Personalize a special gift with character tags made from cardstock and decorated with paint, buttons, and ribbon. The tags double as extra gifts to be used as ornaments. After Christmas, they can be used as bookmarks!

You will need: for two tags

- Cardstock*: red, green, tan, red plaid, green plaid
- Decorative edge scissors: pinking
- 3 1/4" Gingerbread cookie cutter*
- White gel marker
- Black fine-tip markers: .08mm, .05mm
- Acrylic paint*: black, red
- Paintbrush
- 1/4" heart punch
- 1/4" hole punch
- Black 3/8" alphabet stickers Optional: black marker
- Seam sealant
- Four 1/4" white buttons
- 6" of 1/8" satin ribbon (1 each): red, green
- 16" of 3/8" ribbon (1 each): red check , red stripe
- Pony beads: red tag - 2 cream, 1 green, 2 red
           green tag - 2 cream, 2 green, 1 red
- Thick white craft glue*
- Permanent craft glue*
- Pencil, ruler, scissors, tracing paper 

*The following products were used for this project: Beacon Adhesives Gem-Tac & Kid's Choice glues • DecoArt Americana acrylic paint-Lamp Black, Santa Red • Fox Run Kitchens cookie cutter • Lasting Impressions paper.

For product information, see end of article.

STEP 1: Preparation. Trace patterns onto cardstock indicated on patterns. Use scissors to cut out plaid tags. Use decorative-edge scissors to cut out red and green tags.

STEP 2: Decorate tags. Use.05mm marker to draw lines around edges of plaid tags. Glue red plaid tag to red tag with craft glue. Glue green plaid tag to green tag. Punch eight hearts from tan cardstock. Glue four to each tag as shown. For name, attach letter stickers. Option: Print name with a black marker

STEP 3: Make gingerbread figure. Use cookie cutter as pattern to trace gingerbread figure onto tan cardstock twice. Cut out. Use white gel marker to draw border slightly in from edge of figures. Use .08mm marker to draw mouth. For eyes, dip end of paintbrush into black paint and make two small dots on face. For cheeks, dip end of paintbrush in red paint and make two small dots on face.

Use permanent craft glue to attach buttons to figures. Punch two hearts from red cardstock. Glue to gingerbread. Make a bow with red ribbon and one with green ribbon. Cut ends at a slant. Apply seam sealant to ends. Glue bow on neck of figure. 

STEP 4: Finish. Glue figures to center of tags. Punch 1/4" holes at top of tags. For hangers, make larkshead knots with ribbon. Fold red check ribbon in half. Insert folded end through hole front to back on red tag. Insert cut ends through loop and pull. Trim ends evenly. Apply seam sealant to ends. Insert ribbon ends through pony beads in this order: tan, red, green, red, and tan. Attach red stripe ribbon in same way to green tag. Insert ribbon ends through pony beads in this order: tan, green, red, green, and tan

Sources:

Beacon Adhesives
(914) 699-3405
www.beaconcreates.com 

DecoArt
(800) 367-3047
www.decoart.com 

Lasting Impressions
(800) 936-2677
www.lastingimpressions.com