DIY: Woven Paper Tags

I’ve been to a few paper shows. Not tons, but enough that I’ve accumulated a couple of boxes worth of stuff. A paper show, in case you don’t know, is just what it sounds like: a show about paper. People who use paper in their printing will go to these shows and talk to vendors about the different types of paper and pick up paper samples.

It’s a heady experience, looking at all that paper. Feeling the paper. Seeing the paper in its different applications. Since they’re often appealing to designers, a lot of their paraphernalia is nicely designed.

I admit, the first couple paper shows I went to, it was like I was collecting Happy Meal toys and I had to get them all. I got bags of stuff. Heavy bags of paper. And then what did I do with them? I kept a few of my favorites out where I could see them, and then put the rest of them in boxes. Eventually I realized that I had to do some “spring cleaning” because it was just taking up too much space.

But I didn’t just want to throw the paper samples away. I had taken them and it was wasteful not to use them in some way. So I took a couple of circle punches, and punched out circles. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with these circles, but I’d figure out something.

In the end, I had a stack of 2½ inch circles. What to do with this mishmash of circles? Tags. 

SUPPLIES

• Assortment of paper
• Large circle punch (I used 2½ inch punch)
• Hole punch
• Elastic ribbon/string/ribbon
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape (permanent)
• Stamp (“To” and “From”)
• Stamp pad

DIRECTIONS

— 1 —

Punch out three circles from chosen paper with large punch.

— 2 —

Cut two circles (that you want to use for the woven part) in half.

— 3 —

Tape two circle halves together (creating an “L” shape).

— 4 —

Tape a third circle half to the “L” shape (creating a “U” shape).

— 5 —

Tape the final fourth circle half to the “U” shape. (In mine, the red circle half needs to be woven into the “U” shape. Red circle half: left side goes under; right side goes over the “U” shape.)

— 6 —

Using your “To” and “From” stamp, stamp the uncut circle.

— 7 —

Take the woven circle and the uncut circle and align them together. Punch a hole through both of them.

— 8 —

Cut a length of elastic ribbon. Tie ends together. Put elastic ribbon through hole and put one end through the loop created; pull through. Tag complete.