A fun little fact about Bocu - we hand-make many of the toppers for our gift wrap! Pom Poms are our specialty, but for the holidays we wanted to try something different that would really elevate the packaging. A way to make yourself stand out as an awesome gift giver is to not only give a good gift (obviously!), but to take that extra little step to make it too pretty to unwrap.
So after some trial and error, we are here to share with you a how-to for our DIY Clay Merry Gift Tags! These come with our best-selling 'Merry Merry Gift Wrap', and now you can try it at home!
SUPPLIES:
- Air-Dry Clay (we used Crayola brand)
- Lettered Stamps
- 1.5" Circle Cookie Cutter (or any shape that you prefer!)
- Rolling Pin
- Wax Paper
- Wooden Skewer (or a paper or metal straw for a larger hole if you want to string ribbon thru)
Step 1: Start by warming the clay in your hands by flattening to an even circle (about 1/2" thick).
Step 2: Put it onto a piece of wax paper, then lay another piece of wax paper on top - this will prevent sticking when you roll it out (this was our trial and error moment!). You can also purchase a clay rolling pin if you want to go the extra mile...
Step 3: Roll out the clay so that it's even thickness. We strive for 1/8-1/4" thickness. Don't over roll or you will get wrinkles and cracks in the clay.
Steps 4 + 5: Next, peel off the top layer of the wax paper, and smooth the clay with your fingers. 
Step 6: Using your cookie cutter, press into the clay. Before lifting, peel away the clay around the base of the cookie cutter. This will help to keep the clay inside of the cookie cutter - another trial and error lesson learned!
Step 7: Lift the cookie cutter out (with clay inside), and pop the clay out carefully by pushing with your finger. 
Step 8: Poke a hole approximately 1/4" from the edge using the blunt end of your skewer (or the end of your straw).
Step 9: Gently press stamp letters into the clay forming your word. We love these for customized tags using names & initials.
Tip: It's okay if they aren't perfectly straight. That's the beauty of these! (And also let's be honest - it's nearly impossible to get them all to be perfectly aligned!) 
Allow to dry overnight (minimum 12 hours depending on the thickness) and voilá! You'll have yourself pretty, clay stamps for your gifts!
