- Ornaments And Starbursts
- Aluminum Tree Era
- Snowy Day Fun
- Characters And Pets
- Nativity Charm
- Cookie Tin Favorites
- Kitchen And Cocoa
- Santa And Reindeer
- Finishing Touches
- Frequently Asked Questions
Retro Christmas gift tags bring back the look of mid-century ornament boxes and old greeting cards, with rounded shapes, cheerful faces and a candy-bright palette. This set gives you 18 sheets of ready-to-cut tags, each one a tiny finished card with a kitsch scene in the middle, a patterned border around it and a short greeting, so there is nothing left to design, only to print and trim.
Print the sheets on printable sticker paper if you want the tags to stick straight onto a box, or on plain matte cardstock if you plan to punch a hole and tie them on. Print at actual size (turn off any ‘fit to page’ scaling), then cut around each tag, leaving a thin white edge so the ink does not look cropped.
Using these images: free for personal projects such as printing, coloring, cards, journals and gifts. Handmade items that include them may be sold up to 30 pieces per design. More than that is commercial use and is not permitted, and neither is selling or sharing the images themselves or passing them off as your own. Please ask before any other use.
Ornaments And Starbursts
Scalloped tag, luggage tag, round tag and oval label share this sheet, each dressed in its own retro pattern: a tiny Shiny Brite ornament, a gold starburst, a candy cane and a holly sprig.
Hang the scalloped ornament tag off a ribbon loop for a simple topper, or stick the oval holly label flat on a flat-wrapped box where a bow would get in the way. These four read well together on one gift if you want a matching set without using the same shape twice.
Bell-shaped tag with mistletoe, rectangular label with a red sleigh, ticket tag with a tiny reindeer and a round tag with a snowflake round out this section with four more classic mid-century shapes.
Aluminum Tree Era
Love the pink aluminum tree look? This sheet pairs a stocking-shaped tag with a pom-pom cuff, a luggage tag with a pink aluminum tree and a bracket label with a sputnik star, all nodding to the same space-age Christmas moment.
Print it on sticker paper if the tags are going straight onto glossy wrapping paper, since stickers grip better than taped paper tags on a slick surface. On plain paper, add a small loop of twine through the top of the luggage tag instead.
Ornament-shaped tag with a teal stripe, scalloped circle with a Santa mug, long label with a string of bulbs and a star tag with sparkles finish the aluminum-tree section with brighter, lighter motifs.
Snowy Day Fun
Mitten-shaped tag with a snowflake cuff, round tag with a snowman face and a ticket tag with ice skates bring a playful winter-day feel to gifts for anyone who loves the snow.
Leave the thin white border around the mitten cuff when you cut, since the scalloped edge there is easy to clip too close. A craft knife helps with the tight curve between the mitten thumb and the main shape if scissors feel fiddly.
Tree-shaped tag with tiny baubles, luggage tag with a gingerbread man, oval label with a peppermint swirl and a round tag with a bell give this sheet a sweet, cookie-tin feel that suits treat boxes especially well. Pair it with the mitten and skates sheet above for a gift set that mixes snow play with hot cocoa and cookies, perfect for a neighbor or teacher gift.
Characters And Pets
Scalloped rectangle with a winking elf, banner label with holly berries and a round tag with a poodle in a scarf give this sheet a playful character cast, perfect for gifts with a sense of humor built in.
These three work well as a five-minute wrap: tape the banner label flat across the top of a box, stick the elf tag at one corner, and clip the poodle tag onto a ribbon if there is one. No extra trimming needed beyond the outer cut line.
Luggage tag with a cardinal on a branch, bracket label with a pine cone, round tag with a gift box and a ticket tag with a candle keep the nature-and-home mood going with a slightly calmer, cozier set of motifs.
Nativity Charm
Round tag with a spaghetti-haired angel, scalloped tag with a gold star and an oval label with a white dove bring a softer, more old-fashioned charm to the set, closer to a vintage nativity card than a toy catalog.
These three suit tags for family gifts or anyone who likes a quieter kind of festive. On the back, a short handwritten wish works nicely under a motif this gentle, rather than anything too cluttered. For more gentle Christmas motifs to draw by hand, see these cute Christmas doodles.
