Upcycled Formica Gift Tags with Mod Podge Stencils

Welcome!  I'm taking a teeny break from My Winter Games series, it will resume again soon.  Today, some glitzy faux bois gift tags...

...upcycled from those freebie Formica samples from the home improvement store.  You know the kind I mean:

I used one of the new Mod Podge Rocks glitter stencils to create this look.  Rather chic, no?

Care to try?  Here's the DIY!  First I peeled the self-adhesive stencil most carefully from the page, then positioned it on the Formica sample.

I gooped on the Mod Podge.  Don't be stingy.  Goop it, baby!

I lifted away the stencil, and covered the wet Mod Podge with a thick glitter layer.

At this point, I made sure to wash off the stencil with soap and water.  (Wash it before the Mod Podge gets all tacky, or it'll be a real bear to remove.  Rawrrr.)

I allowed my glitter-covered Formica to dry overnight.   Yes, overnight.  Wasn't I good?  And patient?  And good?  Cuz I was dying to see how it turned out.  But I listened to my left brain and waited.  Next morning, I cleaned away the excess glitter, finishing with a soft makeup brush.  What a pretty result!

To keep the glitters from shedding, I sprayed several light coats of poly sealer.  (Alternative: seal it with another layer of Mod Podge, or any clear-drying liquid sealer.)

Add ribbon or cord to the ready made hole.  Write your message on the back with a white paint pen (or anything that will show up against the Formica color).  And that's your gift tag, done!

If you are a jewelry-making type, consider adding some extra layers of sealer (for durability) and converting your Formica sample into a mod little pendant.

I was really interested to try the glitter, stencil and Mod Podge technique - it was great fun!  I love the big wood grain pattern (designed by Amy from the groovy blog Mod Podge Rocks!) and will definitely use this gorgeous stencil again.

That's my little re-purposed idea for today, hope you liked it.  Next time you get a chance, grab some Formica samples and see how much fun they are to craft with.

Thanks for coming by!

Disclosure: Plaid sent me the stencil to try, no strings attached.  (Thanks, Plaid!)  This tutorial and all opinions herein are 100% my own.