Technique – Make a Distressed Paper Tag

Having just finished decorating a cardboard box for a Michaels Arts and Crafts store demo, I felt something was missing. It needed a little extra oomph to finish it off and I knew just what was in order – a distressed tag of some kind. Sure, there are several ways to get this look, but for now, I've chosen something relatively easy...working with ink.

A representative of FiberScraps, makers of the E-Z Walnut Ink used here, demonstrated her approach to this technique for me at a crafts trade show. She provided me with a sample bottle for use in this article. I really like using the product because it is not messy at all. The ink bottle works well for stamping and stippling, too. Now don't limit yourself to just using Walnut Ink. Check out the FiberScraps site for more shades or rummage around your existing inkpads for some interesting color combinations. I sure did!

My Materials & Tools

Manilla paper hang tag(s), available in different sizes from office supply stores

Bottle of Original E-Z Walnut Ink #FS-102 2 Oz. Bottle with dauber applicator by FiberScraps

Memories Acid Free Dye Ink Pad in Sand by Stewart Superior Corp.

Brown, copper, gold and silver pigment inkpad combo, like Ultimate Inkpad Paintbox², in Precious Metals #13010 by ColorBox/Clearsnap

Compact Mini-Iron^TM by Clover Needlecraft

My Steps
Click to enlarge images. Click the back button to return to this article.)

1. Take a standard paper tag, any size, and remove the string.


2. Gather your ink supplies. Pick any combination of beige, brown, walnut and/or earth-toned inkpads, re-inkers or ink bottles with daubers. You can even use sponges with any ink to get the look you want. The choice is up to you.


3. Crumple the tag in your hand, perhaps starting by simply folding it in your palm. Continue to crumple the tag at different angles. Be gentle and selective when crumpling -- too many creases and your design may look too busy or muddy when the tag dries.


4. Flatten the tag somewhat. Using a direct-to-paper inking approach, apply the beige or sand inkpad directly to the hills or creases of the tag. You want to create a little three-dimensional contrast between the different shades of brown, if you can.


5. Grab one of the brown pads from the inkpad combo and apply it to the tag as well.


6. Dab the brown applicator ink on the flat valleys or uncrinkled areas of the tag. Depending on how much of the original tag color you'd like to remain, you can apply a light coat of this wet ink or a heavy coat for deeper color saturation.


7. Highlight here and there with one of the copper pads from the inkpad combo. You might even brush this color on the edges of the tag to create a "halo" effect. Try a bit of gold ink, if you're bold.


8. Let the tag dry overnight, out in the open. I've experimented with sandwiching an inked tag in between paper towels and I've experimented with putting the tag out on the porch. Try different drying approaches for different looks.

9. The next day, if you'd like to set the ink and make the tag flatter, iron it on low heat using a press cloth between the iron and tag. Now many crafters suggest ironing crumpled tags, including well-known artist Tim Holtz, who was seen antiquing tags for a Distressed Tag Journal Project on the Carol Duvall Show. In my box project, I didn't bother to iron the tag because I liked the crinkled look better. Eventually, I ironed my distressed tags for other projects, though.



I really like the Clover Mini-iron, mainly because I didn't have to set up the ironing board to use it and the small head meant I was less likely to burn myself. Don't let the small size of the tip fool you -- it does get hot! If you don't have a crafts iron, you can use a clothes iron as long as you don't plan to use it on clothes anymore. You never know what your iron will pick up and transfer to your favorite shirt, so don't risk it! I remember using a good iron on a project, only to transfer some unwanted bits and pieces to a shirt the next day. Well, I learned that lesson the hard way.

10. When you're ready to add your tag to one of your paper crafts creations, tie your distressed tag to some fiber (or tie some fiber to your tag). Either way, you're ready to embellish.

You can use your tag on a greeting card, on a scrapbook page or, like in my example (see below), hang it from a paper box.


Project Tips

When crumpling your tag, don't study it too much. Be random and let the creases fall where they may.

Create a watermark using a rubber stamp, clear ink and clear embossing powder. Apply these before you add any brown ink to the tag. Your clear image will appear ghostlike or ethereal.

You can add beads or buttons or bits of lace to your tag, if you want. Mix it up with different additions to your antiqued creation.

For more tips on distressing paper, be sure to visit the Rubber Art Stamping site. Editor Cecile Pryor has two articles on "Getting The Old-Fashioned Look."

