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When I was a kid I used to love using watercolour. I loved the brand new set of paints, the used up palettes, mixing in water to different consistencies, mixing colours together to make new ones. I loved the weight and texture of the paper, I loved the ombré and marbled effect of the paint. I think maybe I missed my calling as a watercolour artist. Probably not.
new paints and brushes
But recently when Michael’s had a coupon for a discount on an entire purchase, I decided to get me some inexpensive water colouring stuff. Just for fun…for a rainy afternoon. My philosophy is just because I’m not an expert, doesn’t mean I can’t give something a try and create something beautiful. I hope you feel the same! Don’t be nervous to try something new…enjoy the process and don’t worry so much about the result. Creativity is good for the soul.
pastel palette for spring
So while that rainy afternoon is probably a long way off (it is mid-winter after all) I took out my new paints, paper and brushes anyway when I saw this idea for making watercolour gift tags. It’s from this book which I got for Christmas. The book teaches creative hand lettering of all styles, which I can’t really teach, but one of the projects is for calligraphy on watercolour tags. So we’ll cheat on the calligraphy part …shhh… but still end up with some pretty tags…
looks just like calligraphy, right?
So I cheated on the lettering part by feeding the watercolour paper straight through the printer. I laid out the words (or names) I wanted to use in three columns in a Word document, leaving enough space for the tag shaped punch I was using between each word. I used this font which is one of my new faves, and mimics the look of calligraphy a bit.
line it up perfectly
If you’re using a punch to cut out your tag shape, hold it upside down so you can see where to line up your words inside the tag borders.
start painting
And then I just started painting. If you’re a REAL watercolour artist please don’t cringe… I’m just making a craft… My only tip is if you wet the paper really well before you start painting then the paints will flow and marble together to make these pretty abstract designs.
love making a mess
Depending on how wet the paper is, it will curl up at the edges even when it’s dry. Which is fine with me but you can press them under a heavy book if you prefer to have them flat.
pretty pastels
When they were dry I punched a hole in the top and tied in some twine. I think these would be pretty for Valentine’s Day or any Spring occasion. I had a suggestion on Instagram to use them as price tags if you sell boutique merchandise. I would totally shop at a store that had price tags this pretty! Wouldn’t you?
pretty gift
Once you’re all set up, it’s easy to make a whole lot at once. Make some with generic greetings on them like I did, or print them out with your family’s or friends’ names for a lovely personalized touch.
watercolour gift tags
What would you use these for? Let me know in the comments… I’ve got a whole stack of them now to use up! Hope you enjoyed my easy and pretty craft. And hoping you have a chance to be creative too.
See you next time!
xo andrea
linking to thoughts from alice, monday funday, diy dreamer, joy in our home,
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