DIY Plaid Watercolor Gift Tags: A Simple, Handmade Touch for Any Gift

There’s something so satisfying about adding a handmade touch to your gift wrapping. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with making these simple watercolor plaid gift tags — they’re quick to paint, require no fancy supplies, and each one turns out a little bit unique. All you need is some watercolor paper, a brush, and a few favorite colors. With a few loose stripes in both directions, you’ve got a cheerful plaid design that looks effortlessly charming once you punch or cut it into tags.

The inspiration for these plaid gift tags came from a previous project I did for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. I used colors from the plaid linen napkins and made watercolor place cards. But for these holiday gift tags, I wanted to use more traditional Christmas colors—red and green. I think the homemade watercolor plaid tags add a little something extra to the packages. And they are so easy to make! 

The supplies you will need:

• Watercolor paper 
• Inexpensive watercolor paints
• Paint brushes with different tips
• Cups for water
• Scissors (or a tag punch)
• Hole punch
• Twine
• Gold or silver pens (optional)

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Prepare your work surface and gather your supplies. (Watercolor paints wash up easily with soap and water.)
2. Have some small cups of water for mixing paints and a paper towel on hand to dab up excess water.
3. I like to have a small scrap of watercolor paper on hand to test the colors I’m using.
4. Using a flat-tipped brush, paint stripes across the paper. Turn the paper and repeat. Allowing paint to dry as you work.
5. Select another brush and a different color, and add more stripes. Turn the paper and repeat.
6. Add some skinny stripes between the larger stripes.
7. Continue until you’re satisfied with the plaid pattern you’ve created. I used only shades of red and green, but if you had a gold or silver marker, you could go in and add a few thin stripes for some sparkle. 
8. Once the paint has dried, cut out tag shapes, or use a tag punch, but it’s not necessary.
9. Punch holes at the top and add some twine. 
10. Attach to packages, a bottle of wine, or a plant this holiday season!

Is this a project kids could do?

Yes! Absolutely! Kids could create their own color palette. Watercolors are very kid-friendly, but this could also be done with crayons. 

I would love to share yours!

There’s something extra special about a gift wrapped with handmade touches–If you end up making these, I would love to share. Tag me on Instagram @most_lovely_things, and I will share yours in stories! I love to see your projects!

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