artwork and Heidi's handwriting- but you could just as easily use text or clip art and Microsoft Word.  Using Photoshop I made the each tag individually then I put 4 tags on a page to print them- using a letter size (8 1/2x11) paper.  You will want to print out the tags first on regular computer paper-whatever you normally use.  You will be taping your shipping tags directly over the designs on the printed computer paper and running it through the printer again.  To do this you will want to use temporary tape applied to the computer paper- not the tags.  I like to be sure the top of the tag is secured to the printout because as the printer feeds the paper in it could catch on the top if it isn't well secured. You don't need to worry about the bottom of the tags  as they won't catch on anything.  You can use regular tape if you stick it on to your clothes first to reduce the stickiness.  Be sure to line up the shipping tags exactly over the designs on your printed page.

It is important to know which way your printer feeds the paper; if you don't know you can place an "x"  in the top left corner of a sheet of paper placed face up into the printer and note which way it faces when it comes out.  Be sure to place your paper with the shipping tags attached in the correct position so that it will actually print on the tags and not be upside down or backwards.  
After I printed my tags I added  few embellishments.  I added green and red rhinestones and tinsel to the Reindeer tag above.  The h tag received a line of silver glitter tape, pink tulle and pink seam binding.
I LOVE the Christmas Joy tag.  I simply added the red seam binding and small red rhinestones and a tiny little ruffle of white crepe paper edged in white gold glitter.

The Happy Holidays tag is minimally embellished with tiny red and green rhinestones and red seam binding.

Another tag I really love, Noel I embellished with a ruffle of vintage paper and white gold glitter, red seam binding, and vintage bells.

This tag, Joy to the World is my favorite.  I am so head-over-heels in love with this tag.  First I love the digital design- it started with a background paper from Rhonna's Christmas Junque that is hard to see because it is tone-on-tone but it is made up of Christmas words using a really funky font.  I added some distress brushes in the same tone-on-tone and then a definition (it is a random word; I used it because I like the way the text looks on the tag rather than for the word).  Next I added the large Santa design (another brush from Rhonna) and the "Joy to the World" in Heidi's handwriting and the "To/From" are just a font.   After I printed the tag, I added the tissue tape ruffle along the bottom and the GORGEOUS deep red velvet ribbon trim.  I added more of the velvet ribbon and some tinsel to the top of the tag.  Finally, the 3 white pearls add a whimsical touch.  Divine.

I love this tag so much, I decided to use this design to make my Christmas cards…and Yes, I know it is really late to still be designing my cards... give me a break.  I haven't even sent cards for 3 years, I think it's been 3 years, so I am doing better than average here.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter who turned into a teenager today.

Laters….