Over the holidays we get so many leftovers from food to fabric scraps. If you are a quilter or use batting for other projects, you probably have a lot of leftover batting. We cut off those wide portions and save them for just the right project. Well, the right project is here. It is so quick and so easy to use leftover batting for tags.

Machine Embroidery Design X3580 by "Embroidery Library"

Thank you to Fairfield World for supplying the black batting used for these tags and the inspiration.

Gift tags are the perfect way to make a gift extra special and with leftover batting, there is no added expense involved. It only took 30 minutes to stitch three gift tags - super easy.

These tags are machine embroidered in-the-hoop tags from Embroidery Library, you could use this same concept with a sewing design for gift tags.

Some tips for machine embroidering with batting:

You do not need to cut each piece of batting and line it up before the stitch down, merely cut a piece of batting larger than the area and place it on top before the normal placement step.
Press the batting before placing it over or under the hoop.

Use a black "No Show Mesh Nylon Cutaway Stabilizer."
Use a water-soluble topper on the top as well as the bottom of the batting. Batting has loose fibers and they can get caught in the feed dogs especially.
Do not use a heat activated topper as I did. The loose fibers of the batting will stretch and make permanent rolls of the topper that must be cut loose.
Remember to use the same colored thread in the bobbin as in the top thread.

Do not use a spray adhesive to keep the parts together as it will leave a sticky residue on the batting.
Use a basting stitch to keep the top pieces together.

Use painter's tape to keep the bottom pieces together. First apply it to the batting and then apply it to the topper.

Remove as much topper as possible by hand.
Cut the tags with a rotary cutter or scissors after it has been removed from the hoop. This step alone makes using batting so much easier than other fabrics.

These gift tags are so easy that you can make lots of them for those last minute gifts. Happy Holidays!