We use bag tags all the time to label our little girl’s diaper bags and our boys’ lunch boxes and sports bags. Here’s a great way to make bag tags yourself on the cheap!

You will need a sheet of scrapbook paper (8.5″ x 11″ or 12″ x 12″ trimmed to fit in your printer), computer & printer, and these (below) self-sealing laminating pouches for bag tags (available at office supply stores). {I actually have an electric heat laminator, but I often prefer to use these because they are thicker and quicker.}

Simply open a standard 8.5″ x 11″ word document and set your margins to 0.5″ top, 8.45″ bottom, 0.5″ left, 5″ right (so you will have space in the top, left-hand side of the page). Then type your child’s name in whatever font and whatever size (to fit within your margins) you want.

Print it onto a piece of scrapbook paper. If it is two-sided paper, make sure you print it out on the side that is not so “busy” that you cannot read the child’s name. Trim the paper to about 2.5″ x 3.5″ (it doesn’t have to be exact, but it needs to fit in the bag tag laminating pouch with about a quarter-inch border for the adhesive to have room to adhere all the way around).

If you also want to print on the back of the bag tag, set your margins to 0.5″ top, 8.45″ bottom, 5″ left, 0.5″ right (so it will be on the top, right-hand side of the page), then feed your already printed (but NOT yet trimmed) piece of scrapbook paper through to print on the back. I like to put the name on the front and cell numbers or pertinent allergy info on the back. Then trim the paper to about 2.5″ x 3.5″ (again, it doesn’t have to be exact, but it needs to fit in the bag tag laminating pouch with about a quarter-inch border for the adhesive to have room to adhere all the way around).

Next, carefully position your printed tag and peel back the sticky paper on the laminating pouch, smoothing it down as you go (it’s important to do it as you go to avoid air bubbles).

{click thumbnails to enlarge}

Voila! Add the hanger and you’re good to go! I like to add a ribbon too for a little extra swag. 🙂

They are also great to add as functional gift tags on a baby shower gift or as a luggage tag onto “grown-up” luggage!

So what will you be tagging this week?! Wheeeee!