Journaling Cards and Tags- Easy Ways to Make and Use Them
Art therapy is such an important component of my self-care routine. I’ve said this many times before. I just don’t know what it is about pulling out papers, art supplies, and craft elements that helps me to lose myself in a project and come out of the experience feeling calm and satisfied.
Now that my kids are a little older, I am finding myself using my craft supplies more frequently. If I’m being honest, the only thing that keeps me from playing with my paints, scissors, glues, and ink pads is my full-time job. I could mess with these items all day.
But sometimes, I need a smaller project that doesn’t take hours to complete. It might be that I simply don’t have the time on the weekend to spend more than a few minutes making something. Or, I’m in need of more rest than recreation, so a short project is better than one that takes longer.
This is where making small paper crafts is such a joy, and nothing has been more fun lately than creating journaling cards and tags. Below, are some ideas for creating easy cards and tags as well as suggestions for how to use them.
What Are Journaling Cards and Tags?
Before we get into the DIY ideas and How To’s of this article, it might be worth explaining a little bit about what kinds of paper crafts we’re actually talking about. Journaling cards are basically small cards (usually 3×5” or 4×6”, if you’re buying them) that are decorated on one side and blank or lined on the back.
Journaling cards have been a favorite freebie that planner companies have thrown in to thank customers for their orders. And, they are now a popular craft project for those of us who enjoy making things for our journals and planners.
As their name suggests, these cards were designed to add to notebooks, journals, and planners to provide some extra space for journaling. But, they have more uses than that, as you’ll see below.
Tags are just what you might imagine- like the kinds you find on gifts, these are slips of paper that have a hole where a string can be used to attach them to a package. They basically label items or indicate the package’s recipient.
Once just a fixture on wrapped gifts, tags have become a fun medium to feature all manner of artwork. The mixed media designs you can create on them are truly beautiful, and the nice thing is that it doesn’t take a lot of time to create a small work of art.
When used in journals or planners, journaling cards and tags have lots of uses that make them fun to make, and even more fun to use!
How to Use Journaling Cards and Tags
I’m sure there are endless uses for journaling cards and tags. So, this is not going to be an exhaustive list, but rather a place to get you started with a few ideas. I’ll start with the obvious and branch out from there.
Provide More Writing Space in Journals. This is the original intent for journaling cards, and the idea works just as well for tags. In fact, some journaling cards are also known as “tip ins,” because you will tip in a card to expand your writing space on a page. It prevents you from having to go beyond the one or two pages that you devoted to your journal page.
Add Them to Your Planner. The same argument for more writing space can be said for your planner. If you run out of space on a daily or weekly calendar page, your journaling card or tag can provide valuable real estate for continuing to write without invading another page or using a note page on the back that’s unrelated to the page you were working on. Simply add the journaling card with some washi tape or include a pocket on your page, and you have extra space ready to go for to do’s, menus, habit trackers, and shopping lists. I can assure you these are much more fashionable than a post it note.
Hide Private Journaling. If you like to showcase your journal or planner pages on social media, but you have private information you’d rather not share with the world, a journaling card or tag can help. You can include that private information on the back of the card or tag. Or, if you’ve already written that sort of information onto your page, use a journaling card or tag to discreetly cover it before you photograph your work.
In Junk and Art Journals. Depending on how decorated your junk or art journal pages are, you may not have any room to write in them at all. A journaling card or tag allows you to add writing to your page without interfering with the art on the page. When doing this, I recommend using washi tape at the top of the page so the journaling can hang over the page but be lifted out of the way. Tags are often added simply by including a pocket of some sort, but if you truly want to leave your page unblemished, a pretty clip or glued in button will give you a place to hang the tag.
Add Quotes or Inspirational Phrases. The nice thing about journal cards and tags is that they can be used to highlight a particular quote or phrase. Take the time to letter out (or use one of these lettering hacks to write) an inspiring message on the front and journal about it on the back. Or, just use the back to add a quote. Easy peasy.
Add Them to Your Vision Board. Whether you buy journaling cards and tags or make your own, they can include the sort of inspiration that highlights your goals. As I noted in my prior post on Vision Board, you should have a place where you collect the images, words, and phrases that resonate with you and motivate you to work toward your dreams. Including cards and tags on your vision board is a great way to stay focused on your goals.
Gift Them. It’s easy to imagine creating gift tags and just placing them on someone’s wrapped present, but it’s equally nice to give someone a pretty tag so they can expand the writing space in their journal or planner. The same goes for journaling cards. They are a lovely little craft to slip into someone’s gift either on their own or as something that can be used as extra writing space in a journal or planner. They would also make lovely bookmarks!
