DIY Gift Tags

Since so many of my friends have summer birthdays, I wanted to share a tutorial on how to make DIY gift tags with Cricut.

Gift tags are a great way to add a personal, handmade touch to any birthday, holiday, or anniversary gift. Using your Cricut, Silhouette, or whatever cutting machine you have, there are so many different options for gift tag crafts!

For example, you can make tags simply by using the Cricut to make fun shapes you can write on. Alternatively, you can have the cutting machine cut out designs and typography for you. Of course, you can also opt to make these gift tags by hand as well.

In this post, I’ll go through the different steps to make a DIY gift tag. In addition, I’ll go through some of the different types of DIY gift tags you can make at home.

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Materials for Cricut Gift Tags

Cardstock – I like to use medium weight cardstock with colored cores. Here are some of my favorite brands:

• Assorted Starter Pack – Basic assorted colors, great starter pack, perfect weight for most papercraft projects
• Cricut Joy Insert Card Packs – You don’t have to use these with the Cricut Joy, they are nice material kids for cardmaking.
• Cardstock Warehouse Brand on Amazon – I love the quality of all the matte-colored cardstock with Cardstock Warehouse. It is my go-to brand for individual matte colors that I might need
• Poptone Assorted Variety Pack – This is the perfect peppy assortment of colors of heavy cardstock. It’s a heavy cardstock assortment with colors I actually use frequently for cardmaking.
• Seasonal Assorted Variety Pack – This is a slight variation on the Poptone assortment and has a quite few neutrals that complement almost any accent color.
• Stardream Metallics Line – For paper crafts, the Stardream line is the go-to for a metallic shimmer finish. It is the perfect sheen to make any project pop. The core is also colored is which hard to find for metallic paper.

Coffee Stir Sticks – I got a bunch from Amazon. You can use toothpicks as well but they are shorter.

Glue – Any type of glue works here. Here are some of my favorite brands of glue that works well with cardstock

• Scotch Adhesive Roller Dispenser
• Rubber Cement
• Glue Pen
• Art Glitter Glue
• Foam Tape

Cricut – I use a cutting machine to do some of the cutting for this project. This of course is optional but it sure makes things go faster. Check out my reviews for Best Cricut machines for beginners if you’re new to the Cricut.

Templates – All of DIY gift tag templates featured in this tutorial are available in both printable PDF and SVG file formats.

How To Make DIY Gift Tags:

Download Gift Tag SVGs

To get started making your own gift tags with Cricut, you can sign up for my newsletter. Once you sign up, you can access my Resource Library to download free gift tag SVG templates.

Today, I decided to use floral designs to compliment my friend’s gift. I used purple, white, and brown cardstock to match the wrapping paper I’m using.

Cut Your Gift Tags

Once you have your free gift tag templates, you can upload them to the Cricut Design Space. Depending on the material you are using and the type of Cricut you have, your machine may try to do a second pass on the cardstock.

Since these cuts are highly intricate, a second pass may end up damaging the gift tags. I’d recommend only doing one pass. Then, you can pause and unload your machine before your cutting machine starts the second pass. If you’re in doubt, you could always test a gift tag first to see how it turns out.

If you choose not to do a second pass and are using thicker material, you may need to use a weeder tool to push out the negative cuts. This way, your insert pack can shine through.

Assemble Your Gift Tags

After you cut out your DIY gift tag materials, you can assemble them using double-sided tape. Usually, I just use a few pieces to create a strong bond to hold the tags together.

Be careful taping near the intricate parts of your tag design. If the tape shows through, it could end up catching unwanted fuzz or lint that would make your tags look less clean.

I’d recommend using a light color for the background of the tag. This way, you can write on the back if you choose. Of course, you can also cut out typography with your Cricut or use a white gel pen to decorate darker-colored tags.

Attach Ribbon

When you have your Cricut gift tags assembled, you can attach ribbon to tie them to a gift bag or box. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also make a handmade Cricut card to go along with your gift. For example, a gatefold card template can compliment these tags perfectly!

Other things you can do for gift tags:

How to print and cut gift tags with the Cricut

There are many other things you can do with Cricut gift tags as well. For example, you can cut and print gift tags with a Cricut. With this option, you can drag the “thank you” message right over top of the tag in the Cricut Design Space and use the flatten feature. Then, you can print and cut your design!

I love these thank you tags on brown cardstock for the rustic design they create. To complete the look, you can add twine to the gift tag template.

Gift Tags for the Holidays

In addition, you can also may DIY gift tags for the holidays. I love using these snowman and snowflake gift tag SVGs to add a handmade tough to any holiday gift. These work great for gift baskets, boxed gifts, and gift bags. To get started, you can download my holiday gift tag SVG files and print them with your Cricut!

There are plenty of DIY gift tags you can make for birthdays and holidays. Whether you’re looking for floral or holiday themed crafts, this tutorial is a great place to get started.

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