Ever just get in a mood to use up your scraps and see what you can come up with? Well I did just that this week and boy do I love the results! I made TAGS! I love these accents and have used them before on layouts. This time, I wanted to incorporate several items that were lingering on my desk. Yes, I admit to having a sometimes messy SB desk! I had scraps of paper, stickers, snippets of fiber, and beads as well as some fancy paper clips and other doodads. These were leftovers from other projects. My paper scraps were not really big enough to save-- but too large to toss. If I could just think of something........AH HA! That is when I pulled out my ready made tags and my tag coluzzle and joined the TAG TEAM!
These accents are fast because I made these tag sets using items I had on hand. They only took about 45 minutes for all of them. There is a step by step concept that streamlines the tag making process. How did I do it? Here is how you can make some fabulous scrapbook tags from your 'leftovers' too!
| 1. Decide on a theme. | |
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Keep it simple and specific. Sometimes theme is dictated by either the album page you are making. In the case of leftovers, theme can be dictated by the paper or sticker set you want to use up. I decided to use up supplies for three themes and make three separate tag sets. I chose canoeing, fishing and tropical fruit because these are the supplies I wanted to use up. (i.e., they were sitting out on my desk and I wanted to make something out of them instead of filing them away again!! LOL) You do not have to stick with my themes at all. Use what you have. The steps are the same. |
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| 2. Decide on a color scheme. | |
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Colors can be pulled from photos, the paper or the sticker set you have on hand, or the general theme itself. My fishing paper was green and brown, my canoeing stickers were blues and browns and my tropical fruit die cuts were a mix of wild tropical colors. I knew in a glance what the color schemes would be for these three sets. No lengthy color choices were needed. Don't debate forever. Just go with what is obvious in each case. I usually go with colors that the paper or stickers dictate so I have a coordinated looking tag creation. |
| 3. Pull a few more scraps out in those same colors. | |
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Your secret is out. We all KNOW you have a scrap stash. :) Now is the time to whittle it down! Go grab a few coordinating scraps! I think this is the fun part because using this paper up is like getting a FREEBIE scrapbook accent! Just two or three more papers in the color scheme are needed. Papers can be patterned or plain. I like a mix of both for a layered look. Any scrap smaller than 6 inches can be used as a tag accent! |
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| 4. Create your 'base' tag. | |
 A few Base Tags |
I sometimes use store bought, pre-made tags like the smaller one in my fishing set. I find them in the label and office supply section at the discount store or office supply store. I also have purchased some from scrapbook retailers that are acid free. I sometimes use my tag Coluzzle template. You can also free hand cut any rectangle into a tag by lopping off the two top corners! Punch a hole in the center and you have a tag! Any which way you prefer, get your 'base' tag ready. |
 Add some Fun Stuff! |
I love this stuff!! You can add almost any scrapbook element to a tag. We want to add variety and texture to the tags and still keep them in the color scheme and theme you have chosen. Use fiber, glass pebbles, spiral paper clips, Artistic Wire, eyelets, pop dots, beads, stamping, buttons, torn edges, embroidery floss, punch art, or chalks if you like. Again, the only limitations are that you should keep with the color scheme you chose in step 2 above and within the theme you set in step 1. |
 Beads and wire if you like |
Now don't pull out EVERYTHING from your goodie basket for every tag. I think about 2 or 3 textured elements are enough on each tag. You don't want to overdo it because tags are usually small elements on the page. They often measure less than 4 inch long. So try to pick your favorite textured items that also fit your theme.
In my fishing tag set I chose fibers, one eyelet, torn edges, and a pop dot. On my canoeing set, I chose eyelets, curly paper clips from Target, one pop dot, and glass stones from Hobby Lobby. The glass looks like water droplets on the tags. For the tropical fruit tag set, I used corrugated paper, colored papers in each section of the slices, Artistic Wire and green costume jewelry beads for a more funky and fun look. |
 Glass stone close up |
NOTE: When using these glass stones I try to add a pop dot to 'balance' the raised effect so the tag is not just bumpy in one spot. When placing these tags on the page, I will have the really bumpy tags on the outside of the page. This helps keep the bulk to the OUTSIDE of my album and not along the spine. Protect the longevity of your album spine by keeping solid lumpy stuff on the outer parts of your pages. |
| 6. Decorate at will! LOL | |
| Yes! Just do whatever strikes you! You can't go wrong because you know your theme is set and your colors are set and your elements are chosen! Place eyelets in first with your setter if you are using them in the top hole. Then get creative and place the other items in layers. If you are using stickers, you can mat them with plain cardstock as I did in the canoe set. Matting makes them stand out more against patterned paper backgrounds. Be sure to balance the composition of the tag so you don't have all large or heavy items on one side. If you are using fibers, "tape" the ends in place on the back of the tag with a strip of acid free tape or a small strip of adhesive and cardstock. | |
| 7. Add the string! | |
| Actually it doesn't have to be string at all! Use ribbons, fibers, yarns, wires, paper clips, raffia, or fine chain to hang your tag. On garden pages, I have also hooked tags onto artificial flower stems (which are just paper-wrapped wire!) You can slip the hole of the tag onto a twig or leaf stem, a wire loop, or button. I have also raided my sewing box and hung tags from the silver hooks from the hook and eye sets. | |
| 8. Add it to your page. | |
 Three Tag Sets |
Tags can be so Versatile! Use layered tags as accents or use simple ones for mounting hand cut titles, as journaling boxes, for writing in the date, and mini collages. Hang them from the photos, hang them from a border, or hang them in each of the 4 corners on a page. I have seen tags made into cute shaker boxes. Tags make great picture frames for little pics, and as borders. You can turn large die cuts into tags also by just adding a hole and eyelet at the top of the die cut. If you have two die cuts identical, stack them, cut out the center of one and make a shaker box tag! I love to use stickers on my tags. Matting a sticker with a tag background gives 'body' to the sticker and grounds it on the page. And boy are tags created with stickers F*A*S*T! |
| 9. Enjoy! | |
| Combine ideas any way you like! Now that you know the steps for making great tags, you can do oodles of them with all your 'leftover' supplies! For just pennies a piece, you can have page accents to die for! Go for it! | |
You are on the Tag Team now!!!! :)
