Tag…You’re It!

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I love creating small gift items for special friends and family to include with a handmade paper card. These tag necklaces can be made ahead of time and stashed away for later gift giving.  Since I make dozens of sheets of paper at a time and always have scraps, I will often use leftover handmade papers and simply draw around the template and cut the tag shape with scissors. Great way to use up leftover papers and beads too!

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Arnold Grummer tag template #360
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scraps of white or ivory paper, scraps of colored paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• ColorBox™ Ink pads in various dark colors to match the hand made tags
• Decretive stamps (patterns for the covers… words would be great for the inside pages)
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Standard size round hole punch
• Four feet of soft metallic cord (for each tag necklace)
• One large bead, two medium beads and six spacer beads (for each tag necklace)

Instructions:

1. For each tag necklace, follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create two heavy weight tags for the covers and 6 light weight tags for the pages.  
2. When the tags are dry, stamp designs onto the covers, and emboss with clear embossing powder and the heat tool.
3. Stamp the words onto the inside pages (encouraging words for a friend who is going through a rough time are a nice addition.)
4. Punch the hole at the top of the covers and pages.

Assemble the necklace:

1. Fold the metallic cord in half, insert the loop into the stacked tags and tread the loose ends through the loop.
2. Place one spacer bead, the large bead and one spacer bead onto the loose ends of the cord.
3. Tie a loose overhand knot approx. 8” from the ends of the cords.
4. Thread one spacer bead, the medium bead and one spacer bead on each end of the cords.
5. Tie a knot at the end of each cord.