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Reading and Viewing Recommendations

Tag Creations, a special issue of Paper Crafts magazine

Tags Reinvented: New Approaches to Creating Scrapbook Tabs, by Erikia Ghumm

Its All About Cards And Tags, by Nancy M. Hill

An Altered Journey with Tim Holtz (DVD), Studio: PageSage

(Using) Walnut Ink, by Beverly Seymour (Author), Suzanne McNeill (Editor)

Product Resource Guide
· Order your E-Z Walnut Ink at FiberScraps
· Find Manila Shipping Tags
· Clover Mini Iron
· ColorBox Pigment Ink Pads
· Walnut Ink Antiquing Solution 2 Oz Spray
· Tim Holtz Distress Ink Stamp Pads
· Most project photos taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital Camera
· Browse for Paper Crafts Books at Amazon.com

Article Description: Need an altered style embellishment to enhance a greeting card or paper maché box? Try antiquing a paper hang tag for that shabby chic look.

Project - Recycle a Planter into a Shabby Chic Treasure

Later this month, summertime will arrive officially. I've started to think about creating more decorative items for my patio, including a few planters.

A friend was cleaning out her closets and asked me if I'd like a metal planter she was about to throw away. Someone had painted flowers on the planter's outside. The design wasn't my style, but I thought I could probably recycle it into something more appealing.


Altered Book Pages on a Metal Planter

Materials & Tools

Metal planter

Low-tack painters masking tape

Book pages, like those removed while working on an altered book

White tacky glue

Cheap paint brushes for adhering the glue

Walnut-colored pigment ink, like e-z walnut ink by FiberScraps

Purple acrylic paint

Sponge brush

Glitter glue

Spray acrylic sealer, like Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating by Krylon

Tacky tape

Lilac ribbon

Flat-bottomed colored marbles

The Steps
(Click to enlarge each image. Click the back button to return to this article.)

1. This is the metal planter I'm planning to decorate. Let's get started.


2. Mask off the top and bottom edges of the planter, right on top of the acrylic paint. You can also use a new planter -- one that's unpainted -- if you're concerned about covering up someone else's artwork.
Fold the tape back onto itself to leave a small tab. This will make it easier to remove the tape afterwards.


3. Remove several pages from a discarded book. If you enjoying altering books and have alrady removed some pages, no'w your chance to do something useful with them. Tear the pages into threes. You'll use the top and bottom thirds of these pages.


4. Brush glue on the surface of the planter and on a piece of torn page. Notice that I am aligning the page margin with the masking tape. The tops of the pages go on the top, while the bottoms of the pages...you get the idea. This technique creates a plain border around the container. Overlap the torn pieces, to create an altered look and cover page numbers. To seal the edges, apply more glue on top of the pieces, but sparingly, please. Hint: you'll stain the paper later.


5. When you have covered the middle of the planter, all the way around, let it dry. Now remove the masking tape carefully.


6. Create an altered look by using brown pigment ink to stain the pages. Hold the ink dauber in place to create darker sploches of color here and there.


7. Crafting is a creative process, so I often change my idea halfway through a project. After surveying my work so far, I decided I wasn't satisfied with the original design after all (not even a smidgen). I covered the planter with more paint. If you started with an unpainted or new planter, you may not need to do this, but you may want to paint the planter anyway. It's up to you.


8. After the paint dries, you can decorate more, if you like. Not one to stop at simplicity, I added glitter glue with blue flecks. Maybe it doesn't really go with the shabby chic theme, but I couldn't help myself. I love glitter! You, on the other hand, can forget it, if you choose.


9. To protect the design, spray the outside of the planter with an acrylic sealer, as noted in the materials list above. I chose a glossy sealer, but you might prefer a matte finish.

10. Using strong double-stick tape, attach a piece of ribbon around the planter. Adhere flat-bottomed marbles to the ribbon with the same tape.

Altered Book Pages on a Metal Planter

The Moral of the Story: Never throw anything away, I always say. One woman's trash is another woman's treasure...or at least has some potential. And because I can never leave well enough alone, in the fall, I might recycle the planter again into a back-to-school design.

Project Tips

After staining the pages, try sanding them to give the design a more weathered look.

You can substitute other colors of ribbon and paint.

Play around with the position of the ribbon on the planter, before you adhere it with double-stick tape. Once you add the tape behind the ribbon, it will be difficult to reposition it without ruining the altered page "cummerbund."

If you prefer a more rustic look, substitute colored raffia for the ribbon.

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Product Resource Guide

Buy your craft supplies at MisterArt.com

Wholesale Arts & Crafts Supplies

Most project photos on this page were taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital Camera

Article Description: One woman's trash is another woman's treasure, in this project that uses altered book pages on a recycled metal planter.