What to Write on a Christmas Gift Tag: Ideas by Person

On a Christmas gift tag, write who it is to, who it is from, and, if you like, one short line: “To Grandma, love from Ava. Merry Christmas.” The names do the real work, because they make sure the right person opens the right present. A few warm words are a bonus, and a tag has room for about one sentence.

What should a gift tag say?

To: the name the recipient is called at home. “Nana” is fine if that is who she is.
From: your name, or every giver’s name for a shared present.
A short line (optional): a wish, a little joke, or a hint about the gift.

What to write on a Christmas gift tag: ideas by recipient

Swap in your own names, and keep the line that sounds most like you.

For family

Merry Christmas to my favorite people
Home is wherever we open presents together
For Dad, who is impossible to shop for
Love you more than the cookies, Mom
To the best brother I have

For a friend

Merry Christmas, you are a gift too
Cheers to another year of us
Saw this and thought of you
For the friend who always shows up

For a teacher

Thank you for a wonderful first half of the year
For Ms. [Name], from your [Grade] grade helper [Child’s Name]
Thanks for all you do, Merry Christmas
From a student who loves your class

Write the child’s full name, not just a first name: a teacher may receive several gifts from children with the same name. For gift ideas to go with the tag, see our teacher Christmas gifts guide.

For a coworker

Happy holidays, and thanks for the help this year
Enjoy a well-earned break
Merry Christmas from your desk neighbor
To the best part of Monday meetings

Keep coworker tags friendly and simple, and use “Happy holidays” if you are not sure what your coworker celebrates.

For a new baby

Welcome to your first Christmas, [Baby’s Name]
For the newest name on the gift list
Little hands, first Christmas
To [Baby’s Name], with love from [Names]

For a baby’s first Christmas, address the tag to the baby and the parents, such as “To Leo, Sam and Jordan”, so nobody wonders who should open it.

For a housewarming

Merry Christmas in your new home
For your first tree at [Street Name]
New house, same wonderful you
To many happy holidays under this roof

For kids

Shh, Santa left this one early
From the North Pole workshop
For [Name], on the nice list
Open me after breakfast
Do not shake

If gifts come “from Santa”, use a different pen, a different handwriting style or a printed tag for those, so the tags do not match yours.

How do you put a gift tag on a present?

Tie it into the ribbon. Thread the ribbon through the tag’s hole before you tie the bow, so the tag sits under the knot and cannot slip off.
Use a loop. If the bow is already tied, thread a short piece of string or thin ribbon through the hole and knot it around the ribbon.
Tape it flat. On a present with no ribbon, a small piece of double-sided tape on the back of the tag looks neater than tape across the front.
Put it on top. Attach the tag where it can be read without moving the present, especially if gifts are stacked under the tree.
Check the ink. On glossy or foil tags, ballpoint can smudge. Let the ink dry before you attach the tag.

How to tie a gift tag with ribbon or twine

Cut a piece about twice as long as you want the tag to hang.
Fold it in half and push the folded end through the hole from front to back.
Pass the two loose ends through that loop and pull it snug. This is a simple lark’s head knot.
Tie the two loose ends around the present’s ribbon, then trim them.

Free printable Christmas gift tags

If you need a full set at once, our printable Christmas gift tags page lets you type up to eight names, add a “From” line and a short message, and print a sheet on A4 or US Letter paper. Each tag has a small circle to use as a guide for punching a hole for ribbon.

Quick answers

Do you need a gift tag? For any present under a shared tree, yes. It saves the guessing on Christmas morning.
Should you write “Merry Christmas” or “Happy holidays”? Use what the recipient celebrates. “Happy holidays” suits a mixed office.
What do you write on a gift from the whole family? List every name, or use “Love from the [Family Name]s”.
What if I cannot think of a line? “To” and “From” are enough. A plain tag is never wrong.

From the shop

An ornament with a name on it can do the job of a tag and stay on the tree afterward. The star-shaped ceramic name ornament carries a name and the year, and the personalized teacher ornament can hang from a present for a teacher.