How to Make a Soda Pop Can Gift Tag

More often than I care to admit, I end up buying something because it is in an interesting bottle or container and I am more interested in repurposing the jar than eating the stuff in container.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this. It is kinda weird, I know.

That's how I ended up with this cool flip top pumpkin cider bottle (pumpkin spices mixed in apple juice) last fall. Sadly the drink wasn't all that but the empty bottles are worth keeping. I use one to hold olive oil from the bulk bottle in our pantry. The other bottle I put aside waiting for its special purpose.

Today is the day.

 I made homemade vanilla extract by crushing a vanilla bean, covering it in vodka, and letting it sit in a cool, dark place for several weeks as a lazy way frou frou foodie gift.  My vanilla extract is ready for gifting. It needs a fancy pants tag to dress up the bottle.

I got a brand new Sizzix Big Shot die cutting and embossing machine and 10 dies from the Sizzix Big Shot Balancing Act Value Pack (courtesy of  Sizzix and The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV) I'm having a ball running stuff through the Big Shot just to see if it will cut and emboss things other than paper, cardstock, fabric and metal. My latest and greatest obsession is die cutting metal pop cans.

Why a soda can? Well, first I have an iced tea can from the Korean grocery store I just found. Second, was the large amount of quality Lacey - Lisa time we spent unboxed all of the goodies we got and playing catch afterward that, Third, the cute paper store was closed and I wanted to make the gift tag ASAP.

To make this tutorial go a little easier, I'm embedding a video of Lacey helping me open the Sizzix Big Shot Balancing Act Value Pack. Lacey is such a good helper!

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, you get a lot for your $139.99. If  you bought everything that comes in the Balancing Act Value Pack separately it would cost you $318.99. 

How to Make a Gift Tag from a Pop Can

The Big Shot embosses and die cuts fabric, paper, card stock, and metal (think soda pop can thin type.) I even used it to emboss ribbon over on my DIY blog Condo Blues.

Learn how to make my embossed ribbon card here.

Don't worry gang, this project isn't hard or time consuming. If you can turn a crank handle you can make a professional looking card or gift tag or whatever your little heart desires with the Sizzix Big Shot.

You will need :

Sizzix Big Shot Machine
Sixixx Framelits Die Set 7PK w/Stamps - Message Frames Satin fabric ribbon
Pop can
Tin snips or heavy duty scissors that cut metal
Work gloves (optional, but recommended)
Paper or card stock
Glue
Pen
Hole punch
Ribbon

Make it:

1. Wearing work gloves, use the tin snips or heavy duty scissors to cut the ends off the pop can and down the center.

Be careful handling the cut pop can. The edges may be sharp.

2. Flatten the cut soda can by making a sandwich. No, not to eat! To run through the Sizzix, silly. Using a Sizzix machine is all about making sandwiches with the cutting platform, dies, cutting pads, and item you want to cut. That's why I am highly qualified to use the Big Shot. I make a lot of sandwiches for my lunch.

Each type of Sizzix die and cutting material  is sandwiched between two cutting pads on the correct thickness (or not) of cutting platform for that die type.  Don't worry the Big Shot has it all printed on the tabs of the extended cutting platform otherwise, I'd forget what needs what too.

Flipping the tab to the die's directions automatically gives you 

the proper width of the cutting platform you need to use with that type of die.

I flattened the pop can by sandwiching it between two cutting pads and running it through the Big Shot using Tab 2 on cutting platform.

Sandwich time!

3. Cut the tag by making a sandwich using the Cutting Pad, a large Framelet Die, pop can, and  topped with the second Cutting Pad and cranking it though the Big Shot using Tab 2 of the Cutting Platform. Remove the tag from sandwich.

I'm using colored paper as my cutting material in this example so you can see how this Sizzix sandwich thing works since metal on metal was hard to distinguish in my test photos.

4. Cut a window into the soda can by running a sandwich using the Tab 2 of the Cutting Platform, Cutting Pad, paint chip tag, a smaller coordinating Framelet, topped with a Cutting Pad through the Big Shot. You may want to use a little piece of tape or Post It to keep the Framelet in position because these little guys can slide around when you run it through the machine.

I usually use painter's tape so it won't tear the paper after I remove it. I didn't have to worry about that with my metal can so I used the tape that was closest to my work table.

5. Use the large Framelet to die cut the coordinating paper or cardstock.

6. Glue the paper to the back of the gift tag so it is peeking through the Framelet window.

7. Label the tag using the pen.

8. Punch a hole in the soda can gift tag with the paper punch.

9. Tie the pop can gift chip tag to the bottle using the ribbon.

Soda can gift tag!

10. Gift it!

Click here for more information about  Sizzix Big Shot Balancing Act Value Pack. It is a screaming deal that saves you 56% over the standard price!

While you are at it check out The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV and my Balancing Act Blogger Community food blog. 

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Disclosure: I am a Balancing Act Community Blogger for The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV. I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by receiving product or The Balancing Act.