Easy DIY Wooden Tags

When it comes to labels I am addicted to wooden tags. I love the farmhouse style vibe it brings while being completely unexpected in the labeling world. 

A couple of weeks ago I visited a friend and as all crafty friends do, we decided it was time to get our hands dirty. She had been to my house recently and fell in love with the wooden tags I have in my kitchen and wanted a set of her own. One of the things I love most about wooden tags is that you can customize them to whatever your needs are. 

For example, they have a “junk jar” so one of the tags was labeled junk. How adorable is that! 

Where to buy wooden tags

I don’t “buy” my wooden tags. I make them. All you need to buy is a piece of 2″ x 2′ x 1/4″ Poplar wood board. You can generally find them at Lowes, Home Depot or any other home improvement store. 

If you aren’t thrilled with the idea of making your own tags you can buy some precut wood blanks here. Just keep in mind that these will be made from pine instead of poplar and will be a fraction of the thickness, so your end result will be slightly different than what we created.

How to write on wooden tags

Wooden tags can be “written on” in about 100 different ways. Basically, you are limited to your own imagination. Anything from wood burning, to stamps or paint, can be used, even a sharpie will work. Because the base material is wood you only need to consider if a base coat of some kind will need to be used.

For example, to turn wooden tags into a chalkboard style tag you would need to add the chalkboard paint before you bust out the chalk pen. 

What can wooden tags be used for

Just like with how to write on wooden tags, what you can use them for is limited to your imagination. I have some attached to large glass jars in my kitchen, as well as baskets around my home. 

I have seen wooden tags used in toy rooms, closets, pantries, garages, craft rooms, offices, and the list goes on and on. 

How to make wooden tags

1. The first thing you will need to do is cut your tags to 3″ in length, we used a handheld miter box.
2. Next, you need to sand each of your wood pieces with a 180 grit sandpaper. For this step, I set the piece of sandpaper down on the workbench and ran the wood over it. Because the pieces of wood are so small it’s nearly pointless to mess with a power sander.
3. After the sanding is finished it’s time to create your labels.
4. Finally, I used my 1″ letter stamps and a black ink pad. Don’t be nervous to get creative here. Choose the color ink or style letter that best suits your style. Remember, the best part about making something is making it your own. 

Once you’re done making your wooden tags you’ll need to let the ink dry and if needed drill out the hole for the cord. To drill out the hold you’ll need a cordless drill and I used a 7/64 drill bit. To keep from damaging a surface, lay it on a piece of scrap wood and drill through completely. The exact placement of the hole is up to you, but I keep mine pretty close to the edge so I have more labeling area.