Gift-box tag with polka dots, luggage tag with a toy drum, round tag with a rocking horse and a long label with a tin train bring the toyshop energy of an old department store window straight onto your wrapping.
Cookie Tin Favorites
Mint-colored bauble-shaped tag, scalloped circle with a frosted cookie and a rectangular label with a small wreath make a soft, sugar-cookie palette that pairs well with any cookie tin or baking gift.
Print this trio on sticker paper and stick them straight onto cellophane treat bags, since paper tags tend to slide around on crinkly cellophane. A glue stick works too if you prefer plain paper for a slightly more handmade finish.
Gold-edged star tag, luggage tag with a blow-mold Santa, round tag with a bubble light and an oval label with a tinsel strand round out the lawn-decoration charm of this sheet with four shiny, nostalgic motifs.
Kitchen And Cocoa
Teacup-shaped tag with steam, round tag with a cocoa mug and marshmallows and a ticket tag with a cookie plate suit any gift built around hot drinks and treats, from mug sets to a tin of cocoa mix.
Cut the teacup tag’s steam curls carefully, since that thin shape is the easiest part of the sheet to tear. If the curve gives you trouble, round it off slightly with scissors rather than chasing the exact line with a craft knife.
Scalloped tag with a glitter deer, luggage tag with a snowy cabin, long label with pine trees and a round tag with a sled bring an outdoorsy, cabin-weekend feel that pairs naturally with the cocoa mug sheet above for one cohesive gift set. For more cozy cabin inspiration, browse these Christmas cabin junk journal pages.
Santa And Reindeer
Round tag with a jolly Santa face, bracket label with reindeer antlers and a luggage tag with a sack of toys give the classic Santa story its own cheerful sheet, bold enough to stand alone on a large gift.
These suit the five-minute wrap well: one tag on the ribbon, nothing else needed. If you want a fuller look, layer the bracket label flat under the bow before tying it, so the antlers peek out on either side.
Oval label with a punch bowl, round tag with an eggnog glass, scalloped tag with a cocktail cherry and a luggage tag with a fruitcake turn this sheet into the holiday-party corner of the set, ideal for hostess gifts and bottle tags.
Finishing Touches
Heart-shaped tag with a holly leaf, round tag with a candy-stripe border and a luggage tag with a pink poinsettia soften the set with a slightly more romantic, candy-pink finish, good for gifts to a partner or close friend.
Write a short wish on the back of the heart tag rather than the front, since the patterned border there already fills the space nicely. A single word like ‘With Love’ on the front is plenty.
Bookmark strip with a column of tiny ornaments, luggage tag with a sputnik ornament, round tag with a silver bell and a ticket tag with a starburst close out the set with a mix of shapes that suit smaller gifts like book stacks and stocking fillers. Pair this sheet with the Shiny Brite tags at the start of the set for a full ornament theme across two sheets. If you enjoy mid-century motifs like these, these retro Christmas junk journal pages are worth a look too.
What to Do Next
Pick a handful of sheets that match the gifts on your list this year, print them on sticker paper or cardstock, and keep the rest of the set ready for next year’s wrapping too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for retro Christmas gift tags?
Printable sticker paper works best when tags need to stick flat onto boxes or bags, while matte cardstock suits tags you plan to punch and tie with twine. Both hold the saturated retro colors cleanly, and sticker paper saves the step of gluing each tag by hand.
What printer settings give the sharpest colors?
Choose actual size or 100 percent scaling, never ‘fit to page’, and select a photo or best quality setting on your printer. This keeps the cherry red, teal and gold true to the sheet rather than muddy or faded.
How do you cut out tags with tight curves, like the mitten cuff?
A small craft knife handles tight inner curves better than scissors, especially around scalloped edges and shapes like the mitten or stocking. Leave a thin white border as you cut so the ink never looks clipped at the edge.
Can these tags go straight onto wrapped gifts without a hole punch?
Yes, if printed on sticker paper they peel and stick directly onto wrapping paper, boxes or cellophane bags with no extra tools. For cardstock tags, a small hole punch and a loop of twine or ribbon through the top works just as well.
Can you mix these tags into a junk journal or card project instead of gift wrap?
Yes, the tags work well glued onto card fronts or journal pages as a focal motif, especially the smaller round and oval shapes. Trim close to the scalloped edges first if the tag needs to sit flush on a page.