How to Create & Print Your Own DIY Gift Tags

by JoJo Mrgich

December 18, 2024

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Introduction to making your own gift tags

In this article I’ll walk you through how to make gift tags for all your special occasions. Over the years, I’ve made DIY gift tags many times for both personal use and my small side-hustle business. Specifically, I usually make about 200 custom tags when I’m prepping for the holiday selling season. However, I also make just a couple dozen when wrapping gifts for friends and family. For my maker business, I’m usually more focused on packaging that enhances the “giftability” of my items. However, depending on your industry, I’ve found that using personalized gift tags can be a great way to put together thoughtful business gifts.

Whatever your needs are, Avery has some amazing tools to help you create personalized gift tags. For example, I like using our free online software to easily create designs or upload them from Canva®. We also have tons of free editable design templates. However you personalize your designs, it’s easy to bring them to life by printing tags yourself or letting us print for you.

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Watch a demonstration of how to make personalized tags and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more helpful videos.

How to make gift tags

First, you’ll need tags. Our printable tags come in a wide variety of shapes and materials. Some examples include round, square, and Kraft brown material for DIY gift tags with a modern, trendy look. Or, scalloped shapes for a charming, playful, and slightly vintage vibe. My personal favorites are the classic Avery printable tags and a similar version with gold borders. You can also shop our professionally printed gift tags for additional finishes.

Whether printing or ordering custom DIY gift tags, we offer free tools for design and personalization. First and foremost, Avery Design and Print Online (ADPO) is our free software for designing tags, labels, cards, and more. With ADPO you can design from scratch on blank Avery templates that are perfectly formatted for Avery products. Or, modify free predesigned Avery templates with custom text, graphics, logos, and so much more. You can also design your gift tags offline by downloading blank Avery tag templates for Microsoft Word® and the Adobe® suite.

Two examples of DIY gift tags made with Avery scalloped tags 80511 and 22848. A round scalloped tag is shown as personalized tags on favor bags for a Western party and a scalloped edge banner tag is shown on a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day.
DIY gift tags are fantastic for personalizing party favors or adding personalized tags to product packaging for gifts.

Step 1: Go to Avery Design & Print Online

How to find templates for DIY gift tags on Avery.com using the template finder page and your Avery product number.
How to find templates for DIY gift tags on Avery.com by browsing tag products.

Start a new project for DIY gift tags by opening a template in Avery Design and Print Online. One way to find templates for Avery products is by entering the product number in the Avery template finder page. From this page, you can also browse all tag templates by product shape.

Screenshot of the Avery Template 22802 page. The page offers options to design and print DIY gift tags online or download a blank template. There’s a large red "Start Designing" button, an image showing a computer and mobile device displaying tag designs, and four downloadable file formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Photoshop (.psd), Adobe Illustrator (.ai), and Adobe PDF (.pdf).

Once you find the template for your product, click “Start Designing” to begin to create DIY gift tags. For custom-printed hang tags, simply click your desired shape and size to begin.

Start a Custom-printed tag

Avery printable tags 22802 used to demonstrate tall layout versus wide layout for Avery tag designs. The DIY gift tags show one example of a business gift with a tall tag design and a holiday gift with a wide tag design.
Note the difference between a banner tag with a tall orientation (hole at the top of the tag) vs. a wide orientation (hole on the side).

Step 2: Select the layout of your tags

From my experience, the variety of layout options for DIY gift tags depends on the product I choose. Some tag shapes will require you to choose an orientation. For all the tags I’ve worked on, I’ve had to choose whether my design would go on one or both sides.

Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface displaying three versions of Avery Template 22802. Each template shows a preview layout of 8 tags per sheet, size 2" x 3 1/2". The descriptions specify tag hole placement: "Hole on Left Print one side," "Hole on Top Print one side," and "Hole on Top Print both sides." The color is listed as white. The interface includes navigation options for selecting, designing, customizing, and printing templates.

Rectangle, banner, and banner tags with scalloped edges are perfect examples of tags with uneven sides. When I’ve used these types of DIY gift tags, I’ve been able to choose an orientation and whether to print on both sides in tall orientation.

Screenshot of Avery Design & Print interface showing two versions of Avery Template 80511. Both templates display a layout of 9 tags per sheet, each measuring 2 1/2 inches. The template descriptions highlight "Scallop Tags Print one side only" and "Scallop Tags Print both sides," with white as the listed color. The interface includes options for template selection, customization, and printing.

Tags with even sides (circles, squares, scalloped circles, etc.) will only require you to choose whether you want to print on one or both sides.

