Decorate a Package or Bag with fun vintage Valentine-themed Windowed Tags

These Windowed Tags are perfect for decorating any package or bag with a touch of vintage Valentine’s Day flair! You can use them to embellish gifts, to top off treat bags, or even to add a special touch to a festive party decoration.

Supplies you will need:

The images used were from these 2 collections:

Vintage Valentine Stamps Cupid Angels

Vintage postcard with Writing Ephemera

• Electronic cutting machine and associated software (Skycut C24 and SCAL 6 were used)
• Cardstock (AC White Smooth)
• Parchment paper
• Tissue paper or tracing paper
• Transparency
• Tea light candle
• Grater (dedicated to crafting)
• Iron
• Heat-resistant surface
• Distress ink (Ranger Vintage Photo) and blender tool
• Printer
• Paper cutter
• Double stick tape
• Fibers, ribbon, charms (optional)
• Sewing machine (optional); thread (optional)
• Micron pen for doodling stitching if desired (optional)\

How to Make Valentine-themed Windowed Tags

Open your machine’s software.  SCAL 6 was used for this project.  Let’s start by creating the tags.  The tags shown below are oversized, but you could certainly resize them and adjust the size of the images you use in the window.

1. Choose the shape of tag you wish to use. Or you can use one of the shapes found in the SCAL library.  Tag X was used from the SCAL library for these samples.  Size as desired.  Break the image apart and change the size of the hanging hole to .25”.  Recenter if needed.  With both the hole and tag highlighted, go to Path > Back minus Front.
2. Choose the rounded rectangle and draw a rectangle and center it in the lower 2/3 of the tag.  Leave a generous border to add stitching or doodles later one.  Once you’ve sized it as desired, highlight the rounded rectangle and tag shape and once again use Path > Back minus Front.  Once this is done.  Import the chosen postcard image and place on the mat.  Move the tag shape to the top.  Resize the image as needed. Highlight both shapes.  Using the Object dropdown menu, choose Clip Path, Set Clip Path.  The image will fill the tag shape.
3. Create as many tags as you need and repeat the process as needed.  You’ll print these using your software’s Print 2 Cut steps and continue to the cutting process in the software and your machine. Once cut, set aside.
4. Using another sheet of paper, cut a back for each of the tags.  You don’t need to print anything, just cut the tag shape. Once these are cut, set aside.
5. Copy a tag and place on a different page in the software.  You’ll use this only as a reference for sizing the stamps to fit in the window.
6. Open the file that has the images for the stamps.  Choose the stamp(s) you wish to use.  We selected several and placed them on the mat, sizing to fit in the window, but leaving some open space around each of the sides.  Hide or delete the tag image – you won’t need to print it again.
7. We left a generous space around each image on the mat to allow for the size of the window and little extra since we’re going to be sandwiching the images between some transparency and securing the printed image between the printed tag and the back tag.
8. To print the images on tissue paper or tracing paper, secure the top edge of the paper to a piece of copy paper using some clear tape and feed the paper in your printer as directed by your specific printer.  Generally, the area with the tape will be fed first.  If you’re printing from a tray, the tissue or tracing paper will be face down in the tray.  If you’re printing from a rear feed, the tissue or tracing paper will be face up with the taped area feeding into the printer first.  You do not need to use the print 2 cut directions in your software – just print directly using File > Print.  No registration marks are needed for this print.
9. Once the print is completed.  Let the ink dry for about an hour – this allows the ink to absorb into the fibers of the tissue or tracing paper.  Once the ink has fully dried, cut each image, leaving that border on.
10. We chose to add a layer of wax to give the papers a look like glassine paper.  To do this, you will grate a small amount of wax from a tealight candle.  Place the wax over the face of the image that you have placed on a piece of parchment paper.  Place a second piece of parchment over the image and wax.  Warm up the iron… low temperature is just fine.  You just need to melt the wax.  Pass the iron over the image and melt the wax.  Once that has been accomplished, remove the parchment and lift the image from the bottom piece of parchment.  The image won’t take long to set and you’ll notice that the paper texture will be more see-through.  

11. One thing we noticed was that the color of the image on the tissue paper faded slightly, but still looks very nice.  The images on the tracing paper are brighter as the paper does not become fully transparent but looks more like a thick wax paper.

12. The next step is to place the image between two pieces of transparency that are cut a little larger than the window on the tag.  Center the image and place between the tag front and the tag back.

13. Using a clip to secure the sandwich, trim any excess from the outside edge.

14. We chose to stitch around the window to make sure the image is secured in the tag.  You can use a fancy stitch or a switch between a straight and zig-zag stitch.  If you prefer to doodle rather than stitch the tags, cut the waxed image slightly smaller than the transparency, but still larger than the window area on the tag.  Use some double stick tape to secure the transparency edges together.  Use additional double stick tape to secure the sandwich to the tag front and back and then doodle on the outside.

15. Once you’ve assembled the tags…. Distress the edges with some ink.  Then, embellish as desired with some ribbons, fiber and charms.

Your tags are now ready for use on a package or bag for your favorite Valentine!

Thanks for stopping by and if you choose to create something similar, we hope you’ll share it with us.  We would love to see what you make.  For additional inspiration, feel free to drop by Jan’s Artistry page, found here or her blog.