Crafty Cut Gift Tags (In-the-Hoop)

Bring an elegant, sophisticated touch to your holiday gifts with crafty cut tags. Stitched entirely in the hoop, these raw edge embroidery designs are a marvelous way to personalize your presents.

Supplies & Materials:

Project Materials and Supplies
- Small pieces of UltraSuede
- Tear-away stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100)
- 1/8"-1/4" Ribbon for hanger
- Craft knife

The designs used in this tutorial include: OR more materials & supplies

- X12863, Mitten Christmas Tag

Gather Materials:

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files, and others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.

We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)

Two white paper templates with black outlines of irregular heart shapes divided by cross lines, placed on beige fabric over a wooden surface.

Spray the backside of each dieline printout with temporary adhesive.

Smooth each the dieline onto a piece of UltraSuede.

Paper with a printed outline of an acorn shape divided by construction lines is glued onto a larger beige cardstock on a wooden surface.

Cut out both the front and back shapes.

Hand holding large curved scissors cutting thick paper with a snowman-shaped cutout on a wooden surface, next to a beige cutout piece matching the snowman shape.

Start Embroidering:

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Embroidery hoop with fabric and stabilizer secured inside, placed on a wooden surface. Hoop is light gray plastic, oval-shaped.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline files).

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer where we'll place the front fabric piece.

Embroidery machine stitching a light brown outline of a rounded mitten shape on white fabric hooped in a plastic embroidery frame.

Spray the back of the front piece with temporary adhesive.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Place the fabric piece right inside the sewn dieline.

Embroidery hoop with fabric hooped, cut into the shape of a mitten, laid on light stabilizer with wooden surface underneath. No stitching visible yet.

Reattach the hoop to the machine and continue with the design.

A running stitch tack down will sew next. This binds the fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Close-up of beige mitten-shaped fabric piece being stitched in a sewing machine hoop on white stabilizer. The sewing machine needle is actively stitching.

All of the inner elements will sew next.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "finishing seam." When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine. Do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Embroidery hoop with beige fabric featuring an embroidered Christmas stocking design with green holly leaves, red berries, and blue swirling patterns. The embroidery machine needle is visible in the upper center.

Turn the hoop over and spray the backside of the back piece with temporary adhesive.

Place the back piece within the shape on the back of the embroidery.

Hand lifting a beige fabric piece from an embroidery hoop with a white stabilizer underneath, showing a stitched outline of a bear-shaped design.

The remaining steps will be seen from both sides. Wind a bobbin with the same thread used in the top.

Close-up of a sewing machine bobbin case with gold thread wound on the bobbin and needle thread tension spring visible. White machine surface.

Attach the hoop back to the machine. Continue the design.

A running stitch tack down will bind all the layers together.

Embroidery hoop with fabric showing a stitched beige gift tag shaped like a mitten, decorated with green holly leaves, three red berries, and blue swirls, with part of a sewing machine visible above.

Unhoop the stabilizer and gently tear the excess away. The outline stitch will be removed as well.

If any bits of the stabilizer are still showing, carefully pull the layers of UltraSuede apart and trim away the stabilizer.

Hand holding a partially cut embroidered fabric piece with holly leaves and red berries, blue swirl designs on beige, fabric and scissors on wooden surface.

Use a craft knife to carefully cut a slit inside of the eyelet circle.

Next, cut a piece of ribbon 6-8" long and thread it through the eyelet. Tie a knot in the ribbon at the outer edge of the tag.

Embroidered cream-colored mitten-shaped gift tag with red berries, green holly leaves, blue swirls, and a red ribbon loop on a wood surface.

Get Inspired:

Tie the tags onto gifts to add an elegant touch for the holidays!

They're great for personalizing each gift for their recipient (as well as a fun way to stitch for the season!).

Wrapped brown paper gift with a red satin ribbon tied in a bow, featuring a white embroidered gift tag with holly leaves, red berries, and swirls. Red glitter ornaments and green foliage surround the package on a wooden surface.