How to Make Fun and Unique Backpack and Luggage Tags from Plastic Bags

Backpack tags seem to be all the rage with the younger set. And unique luggage tags make it easy to identify your suitcase on the baggage claim carousel. You can make some truly OOAK (one of a kind) tags by reusing potato chip bags and other plastic food bags. Used plastic-coated bubble wrap mailers are also a great option.

While bubble wrap is recyclable, you can’t toss it in with curbside recyclables. It needs to be taken to a drop-off specially designated for plastic film. Chip and other snack bags are not recyclable. They are trash that ends up in landfills. So, let’s reuse these non-recyclables to make some fun tags.

Here are the supplies that you’ll need:

• Clean snack bags or bubble wrap mailers
• Parchment paper
• Iron
• Scissors
• Jewelry findings for adding hanging hardware (optional) or ribbon, twine, or yarn

Let’s get started making a tag from an empty snack bag:

1. Rinse the inside of the bag to get rid of any crumbs, and let it dry. If your bag has a gusset at the bottom, I suggest cutting it away.
2. Set your iron to medium temperature to start, and turn off the steam setting. Different bags react to heat in different ways—some require lower temps, some higher. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to find what temperature setting works best for your snack bag.
3. You can work on an ironing board or a folded bath towel on a countertop or table.
4. Sandwich the snack bag between two sheets of parchment paper. This is an important step. Without the parchment, the snack bag will melt right to the bottom of your iron!
5. Slowly move the iron in circular motions over the chip bag until you see it begin to shrink. This happens quickly, so keep an eye on it and don’t over-iron it. Let everything cool for a bit, and gently peel the parchment away.
6. Now, let’s put the finishing touches on your tag. To round the corners, place a coin in the corner, trace around it, and cut away the excess.
7. Punch a hole in one corner for adding hanging hardware or a ribbon/twine/yarn tie.

Here’s how to use a bubble-wrap mailer to make a tag:

1. Set your iron to medium temperature to start, and turn off the steam setting. Different bubble wraps react differently to heat—some require lower temps, some higher. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to find what temperature setting works best for your mailer.
2. You can work on an ironing board or a folded bath towel on a countertop or table.
3. Cut the mailer to any size, and select portions for your tag. Here I’ve used parts of the top band and a logo from an Amazon Prime mailer. These are small as I’m planning to use them for keychain and zipper pull tags. Keep the bubble wrap sides together when ironing.
4. Sandwich the bubble wrap mailer between two sheets of parchment paper. This is an important step. Without the parchment, you’ll end up with a horrible melted mess on the bottom of your iron!
5. Slowly move the iron in circular motions over the mailer until you see it begin to change form. You may even hear some of the bubble pop!! This only takes several seconds, so don’t overdo it. Let everything cool for a bit, and gently peel the parchment away. Check to see if the mailer is completely fused. If not, recover with the parchment, and iron again.
6. Now, let’s put the finishing touches on your tag. To round the corners, place a coin in the corner, trace around it, and cut away the excess.
7. Punch a hole in one corner for adding hanging hardware or a ribbon/twine/yarn tie.

Experiment with different food bags and mailers to create your own OOAK tags.