Step 3: Choose the design

Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface displaying a selection of pre-designed tags for Avery Template 22802. The screen shows multiple DIY gift tag designs with various colors, patterns, and themes, including floral, thank-you messages, balloons, and placeholders for custom text. A left-side navigation menu allows browsing by categories like "Animals & Nature," "Business & Occupation," and "Home & School." The interface includes options to "Browse Designs," "Apply from a Saved Project," or "Upload a Complete Design." A large red arrow highlights the vertical scroll functionality.

Next, select a predesigned DIY gift tag template or choose a blank template. The first option displayed will be the blank template, which is ideal if you plan on uploading a design from Canva® or Adobe Illustrator®. Scroll to find more predesigned templates or use the menu on the left to browse designs by theme categories.

Step 4: Personalize your tags

Screenshot of Avery Design & Print interface showing a customizable tag design for Avery Template 22802. The tag displays "Hello! Thank you for supporting my small business" with an owl icon and the handle "@jojosscreative." The left side of the screen features text tools, including options to add a text box, curved text, and adjust font size, alignment, line spacing, and transparency. The right side includes a Navigator panel, preview options, and layer management tools. The interface allows customization and editing of the tag design.

Once you’ve chosen your template, you’ll see a closeup of the tag on the editing desktop. Your editing tools are on the left-hand side, and you can do things like add images or logos, change colors, add or edit text, etc. You can even add barcodes and QR codes to your DIY gift tags using our free, in-app barcode generator.

All of these tools can be used to:

  • Design from scratch on a blank template.
  • Modify a predesigned Avery template.
  • Upload complete designs from Canva or Adobe Illustrator.

Design resources to help you personalize your tags

Editing individual tags

Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface focusing on the right-side Navigator panel. The "Edit All" button is highlighted with a red circle, allowing users to apply changes across all tags. The panel displays a thumbnail view of the sheet layout and a list of editable layers, including text and image elements. The bottom-right corner shows the "PREVIEW & PRINT" button for finalizing the design.
Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface focusing on the right-side Navigator panel. The "Edit One" button is highlighted with a red circle, allowing users to edit a single tag individually. The panel shows a thumbnail view of the sheet layout, with one tag selected. The layer management section is visible below, listing text and image layers. The bottom-right corner displays the "PREVIEW & PRINT" button for finalizing the design.

What’s more, the navigator on the right-hand side has an Edit All and Edit One feature. This allows you to make changes to all your tags or just one. If, say, you want to make a change to the overall design of your gift tags, you would click Edit All. If you want to make changes to individual tags, you would click Edit One. I find this feature ideal for adding individual names to Christmas gift tags or personalizing party favors birthday parties.

You can also use the Import Data (Mail Merge) tool in ADPO to import information from a spreadsheet. For example, if you want tags to have individual names on them, you can import names from a spreadsheet, and Import Data will apply them to individual tags! This article walks you through how to use the Mail Merge tool.

Step 5: Preview, print and save

Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface showing the "Preview & Print" screen. The custom tag design reads "Hello! Thank you for supporting my small business" with an owl illustration and the handle "@jojosscreative." On the right, two options are highlighted with red arrows: the blue "GET PDF TO PRINT" button for downloading the design as a PDF and the green "LET US PRINT FOR YOU" button for ordering professionally printed tags through Avery WePrint. Additional print tips and a limited-time WePrint discount are also displayed.

Click “Preview & Print” to review your design. You will see a simple preview of your personalized tags and two printing options on the right: Print it Yourself and “Let Us Print For You” (custom printing with Avery WePrint®).

Whichever printing option you choose, you will be prompted to save your project to your free Avery account. This is a great idea because saved projects are stored in the cloud and can be shared via email or even applied to other Avery products. Additionally, we recommend always reviewing the PDF file of your project before printing. The PDF displays an exact preview of how your tags will print and shows you the full sheet layout.

Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface focusing on the "Print Yourself" section. The "GET PDF TO PRINT" button is highlighted with a red circle, allowing users to download their design as a PDF for self-printing. The "LET US PRINT FOR YOU" option below promotes Avery WePrint services with a limited-time offer for 10% off professional printing. The text includes pricing details and delivery information.
Screenshot of the Avery Design & Print interface focusing on the "Custom Printing" section. The "View my PDF proof" option is highlighted with a red circle, allowing users to preview their design before finalizing. Below, a checklist titled "Double Check" includes steps to ensure accuracy, such as spelling, text placement, and image details. A green "I APPROVE MY DESIGN" button is visible for confirming the design. The "Convert project to print yourself" option appears under the "Print Yourself" section.

