Make it Personal

The other day, Kaden attended a sleepover for one of his friends. Normally I hesitate letting him spending the night at any place other than home or a relative’s home, but I've known this family for years. In fact, they’d probably cringe if they heard our parenting stories or witnessed our parenting style. I’d hate to ruin this for Kaden, so we’ll just act like we’re normal when we see them. It’s worked thus far.

I made arrangements with the other mom the night before the sleepover. I would bring all of Kaden’s belonging to school at dismissal to avoid writing a note and obtaining permission to ride home with another parent. I just needed to pack a bag and get a gift by the end of the school day. Easy enough, right?! Not so much.

Time flew that day. I had no time to purchase a birthday card and I did not have any extra lying around the house. In all my craftiness, I decided to create a personalized gift bag tag instead.

Here’s what I did to create a personalized gift bag tag:
1. I started with two basketballs that were decorations for a bulletin board. I used my X-ACTO DESIGNER SERIES 12" METAL RULER to measure the diameter of the circle. It was roughly 15”.

2. Using scrapbook paper and my X-ACTO DESIGNER SERIES CIRCLE CUTTER, I cut-out 2 circles. I decided on 13” circles so I could leave a bit of space around the basketball edge.

3. Then, I used a Craft Bond Memory Glue Pen to adhere the circular pieces to the plain side of the basketballs.

4. Once the glue dried, I decided to decorate the uncovered edges with Elmer’s Project Popperz Dual-Tip markers.

5. Next, I wrote a message on the decorative paper. For the word “star”, I wrote over it with the Craft Bond Memory Glue Pen and covered it with clear glitter. I also added stars.

6. I matched the two pieces together and made a fold. I added string and stapled the excess under the fold.

7. Finally, I added a clasp to the sting. Now it’s ready to be attached to the bag.

Did I mention I was in such a rush that I created this tag while waiting for the clothes to finish drying? As it turns out, the washing machine makes an excellent crafting station. Who knew?!

My tag is not perfect, but it is personal. That alone is worth my time and effort. Try putting your soul into the next gift you give. It will pay for itself in no time.



Disclosure: Although I am using my lovely Elmer's and X-Acto products, I did not receive any compensation for writing this post. Whether you believe it or not, I craft a lot. It just so happens that I'm in love with these particular products. Take that!