Okay, so I may not have all of my Christmas shopping done just quite yet but as I buy a gift, I always make sure to wrap it as soon as possible so I won’t be stuck with a bunch of gift-wrapping to do all at once. This year, rather than using ordinary gift tags, Greg and I thought it would be fun to mix it up and DIY some simple chalkboard gift tags.

These little guys are super easy to make and are sure to wow your Christmas gift recipients. Woah, that sounds formal. To make these fun chalkboard gift tags, here’s what you’ll need…

• Chipboard or Heavy Cardstock
• Rust-Oleum’s Chalkboard Spray
• A Large Hole Punch (I used a 9/16″)
• Scissors
• Chalk
• A Pencil or Pen

[STEP 1] Take your piece of chipboard (or heavy cardstock) and draw your shape. Since most boxes and bags are rectangular, I decided to go with a simple, round tag to add some shape variation to the mix. To make all of the circles uniform, I just traced the bottom of the Rust-Oleum can. Easy! I was able to get nine circles on one 8×10 piece of chipboard.

[STEP 2] Cut out each circle then use a large hole punch to make the hole for the ribbon. Make sure the hole will be large enough for the ribbon you are going to use. I’m using 1.5″ ribbon for all of our packages, so I used my 9/16″ hole punch. You can find these in the scrapbook section of craft stores like Michael’s or Ben Franklin. If you don’t have a large hole punch, you can also cut a slit in the top of the circle wide enough for the ribbon using a sharp craft knife. Btw, it’s important to do this step before you paint so the cutting won’t cause the paint to chip or flake off.

[STEP 3] Now it’s time to break out the Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Spray. Simply put, I love this stuff! Take your chipboard gift tags outside (or a well-ventilated area) and… well, you know the drill! In my best informercial voice: Be sure to hold the can about 10″-12″ away from the tags. To prevent splotches, keep the can moving. As usual, when spray-painting, it always works best to do a few light coats rather than one heavy coat. We ended up doing three light coats.

[STEP 4] Normally, waiting for paint to dry is the hardest part, but with this particular project, the drying time isn’t bad at all. After only 5 to 10 minutes, we had a complete set of chalkboard gift tags. Holla! I can’t wait to show these guys off under the tree!

Now how’s that for a super easy upgrade to ordinary gift tags? It makes me want to find more things to use this Chalkboard spray on… Bentley better watch out today!

How about you… How’s your Christmas shopping coming along? Barely started or just about finished? Or are you trying to make us all look bad and have had your shopping done since September? Like my mother! Shame on you.

Oh! And speaking of gift-wrapping, one of our favorite gift wrap/fine paper resources, Smock, is having a great sale today and tomorrow (Monday & Tuesday) with an even greater cause… 100% of proceeds from items purchased from the sale section of Smock Everyday items will be donated to Earthworks! Sale items are 50% off & they’ve got some great gift items as well as holiday cards, holiday gift tags, fill in holiday party invites, and much much more! Visit their blog for more information as well as a gift guide with some of the best items from the sale section!