Ideas for Making Journaling Cards and Tags
Now that we have covered some of the many uses for these fun little paper crafts, it’s time we talk about how to create them. Of course, you can always purchase journaling cards, such as the ones right here found on Amazon (#Ad):
And, you can easily find pre-decorated tags, like the ones found here (#Ad):
But, since making your own is quick and really satisfying, here are some suggestions for making some yourself. And, with all the ways you can do these, they will have your own style
Paper for Journaling Cards
Cardstock. This is the easiest option. A nice, heavy cardstock can withstand the various inks, stamping, and sometimes paint that can be used to create a decorative journaling card or tag.
Index Cards. Although you can always glue a couple of the regular-weight index cards together, the heavy weight version is usually the best. Here are some inexpensive ones that should do the trick. (#Ad)
Yupo Paper. This is really more plastic than paper, but it makes it so easy to create cards using alcohol inks. Just cut them down to size, add your inks and either blow them into different patterns or use movement to swirl them. As you can see below, the inks create a beautiful design thanks to the movement this kind of paper allows. You can find Yupo paper at craft stores or online (#Ad).
Thick paper from mailers. Here’s a cheap option- all of those ads you get in the mail on the extra-heavy paper can be cut up and used for this sort of project. Just be sure to use other paper, washi tape, or decorative duct tape to cover up the advertisements.
Options for Tags.
If you don’t have a stencil or die cutting machine to create your own tags (or you’d rather just get to the decorating rather than fussing with cutting paper), there are plenty of pre-made, undecorated tags out there for purchase. Here are some options from Amazon-
They can be large (#Ad):
Or small (#Ad):
You can also use a stencil to trace and cut out your own, like this stencil here (#Ad)
However, if you have a die cutting machine, there are lots of sets out there with tag dies that will cut beautiful tags out of whatever paper you have. Here is my absolute favorite by Tim Holtz an Sizzix. There are so many sizes and types in this set, and the dies cut perfectly! (#Ad)
This inexpensive set will work as well in your die cutting machine. (#Ad)
Ideas for Decorating Journaling Cards and Tags
The ideas for decorating journaling cards and tags are literally endless. You don’t need to be an artist, but it is a lot of fun to use whatever supplies you have on hand. In fact, I think this kind of project is particularly satisfying for anyone who has scrapbooking or cardmaking supplies.
Use Map Paper. Have an old, outdated map or atlas? Cut out the same size card or tag from your map paper and glue it onto the front of your project. It makes a really neat, travel-themed embellishment for journals and planners.
Add Die Cuts. I think it’s fun to add die cuts and let them hang off the paper a bit to make it more of a 3-dimensional design. Here are some vintage die cuts I bought that I’ve used in a couple of my tag projects, but any ephemera will do (#Ad)
Design Your Own Paper. There are so many ways to do this. You can simply paint the paper or create designs with a stamp. However, if you have a gel press, you can definitely use a combination of paints, inks, stencils, and stamps to make unique paper designs. Here is the one I own along with the brayer I use to spread the paint: (#Ad)
I also use stamps and embossing powders to create backgrounds like the one in this photo. A good embossing powder and clear embossing stamp pad are key. Here are the ones I used to create this small tag (the pearl white made this silvery design when used on burgundy cardstock) (#Ad):
Any patterned rubber or cling stamp will work.
Distress Inks and Oxides. To create a distressed (or worn) look on your paper, I highly recommend using Distress Inks and Oxides. If you have paper that can withstand a little water, go to town with the Distress Oxides. The water activates the inks and they take on a powdery, matte look. Finish it with some stamping and metallic rub ons. Here are the supplies I used to make this tag. (#Ad)
Use Stickers. Stickers are a great way to add instant images to your cards and tags. They are also a good way to add words. I am obsessed with these Small Talk stickers by Tim Holtz (yeah- you notice I mention his products a lot and that is because he’s the King of Crafts). (#Ad)
Add Labels and Stamped Words. As I noted in a prior post on how to add nice lettering to your journals if you hate your handwriting, I am always looking for ways to avoid having to see my own handwriting in my journals. Well, the same goes for paper crafting. In these projects, I used rubber stamps and labels made with my manually embossed Dymo label maker. (#Ad)
Dies and Embellishments. So, another die cut embellishment I have enjoyed adding are vintage-looking tickets. But, since I don’t have a stash of old tickets, I have taken to making my own with, you guessed it, Tim Holtz ticket dies and coordinating stamps. I love this set. They look so authentic, my family was shocked that I made tickets myself. (#Ad)
These are just a few examples, but I hope they inspire you to get out all of your supplies and have fun making these small but satisfying paper crafts. Journaling cards and tags add a beautiful decorative element to any book and are even swapped by folks online who trade what they make.
Are you a journaling card or tag addict? Do you make your own? What ideas can you share?
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** Images of tags in graphics found on Canva; image of single tag found on Pixabay; and image of card surrounded by flower petals found on Pexels.
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