Gift tags
12 days of Christmas gift tags
A 12 Days of Christmas gift is twelve small presents, one a day, instead of one larger one. It suits a teacher, a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, or a spouse. The point is the rhythm, not the spend. A bag of coffee, a nice bar of chocolate, a card, a candle, a wooden spoon — ordinary things feel like a small event when they show up with a numbered tag.
The 12 Days of Christmas gift tags set is built for that. It has 12 numbered tags in a red, green and cream colorway, the same 12 in a blue winter colorway, and 12 message tags with a short line for each day. There is also a gift-ideas list (a simple gift and a matching message for every day) and a planner page with columns for the day, the date, the gift, the cost, and a done box. Tags are about 2.5 inches square, 12 to a page, with To/From lines.
When the twelve days start
If you want the last gift to land on Christmas Day, start on December 14. If you want it to land on Christmas Eve, start on the 13th. Some people run the twelve days after Christmas, which is the older church calendar; that is fine too, as long as you write the dates on the planner page so you do not skip one. For a teacher, check the last day of school before winter break and count backward so the last gift arrives while they are still in the building.
You do not have to spend a lot. The ideas list in the download is there so you are not inventing twelve gifts at midnight on the 13th. Pick a theme if it helps — kitchen, cocoa, stationery, all things that smell good — or mix it. A gift card on one of the later days can carry more of the budget if the earlier days stay small.
How to put it together
Print the tags, cut them, punch a hole, and tie them on with twine or ribbon. Write the name and the day. If you are leaving gifts on a porch or a desk, the message tags give you a line so the box is not silent. The numbered tags are enough on their own if you would rather keep the wording to yourself. Use the planner page as you shop so you can see what you have already bought and what it added up to.
This also works as a countdown you leave all at once, with “open on day 4” on the tag, if daily drop-offs are not practical. A teacher or a neighbor may prefer that. For a spouse or a roommate, daily is more fun.
Printing tips
Print on white cardstock, 65 to 110 lb if you have it, so the tags do not wilt on a gift bag. Everyday paper works in a pinch if you double them or glue them to leftover card. Print at 100% / “Actual size,” not “fit to page,” or the tags will come out a little small and the hole punch will feel cramped. The file includes US Letter and A4.
If the 12-day gift is for a teacher, the teacher Christmas gift tags have thank-you lines, a few tags for other school staff, and gift-card holders. For a whole class instead of one person, see classroom Christmas gift tags for students.
More guides
Printables for this
Instant download, US Letter and A4. Prices are the current shop prices.
Questions
When should I start a 12 Days of Christmas gift?
If you want the last gift on Christmas Day, start on December 14. If you want it on Christmas Eve, start on the 13th. For a teacher, count backward from the last day of school before winter break.
What goes on the tags?
A numbered day, a To/From line, and optionally a short message. The SeasonAndSheet set has numbered tags in two colorways, message tags, a gift-ideas list, and a planner page for dates, gifts, and cost.
Do I have to drop off a gift every day?
No. You can leave all twelve at once, marked with the day to open each one, if daily drop-offs are not practical. That often works better for a teacher or a neighbor.