DIY Gift Tags
Handmade gift tags made by a child are one of the most charming details on any wrapped Christmas present. Simple to make, deeply personal, and always treasured by recipients — especially when kept as keepsakes year after year.
What You'll Need
- Cardstock — in Christmas colors or plain white
- Hole punch — for the string hole
- String or ribbon — for tying
- Markers, crayons, stamp sets — for decorating
- Stickers — Christmas-themed
- Optional: glitter glue — for sparkle
How to Do It
Step 1: Cut tag shapes. Cut rectangles with a notched top corner (traditional gift tag shape) or any shape: stars, trees, ornaments.
Step 2: Punch a hole. Punch a hole in the top for threading string.
Step 3: Decorate one side. Children draw Christmas scenes, write "Merry Christmas!" or apply stickers and glitter glue on the front.
Step 4: Write the label. On the back: "To: ___" and "From: ___."
Step 5: Attach to gifts! Thread ribbon through the hole and tie to a wrapped gift.
🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
Writing with purpose — Writing "To" and "From" on a real object that goes to a real person is authentic literacy practice.
Design for context — Making something specifically to be attached to a gift develops contextual design thinking.
Tips & Variations
- Make a batch of 20 tags so they're ready to use all season.
- Stamp tags with Christmas designs before children add personal details.
- Make Easter, birthday, and Valentine's versions of this activity throughout the year.
My Two Cents
The most treasured gift tags are the ones children draw on freely — a five-year-old's crayon drawing of a Christmas tree on a gift tag is more moving than any printed tag from a store. Encourage children to draw their own version of Christmas rather than copying a model.
