DIY MINI WOOD TAGS FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY
If you’ve been reading my blog you might know that my four daughters have been asking me to decorate more for the holidays…including St. Patrick’s Day decorations. Yes, that is a holiday they think I should decorate for too lol! So they win. I’ve truly been making an effort to have a more festive home even though daughter #4 totally rearranges everything.
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I have been eyeing these adorable mini wood tags on Pinterest for forever now. They are CUTE! They tie in with pretty much anything. You can add these wood tags to a wreath, to a welcome sign, on the mantle (I really wish we had one but I’ll just have to make a faux mantle one of these days) or my favorite- to a tiered tray. Those trays are seriously rustic home décor overload! I love them!! I need to add one to my coffee bar soon.
If you’re looking for fun green holiday themed to make with the kiddos try this easy St. Patrick’s Day suncatcher.
To make this completely from scratch at home you’ll need a few power tools. But, if you don’t have power tools to DIY this craft from start to finish you can grab a DIY CRAFT KIT here. I haven’t always been super comfortable using power tools, actually I was deathly afraid of them not too long ago. Now that I’m over my power tool phobia here’s what I recommend for DIY crafters.
DIY St. Patrick’s Day Wood Tags
Here’s what you’ll need
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mini wood tags
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3 shades of green paint
If you’d like the same file I used to create this set of 3 mini wood St. Patrick’s Day tags you can get my Cricut file here. It’s in my FREE resource library. It’s where I keep all of my FREEBIES like files, printables, patterns, and more. You’ll need the password because I like to keep it a little bit secret but no worries it’s super easy to get. Jut fill out the prompt and you’ll get instant access.
Other helpful tools I used
Watch the video or keep scrolling for step by step written/photo instructions for these wood St. Patrick’s Day tags.
Cutting your wood pieces
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First you want to cut out your wood tags. I used my Ryobi miter saw to do this. Cut a 1×4 in to 3 5” long pieces. On the top of each 5” piece measure in 1” and make a mark. Set your miter saw to 45 degrees, line it up with your 1” mark and cut. Flip your tag over and do the same to the other side.
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Now drill a hole in the middle of the top of each piece. This is for your twine holder to go through.
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After you have that done give each piece a quick sanding. You don’t have to get crazy with this, it’s not a fine piece of furniture. I use 120 grit sandpaper for this and that’s it. Just enough to take off that shine it has when you get it from the lumberyard.
Stencils
You can use any cutting machine to create your stencils. I use my Cricut Explore to make all of mine. If you use a Cricut you can get my cutting file here. I use Oramask stenciling film to make my stencils. While it is a little more expensive than other materials I have found it works the absolute best for stenciling.
Painting (the fun part!)
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First a thin layer of white paint on each wood tag. Be sure it is a thin layer, you will still be able to see the wood grain through the paint. After the first thin layer is dry you can paint a second thin layer. You don’t want more than two layer of base paint on your wooden tags, or any painted wood sign. Too much paint will cause issues when stenciling with base paint peel up, which can be impossible to fix sometimes and honestly it just plain sucks to have to go back and fix.
2. After your base paint is completely dry you can apply your stencils to all three wood blanks. Apply your transfer tape to your stencils (if you bought my DIY CRAFT KIT this step has already been done for you). Peel the paper backing from your stencil/transfer tape. Go slow. Place your stencils sticky side down on the front of your painted wood tag. The front is just whichever side you prefer best ;). Using your vinyl squeegee, if you don’t have one you can use a plastic store rewards card, and rub the stencil to that it adheres to the wood. Slowly peel the transfer tape away from the wood leaving your stencil attached to the wood. I find that it works best when I roll the transfer tape away, check out this DIY PAINTED WOOD SIGN TUTORIAL for a closer look at how to do this.
3. Use masking tape to tape off the edges of your stencil so you don’t get paint on areas of the wood tags that you don’t want paint on.
4. Cut your stenciling sponge in half so you can use it in all three paint colors without mixing the colors.
5. Using one end of one of the sponges dip it in the lightest color of green. You need very little paint, the more paint you use the more paint bleed you will likely have. Dab your sponge onto one of your wood blocks where the clover is exposed on the wood. The coverage should be VERY faint. Let that dry and repeat up to three times. You don’t want to apply more than three coats as this could cause issues with paint peel up where you just stenciled.
6. Peel up your stencil and tape. Using an xacto knife helps to remove the middle piece of the clover.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 for your other two wood tag bases.
8. Let them dry.
Distressing
After your paint completely dries from stenciling you can start distressing your wood St. Patrick’s Day tags. I LOVE using antiquing wax for this process. Antiquing wax comes in a several different colors but my favorite its definitely the regular antiquing wax. Learn more about how to transform your DIY farmhouse style crafts with antiquing wax.
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Using sand paper or your sander give a quick sanding to the edges, corners, and lightly on the front of each wooden tag. Wipe off and dust.
2. Take your chip brush and lightly dip it into your antiquing wax. Dab off the excess, a little wax goes a very long way. Much like you did with the sandpaper, focus on brushing the wax on the edges, corners, and lightly on the front of your wooden tags.
Adding twine
Probably the easiest step is adding the twine. Decide how long you would like your twine hangers to be. I think I measured mine at 12” or so. You’ll need 3 pieces, one for each wood tag. Feed one piece of twine through the hole in one of the wood tags then tie it in a knot.
You’re ready to display your St. Patrick’s Day wood tags in your home. I know it may seem like a lot of steps written out but really these are super easy and quick to DIY once you get going on them.
Like with all of my DIY tutorials if you have any questions please reach out. Leave a comment below or send me a message on one of my social media pages. You can find my links at the top.
Happy Crafting!
Do you love freebies? Don’t forget to check out my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY. It’s where I keep all of my FREE printables, files, and more. Go here to get instant access to my library
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