Salt dough gift tags

Add a flourish to your wrapping with these stylish handcrafted labels.

YOU WILL NEED

✺ Flour ✺ Salt ✺ Water ✺ Clingfilm ✺ Baking parchment ✺ Rolling pin ✺ Rubber luggage tag stamp ✺ Alphabet stamps ✺ Sharp knife ✺ A drinking straw ✺ Patterned stamps ✺ Card luggage tag ✺ Glass with a patterned base ✺ Cookie cutters ✺ Baking tray ✺ Ribbon

1 To make the salt dough, mix together 2 parts flour to 1 part salt and 1 part water in a large bowl. Mix until well blended, then form a ball, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 40min. On a sheet of baking parchment, roll out a section of dough to approximately 4mm thick.

2 There are 2 gift tag designs. For the ‘drink’ tag, stamp the dough with a rubber luggage tag stamp, then use alphabet stamps to imprint a word or name on to it. Cut around the luggage tag shape with a knife and make a hole for the ribbon using a straw. For the ‘eat’ tag, stamp a section of the dough with a patterned stamp. Place the card tag on top and cut around it with a sharp knife. Cut out a circle about 1cm in diameter from the remaining dough (we used a pen lid). Press this small circle into position at the top of the tag shape, then, using a straw, make a hole in the middle for the ribbon. Press a word on to the tag with alphabet stamps.

3 For the circular tags, use the base of a glass to make an impression, then cut around the shape with a cookie cutter. Add a letter with an alphabet stamp if you wish to personalise it. Make a hole for the ribbon using a straw.

4 Place all the tags on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake in the oven on low heat: 110˚C (90˚C fan) mark ¼ for about 4hr. Leave to cool, then thread ribbon through the holes.