Dear community,
in this blog post you can find detailed instructions for sewing beautiful fabric gift tags (with free templates).
There are only a few days left until Christmas and the weekend is also just around the corner. It would be a good idea to wrap up the presents completely stress-free over a cup of tea and some tasty biscuits, right?
This year, I have gone for simple wrappings and am decorating my presents with home-made gift tags made of fabric.
The great thing is that fabric remnants are ideal for this project – and I now have mountains of them, maybe you do too??
The tags are also quick to sew, depending on how much work you put in.
In addition to the scraps of fabric, you will need:
Materials
- fusible web
- a firm interlining, such as S 320
- thread
- optional: small eyes, hole punch and vario pliers or another eyelet tool
- a water-soluble marker pen, such as Trickmaker
- optional leather remnants
I drew my templates on paper and have digitised them for you. The sheet has to be printed out in landscape format in full size for the template to be in its original size.
Gift tag template
- Trace the template for the gift tag onto the S 320 interlining, cut it out, iron onto the back of the fabric and cut around the template. You need 2 pieces for each tag.
- Trace the pattern, such as Christmas trees, leaves or snowflakes onto the fusible web and cut out approximately, iron onto the back of the selected material, then cut again, following the lines precisely this time.
- Remove the foil and iron the appliqué onto one side of the gift tag.
4. Draw the sewing lines with a water soluble pen (Trickmaker), or using free-motion sewing. Stitch type: e.g. straight stitch, triple straight stitch, small zigzag stitch, ….
Or how about using an embroidered sheet or a different pattern??
It is best to use an open embroidery foot, such as foot #20c, for this
Tip: Not all ironed on appliqués necessarily need sewing on too. With small pieces, a seam can look rather clumsy. As gift tags rarely end up in the washing machine, you can also dispense with seams in various other places.
5. Create the design on the back: with the Trickmaker, draw two lines and stitch along them, then later write the text with a textile pen or select and embroider the text directly on the sewing machine.
6. Put the two gift tag pieces together with the wrong sides together and hold in place either with pins or fusible web again.
7. Using Blindstitch foot #5, topstitch close to the edge. For this, adjust the needle position slightly to the left.
8. The hole:
With eyelet: mark the position of the eyelet, punch a hole, push the eyelet through from the front and press closed using the pliers.
Without eyelet: mark the hole position and embroider a round hole on the sewing machine.
Punch a hole of the right size using the hole punch
Now you just need the right tie and the gift tag is finished. There are quick or more time-consuming versions to suit your schedule. In some cases, I have also included scraps of leather.
The creative possibilities are endless 🙂
I wish you all a lovely, relaxing Christmas with your loved ones and lots of fun giving your presents!
Janina
Those tags are really pretty Janina, I can see that it would take an awful lot to get through my stash though! Still it will be a start. Thanks for the ideas.