A shop-bought tag does the job. A handmade one does a little more: it shows you thought about the gift before you wrapped it, and it often stays on the tree long after the paper is gone. The 18 ideas below cover clay, felt, wood, paper, paint and dried fruit, so you can pick the material you already have and make a set in one sitting.
Each idea links to the creator’s own tutorial, where you will find the full steps and supply lists. Start with one test tag. Check the size against your smallest gift, check the hole will take your twine, and then make the rest in a batch. If you want matching cards to go with them, these DIY Christmas cards for kids use many of the same papers and tools.
1. Botanical clay tags
Fresh leaves and flowers pressed into air-dry clay leave a clear, delicate pattern that no two tags share. Roll the clay to about a quarter of an inch thick, cut your shapes with cookie cutters, press a leaf or small flower firmly into the surface, then lift it off with tweezers so the print stays clean. Poke a hanging hole with a skewer before the clay dries.
Terracotta clay looks warm left plain, while white clay takes paint well if you want colour later. These work as keepsakes after the gift is opened, hung on a tree or used as a small wall decoration.
Idea and tutorial: Garden Therapy.
2. Stamped clay name tags
Letter stamps turn a plain clay disc into a tag made for one person. Roll air-dry clay between sheets of plastic wrap so it does not stick, cut stars, circles or tag shapes, and press the name in while the clay is still soft. A drinking straw makes a neat hanging hole, and a damp fingertip smooths any rough edges.
Let the tags dry overnight and flip them halfway through, since thick clay can take up to three days to dry right through. Seal the finished tag with a spray sealer or a coat of Mod Podge.
Idea and tutorial: Debbie Chapman at One Little Project.
3. Embroidered paper tags
Stitching on cardstock sounds fiddly, but the method here is forgiving. Cut small rectangles, draw a candy cane or a string of lights in pencil, poke evenly spaced holes along the lines with an awl, then stitch along them and back again to fill the gaps. A second piece of cardstock glued to the back hides the thread and gives you a clean surface for writing.
Keep the holes away from the edges and pull the thread gently, or the card will tear. Green and kraft cardstock both suit this well, and the same stitching works for a tree, a snowman or a simple ornament shape.
Idea and tutorial: Lily Suing at DIY Joy.
4. Drawn wreath and snowman tags
Three designs share one simple base in this tutorial: a wreath, an embroidered snowflake and a snowman. The wreath tag is the easiest place to start. Cut a tag from cardstock, trace a circle, draw leaves round it, ink over the pencil lines, colour them in, and glue a small ribbon bow at the bottom.
The snowman version uses markers for the face and a folded ribbon for a scarf. All three need only cardstock, pens, scissors, ribbon and glue.
Idea and tutorial: Pumpkin Emily.
5. Holly printable tags
If you would rather print than draw, this free kit gives you holly leaves, tags and sentiments to cut out and layer. Print on white cardstock for a crisp look, or on brown paper for a weathered, rustic feel that suits plain kraft wrapping. Scissors and glue are all you need to put them together.
Fold a couple of holly leaves down the middle before gluing them, so they lift off the tag.
Idea and tutorial: Angie Holden at The Country Chic Cottage, with holly artwork by Jen Goode.
6. Embroidered felt heart tags
These heart tags are made to be used again next year. Cut two felt hearts from a template, embroider the front one with chain stitch and backstitch, then blanket stitch the two hearts together with a paper manila tag sewn in behind. Next Christmas, swap the paper tag for a fresh one with a new name.
Choose felt in a colour that suits your wrapping, and keep the embroidery simple if this is your first time stitching on felt. The finished tag is soft, light and easy to tie on with ribbon or twine.
Idea and tutorial: Søstrene Grene.
7. Felt ornament tags
Felt tags that double as tree ornaments solve the usual problem of tags going straight in the bin with the paper. A free template provides bubble letters for names plus a gingerbread man, a star, a tree and a snowflake. Fusible interfacing holds the layers and letters in place, so the finished tag looks tidy even if your stitching is new.
There are two versions: a quick no-sew tag for a stack made in an afternoon, and a plush version stitched round the edge and lightly stuffed so it holds its shape on the tree.
Idea and tutorial: Fairfield World.
8. Gingerbread man felt tags
A gingerbread man cookie cutter does the shaping here. Draw round it on pale brown felt, cut two shapes, embroider the face on the front one with backstitch and French knots, and sew on buttons or sequins. The name goes on a white felt panel stitched to the back piece, written in green thread.
Blanket stitch round the edge joins the two layers, with the ribbon loop sewn inside at the top. Tape or washi tape holds the ribbon to a gift so the tag comes off cleanly and can hang on the tree afterwards.
Idea and tutorial: Grace’s Favours.
9. Papercut woodland tags
Layered paper animals give these tags a quiet, woodland feel. A bear, a raccoon, a rabbit and a deer are built up from cut paper layers, then punched and tied with baker’s twine. Light spray adhesive or a glue dot roller keeps the layers flat and the assembly quick.
Download the cut files, cut, layer and assemble, and keep the colour palette small so the shapes stay clear at tag size. These suit gifts where the wrapping is plain and the tag is meant to be the main decoration.
Idea and tutorial: Lia Griffith.
10. Rustic wood slice tags
A branch about two inches across, sliced thin and sanded smooth, makes a tag that costs next to nothing and suits rustic wrapping. Let wood from the garden dry for a few days first, cut slices about an eighth of an inch thick, sand both sides and the edges, then drill a small hole near the top, choosing a thicker spot so the slice does not split.
Thread yarn, twine or ribbon through the hole, and add the name with a marker, stickers or a wood-burning tool.
Idea and tutorial: Homedit.
