If you've ever stared at a blank tag and thought where do I even begin — this video is for you. Over the course of a single project that took months to build, I made more than 130 embellished tags and pulled out 100 specific techniques to share. Not vague directions like "add texture" or "try mixed media" — actual methods, named materials, real results. The ideas range from incredibly quick (two minutes, a strip of washi tape, done) to properly elaborate (three-fold trifold tags, zipper closures, paper-woven panels), and almost every single one can be translated beyond tags into journal pages, covers, pocket folders, and spreads.
What we cover
This is a full roundup of 100 tag embellishment techniques, shown on handmade uniform-sized tags so the focus stays on the method rather than the tag shape. We move through structural ideas (pockets, booklets, flip-down envelopes, shaker elements), surface techniques (decoupage, foiling, embossing, alcohol inks, tea dyeing), material-led ideas (mesh, lace, burlap, fused plastic bags, broken jewelry, candy wrappers), and themed approaches (travel, bohemian, masculine, whimsical houses). Along the way I pull in connections to my other tutorials wherever a technique deserves its own deeper look.
What you'll learn
How to make a tag into a pocket — and then keep going from there:
- A simple side pocket by gluing or sewing two tags together
- Slanted pockets from strips of paper for a layered, loaded-pocket look
- A four-pocket construction using two tea-dyed paper doilies folded and wrapped around a tag
How to use mesh as a surface covering — including repurposed Christmas ribbon netting and actual window screen material, both glued directly onto card stock tags
Die cuts and their negatives — using the positive (the cut shape) on one tag and the leftover negative on another, so nothing from your machine goes to waste
Watercolor on tags, including a metallic gold-and-bronze wash and a bright multi-colour approach, both finished with die cuts or ribbon toppers
How to make a simple layered bow from ribbon, secured with a stitch and a button at the centre — quick enough to make in batches
Tassel construction from the bottom of a tag, using punched holes and decorative thread for a tag with real movement and presence
Asemic writing as a surface technique:
- Freehand with a pen, building a fake script that reads as aged or Victorian
- Over embossed card stock, with two ink or pen colours alternating to fill gaps
Contact paper as a tag covering — school stationery contact paper in metallic finishes, then embossed on top for a shimmery raised texture
How to construct a three-hole pamphlet-stitched booklet inside a fabric-joined double tag, turning a tag into a writing companion
Scrunching for texture — applied to:
- Candy wrappers (foil wrappers especially), pressed and glued for crinkle texture
- Acrylic paint skins, scrunched before adhering for a rich, dimensional surface
- Used tea bags, layered and scrunched over a glue-stick base for deep vintage texture
How to work with used tea bags as a decoupage-style surface layer, including a two-bag layered technique for added density
Napkin decoupage on tags, applied in a single ply over glue stick, then sewn around the edges for durability — one napkin yields around six tags
Dried flowers under clear contact paper, combined with stenciling for an added dimension that keeps the flowers protected and flat
Paper doily pocket construction — two doilies folded and wrapped around a tag to create four pockets, front and back
Lace as a full surface covering, using strips of different lace types laid and overlapped, glued and optionally sewn, finished with yarn at the top
Embroidery on tags — drawing your design first, then working it in embroidery floss, a technique that transfers directly to journal covers
Edge burning with a candle or lighter for a raw, aged look on tag edges
How to build a glassine bag tag — the tag becomes part of the bag itself, with a book page base and unifying sticker holding everything together
Folding a tag into a flip-down envelope, secured with wrapped string for closure and a loop for attachment
Acetate overlays and windows:
- A simple acetate sheet with a sticker on top, turning it into a see-through decorated layer
- A cut window in the tag with acetate glued or sewn behind, framing a sticker or image inside
Foiling with tacky glue — stamping or drawing with glue, letting it set, applying foil sheet and rubbing to transfer; a slow technique that rewards patience
Paper weaving — two examples shown, with a full dedicated tutorial planned to explore the different patterns and variations possible
How to make a shaker tag:
- Flat version: acetate overlay with sequins trapped underneath
- 3D version: two tags separated by foam tape with a large acetate window, creating actual depth for the sequins
Faux wax seals from hot glue, made by pressing a cold coin into a hot glue dot while still warm — shown on tags and linkable to a full video for variations
Corset design on tags — holes punched on both sides of the tag, laced with string in a crossed corset pattern and knotted, expandable to full journal covers
How to construct a paper clip tag — the paper clip is sandwiched between two glued tag layers, additionally secured with a strip of masking tape, with the assembled double-tag embellished as a single piece
Working with broken jewelry — earrings, pendants, and chain pieces attached with brads and jump rings, combined with butterflies and other lightweight elements
Found poetry on tags — cutting and arranging words from book pages into your own lines, glued down as a finished poem or story fragment
Fused plastic bag material as a tag surface — iron-fused layered plastic bags from the DIY process, cut and applied as a sturdy, upcycled covering
Thematic tag design, with examples in:
- Travel (map pages, book pages, travel imagery)
- Bohemian (quilting fabric offcuts, gold accents, coin details, diamond trim)
- Masculine / gentleman (Tim Holtz imagery, clock elements, book pages, neutral palette)
- Whimsical houses (paper offcuts shaped into house and roof forms, slightly overlapping the tag edge)
Alcohol ink on photo paper — alcohol inks applied to the glossy surface of photo paper, then the whole piece glued onto a tag for a vibrant, saturated panel
Swing tags — smaller tags attached with string to the main tag, stenciled and layered, usable in multiple sizes and papers
Tips & gotchas
Napkins need more than glue stick. Glue stick is fast and easy for positioning a single ply of napkin, but it won't hold it securely over time. Sew around the edges after gluing — it takes an extra few minutes and makes all the difference.
Used tea bags only — and plain ones. If you're using tea bags you've already brewed, make sure they had nothing added. Sugar and milk don't belong on your projects. Bags used purely for tea, rinsed and dried, work beautifully.
Watch where your hand is when you're working with an awl. When poking a design through your tag, don't rest your hand underneath the spot you're piercing. It sounds obvious until it isn't.
Foiling with tacky glue takes time and doesn't always cooperate. The technique of drawing or stamping with tacky glue, letting it dry slightly, and then burnishing foil on top can be slow and unpredictable. Be patient, and expect some areas to need a second pass.
Score before you fold. Any time you're creating a fold line — on a trifold tag, a flip-down envelope, a belly band — score the line first. The fold will be clean and crisp instead of ragged.
Secure paper clips with masking tape as well as glue. When making a paper clip tag (the clip sandwiched between two tag layers), glue alone can let the clip shift. A strip of masking tape across the clip before adding the second layer keeps it firmly in place.
A corset design that takes two minutes on a tag becomes a journal cover. A doily pocket technique becomes a decorative folder. A swing tag idea becomes a whole booklet structure. I'm planning to bind these tags into a dedicated tag book — a kind of technique reference I can keep on the shelf and pull ideas from whenever I sit down to make something new. If that's something you'd like to see, the making of that book will be its own project — and every technique in this video would be right there inside it.