To review your PDF when printing yourself, click “Get PDF to Print.” If you choose to let us print for you, you will see an option to “View My PDF Proof.” If you need to make any changes, click “Edit My Design” to go back to the editing screen.

Best tips for printing DIY gift tags

If you’re printing DIY gift tags on a home or office printer, Avery printable tags with Sure Feed® Technology are always going to be your best bet. This is because Sure Feed technology is a patented “grip” strip that’s designed to help printable sheets move more smoothly through average desktop printers. Here are some printing tips that have helped me achieve better results, no matter what I’m printing:

  1. Set the scale: Under the printer settings, check that the scale is set to 100%, default, full page, or the equivalent.
  2. Do a test print: Print on plain paper first, lay it over your Avery product, then hold them up to a light to ensure your design aligns correctly.
  3. Change paper type: Select the “Cardstock,” heavyweight,” or “labels” from the paper type setting so your printer can adjust for the thicker material.

Of course, if you’re looking for the ultimate “hands-off” printing experience, let our experts do the printing for you. The Avery WePrint service uses professional digital presses and ships orders in as few as 3 business days. Just design your DIY gift tags, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Help Center resources for printing

Tips for making DIY gift tags in Microsoft Word®

It’s very easy to make designs for Avery products in MS Word because all of our printable products have a blank Word template you can download. In fact, each printable product has blank templates for a variety of software favorites like Adobe PDF®, Photoshop, and Illustrator. You can find these templates on the template page for your product using the steps I outlined in step one of this guide.

Once you’ve downloaded your Word template, open it in Word and design using the available tools. Using Avery templates when designing in MS Word ensures that your gift tag designs are formatted to fit Avery printable tags perfectly. When you’re happy with your design and are ready to print, select “File” at the top left of the page, then select “Print.” This will open a print dialog where you can choose the printer that you want to use. Advanced settings for the paper type (i.e., cardstock, paper, labels, etc.) and which feed tray to use are available under “Printer Properties.”

Creative DIY Christmas gift tag ideas for small businesses

The holiday season is a critical time for small business owners, especially those selling on platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon Handmade. DIY Christmas gift tags can make your products stand out, whether you’re packaging holiday orders or adding a special touch to festive gift-wrapping. Here are some ideas and tips:

  • Christmas gift tag ideas: Incorporate holiday design elements like snowflakes, holly, or Santa hats. Or opt for different materials to achieve different moods. For example, Kraft brown tags have a more rustic, cozy feel, while these tags with a gold border feel festive and elegant.
  • How to make Christmas gift tags: In addition to free Christmas tag designs, Avery has some great online tools to design holiday-themed tags. You can upload your own artwork, branding, or Canva designs, add personal seasonal messages, and find free holiday graphics in the Avery Graphics library.
  • Creative gift tag ideas: Go beyond the basics by trying unique shapes like scalloped circles, round, or square tags. Take it over the top by adding a QR code to your design and attaching your tags with festive ribbons to make your tags truly memorable.

For me, these small touches have helped create a premium, professional look for my products and left a lasting impression on my customers.

Create and print or order your own personalized gift tags

Creating your own gift tags is such a rewarding way to add a personal touch to your gifts or elevate your product packaging. Whether you’re making a few for loved ones or hundreds for your small business, the process is as enjoyable as it is impactful. With tools like Avery Design and Print Online and free templates to inspire your creativity, you can design tags that perfectly suit your needs and style.

So why not give it a try? A thoughtful, DIY gift tag can make a gift feel even more special or turn your products into memorable keepsakes. No matter the occasion, your handmade touch will stand out and make a lasting impression.

You can find many more helpful tutorials on the Avery YouTube page and get inspired to personalize your business with ideas from our TikTok and Instagram.

Author: JoJo Mrgich

JoAnn (JoJo) Mrgich is a copywriter and SEO content writer who began her copywriting career in 2011. A musical theater major at the time, JoJo began writing blog articles, product descriptions, and other online content for a dancewear brand. Since then, she has gone on to write in a variety of fields, from essential oils and natural beauty to fashion and swimwear, finally landing at Avery, which she affectionately calls her "forever home." At Avery, JoJo writes content for the Avery blog, covering everything from organization to party planning, as well as contributing to other online content for avery.com. She is also a technical and content writer for Avery Industrial, where she writes in-depth articles that span a wide variety of topics, from safety compliance to 5S lean practices. In her personal life, JoJo is a big fan of fantasy and science-fiction works such as Lord of the Rings and Star Trek (especially the original series). She also loves going to Disneyland and runs a non-profit social organization of 600 members that brings fans of "nerd culture" together for meet-ups and events in Southern California.

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