11. Map transfer wood slices
For a traveller, or for a gift tied to a place, a map printed onto a wood slice is hard to beat. Print a map with meaning, a hometown, a favourite trip or a family holiday, mirrored if it has text, and transfer it face down onto a Mod Podge coated slice. Leave it overnight, dampen the paper and rub it away gently to reveal the map with the wood grain showing through.
Seal with another coat of Mod Podge if you like, drill a hole and add twine, and write a name or date on the back.
Idea and tutorial: Pillar Box Blue.
12. Watercolour painted tags
Matching wrap and tags come from the same paint session here. Paint simple trees on plain white craft paper with a thin brush for trunks and a thicker brush for green branches, add gold splatter and short brushstroke patterns, then repeat the same ideas on smaller tags with smaller brushes. Three colours, soft green, calm blue and gold, keep the set looking planned rather than busy.
Test colours on scrap paper first, since watercolour dries lighter than it looks wet. Lay everything flat to dry.
Idea and tutorial: Jennifer Rizzo.
13. Dried orange and cinnamon toppers
This one is a topper rather than a written tag, and it earns its place by scent alone. Slice oranges a quarter of an inch thick, blot them dry and bake low and slow until fully dry, flipping halfway. Poke a hole through each cooled slice with a skewer, knot twine round a cinnamon stick, thread an orange slice on one end and a small brass bell on the other, and tie the tails to the gift.
On brown kraft paper with velvet ribbon the effect is calm and natural, and the recipient can keep the topper as an ornament.
Idea and tutorial: Trisha Sprouse at Hunker.
14. Dried citrus and holly tags
Here the dried citrus sits beside a proper paper tag, so you still have somewhere to write the name. Wrap twine round the gift, lace the paper tag through, tuck a sprig of holly berry decor in the middle and knot it in place, then poke a hole in a dried orange slice, thread it through the twine and finish with a bow.
Dry a larger batch while the oven is on, and store spares in an airtight container once fully cool.
Idea and tutorial: Megan Roosevelt at Healthy Grocery Girl.
15. Potato stamped tags
Carve a Christmas tree, wreath or star into a halved potato and you have a stamp that costs nothing and suits a whole roll of kraft tags. Cut the potato flat, press a small cookie cutter in or draw the shape and cut away the background with a knife, dry the cut face with a paper towel, then dab on water-based acrylic or tempera paint and press straight down without twisting.
Adults should do the cutting, and children can do the stamping. Simple shapes print far more cleanly than detailed ones.
Idea and tutorial: Flanders Family Home Life.
16. Recycled Christmas card tags
Last year’s cards are sturdy cardstock with artwork already done, which makes them ideal tag material. Cut off the back of the card, check the back of the front is blank for writing on, choose the best part of the image, and punch it out with a tag-shaped paper punch. A single-hole punch adds the hanging hole.
Keep Santa and snowman heads at the top of the tag, and keep punching until the good images are used up. Store the finished tags until next Christmas.
Idea and tutorial: Drugstore Divas.
17. Reusable chalkboard tags
Chalkboard paint turns cardboard or pre-cut wood shapes into tags you can wipe clean and reuse every year. Paint front and back, give the writing side an extra coat, let it dry, decorate with acrylic paint or paint pens if you like, thread ribbon through the hole, and write the name in chalk. A damp cloth wipes it off ready for the next gift.
If you give a set away, write a short note on the back so the recipient knows they can reuse them too.
Idea and tutorial: Jennifer Maker.
18. Button tags
Buttons from a stash, or a cheap mixed bag from a thrift store, become wreaths, trees, reindeer, snowmen and strings of lights on printed templates. Print the nine designs on cardstock, cut them out, punch a hole, plan your button layout before gluing, then attach the buttons with hot glue or school glue and add paint pen details for hats and light strings.
Write the name on the back before the buttons go on, so the pen has a flat surface. This is a good group craft, and hand-drawn tags work just as well without the template.
Idea and tutorial: First Day of Home.
Supplies worth having on hand
Most of these tags share a small base kit. Cardstock in white, kraft and green, a hole punch, scissors, a glue stick, twine or ribbon, and a black pen cover the paper ideas. Air-dry clay, a rolling pin and cookie cutters cover the clay tags, while felt, embroidery thread and a needle cover the felt ones. Wood slices need sandpaper and a drill, and the natural tags need oranges, cinnamon sticks and a baking sheet.
Keep a scrap sheet under anything painted or glued, and test one tag fully before you make twenty of the same kind.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead can I make handmade Christmas gift tags?
Paper, felt, wood and clay tags can be made weeks ahead and stored flat, away from damp. Dried orange slices should be made a day or two ahead and kept fully dry. Write names on paper tags close to wrapping day, so a change of plan does not waste a finished tag.
What paper works best for gift tags?
Cardstock holds its shape and survives tying and handling far better than printer paper. Use watercolour paper for painted tags and kraft card for rustic looks. Thin paper tears at the hole.
How do I write names on clay and wood tags?
On clay, stamp the name in while the clay is soft, or paint it on once dry. On wood, use a permanent marker or paint pen, and test on a spare slice first. For felt tags, embroider the name or write it on a paper tag sewn in behind.
Can children help make these gift tags?
Yes, with cutting and hot tools kept in adult hands. Drawing, stamping, painting and button gluing all suit children, and the potato stamp idea is the easiest start. Clay tags need patience while they dry.
How do I store reusable tags for next year?
Keep felt and chalkboard tags flat in a lidded box, with paper between layers. Replace the paper name tag inside a felt heart each year, wipe chalkboard tags clean, and store dried orange toppers airtight only once fully dry and cool.
A last word
Pick one material and make a small set. Clay and felt tags tend to end up on trees, wood slices get reused as ornaments, and paper tags are easiest in large numbers. None of them need a craft room full of supplies to start.
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