The year my daughter worked out that Santa’s gift tags were in my handwriting was the year I started printing them. She was seven, she’d been suspicious for a while, and she’d compared the “S” in Santa with the “S” on her school lunch note. I’ve been careful ever since.
So these printable Christmas gift tags are sorted by job, and that’s mostly so you’ll never have to think about handwriting again. There are tags your kids can color, tags that come from Santa (and look nothing like yours), tags for the four-gift rule, and fill-in ones for teachers and classmates. That’s 48 tags on six pages, all in one free PDF, and every one prints fine in black and white, which your ink cartridge will thank you for.
Gift Tags Kids Can Color
Sixteen tags with big outline pictures: a tree, a stocking, a snowman, a candy cane, a reindeer, a present, a star and a gingerbread person. Kids color them, cut them out and write the names, and they’ll want to do the whole sheet even if you’ve only got three presents.
It’s a good job for the week before Christmas when everyone’s slightly feral and you need twenty quiet minutes. And grandparents seem to like a wobbly, slightly over-colored tag a lot more than a shop-bought one. Ours keep them.
From Santa Gift Tags
Eight tags from Santa: four say “From Santa”, two say “From the North Pole” and two say “Special Delivery”. Use these for Santa’s presents only, and use the coloring tags or the fill-in ones for everything else, so the two never look alike.
A few families I know take it further and use a different wrapping paper for Santa’s gifts. That’s a commitment, and I haven’t managed it yet, but it works. If you write anything on a Santa tag, ask another grown-up to do it. Learn from my mistakes.
Want, Need, Wear, Read Tags
Some families keep presents simple with the four-gift rule: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. These tags have got one of the four words printed on each, two sets on the page, so you can label the four presents for two kids.
It also stops a lot of “but what’s in THIS one” on Christmas morning, because they already know one of them is socks.
Tags for Teachers, Classmates and Secret Santa
Eight fill-in tags with To and From lines and a short message line, for the presents kids give rather than get: teachers, coaches, classmates, the bus driver, and the office Secret Santa if you’ve been roped in.
How to Print Gift Tags at Home
- Print on card stock if you have it. Thick paper (around 65 lb in the US or 160 gsm elsewhere) feels like a proper tag. Ordinary paper’s fine too, especially if you glue the tag onto a bit of an old cereal box.
- Choose “actual size” or “100%” in the print settings, not “fit to page”, so the tags come out the right size. The PDF is ready for US Letter and A4.
- Cut along the outlines. Kids can do the straight ones, but the corners are fiddly and you’ll probably end up doing those.
- Punch a hole at the dot and thread through ribbon, string or garden twine.
- Write the names before you tie them on. Trust me on this one.
What to Write on a Christmas Gift Tag
The name, and who it’s from, is enough on most tags. If you’d like to add a little more, short’s best:
- “Merry Christmas! Love from”
- “Do not open until 25 December”
- “Handle with care: made by” (for anything a child made)
- “Thank you for a wonderful year” (for teachers)
- “From Santa. Be good!”
Kids usually want to write “open this first” on every single one of theirs.
Download the Printable Christmas Gift Tags
All 48 printable Christmas gift tags are in the free PDF: 16 to color, 8 from Santa, 8 for want-need-wear-read, 8 fill-in tags, and 8 printer-friendly tags with simple designs. It prints on US Letter and A4, and you won’t need color ink.
Download the Free Printable
⬇ Download PDF (Free)More Christmas Printables
- Christmas crafts for kids (25 ideas with templates)
- Printable advent calendar for kids
- Letter to Santa template
- 25 Christmas gifts for kids who love crafts
FAQs
How do I print my own Christmas gift tags?
Download the PDF, choose “actual size” or “100%” in your printer settings, and print on card stock or ordinary paper. Cut the tags out, punch a hole at the dot and add ribbon or string. The whole thing takes about ten minutes for a page of eight.
What paper is best for printable gift tags?
Card stock is best, because the tag won’t flop or tear when it’s tied to a present. Around 65 lb in the US or 160 gsm elsewhere is a good weight that most home printers can handle. If you only have printer paper, glue the tags onto thin cardboard before you cut them out.
Can kids color these gift tags?
Yes, 16 of the tags are made for coloring, with thick outlines and big shapes. Crayons, colored pencils and markers all work on card stock. The rest of the tags are simple line designs, so kids can color those too if they like.
What is the four-gift rule?
It’s a simple way to keep Christmas presents under control: each child gets something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. Some families use it for Santa’s gifts only, and some for everything. Our Want, Need, Wear, Read tags label each one.
How do you keep Santa’s gifts separate?
Use the From Santa tags for Santa’s presents and different tags for everything else, so the two sets never look the same. Some families also use a different wrapping paper for Santa. If anything needs writing on a Santa tag, ask a different grown-up so the handwriting doesn’t give it away.
Are these printable Christmas gift tags free?
Yes. There’s no email form and no sign-up: click the button and the PDF downloads. Print as many copies as you need for your family, a classroom or a school fair.
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