DIY Network

Designer Gift Tags Make wild tags from corn husks, clothing tags. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-613

Adding your own creativity makes any gift more special – and that includes the gift tag. Always on the lookout for new ways to B. Original with gift-giving, Michele Beschen has created new, inexpensive ways to dress up those presents with corn husks and the tags from new clothing.

B. Original with tags made from corn husks...

Or even recycled clothing tags.

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Designer Gift Tags

Materials:

dried corn husks
tags from clothing
white glue
tissue paper
foam brush
container of warm water
eyelet tool and eyelets
various paints
embroidery needle and embroidery floss

	Figure A
	Figure B

• Look for dried corn husks at any grocery store. They are inexpensive and usually come with several in a package. Since the dried husks are fairly brittle and delicate, Michele Beschen reinforces them or soaks them before starting work.

• One way to reinforce the husks is by decoupaging them with thin papers and white glue.
  • Use thin papers and materials if collaging on a corn husk. The husk has a strong texture, so thinner papers will mold to it nicely.

  • Tear the edges of a piece of tissue paper that is slightly smaller than the husk and decoupage it to the husk with white glue and water (figure A). Decorate one or both sides.

  • The papers and glue will strengthen the husk enough to stand up to hole-punching or other decorative treatments such as glitter (figure B).

• Painting and soaking also strengthen the husks. Soaking makes the husks more flexible and pliable, allowing them to be bent and shaped in a variety of ways.
  

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

• It's also easy to punch clean holes in a damp husk: Simply use an eyelet puncher to punch the hole, then install an eyelet to keep the hole from tearing out (figure C). Run ribbon or string through these holes to attach tags to packages, or group several holes for a decorative effect (figure D).

• Damp husks also stand up well to stitching. Use colorful embroidery floss to hand-stitch around the edges or even "write" someone's name.

• The tags from new clothing also make great gift tags: Look for tags made of leather, interesting fabric or heavy cardboard. Since these are already designed to be tags, all that remains is to dress them up and personalize them with paint or collage techniques.