Penguin potato stamp gift tags!

DIY Penguin Potato Stamp Gift Tags for Christmas. Looking for a fun and creative way to decorate your Christmas presents this year? These penguin potato stamp gift tagsare the perfect mix of festive and adorable! Making your own DIY gift tags adds a personal, handmade touch that store-bought ones simply can’t match.

Potato stamping is a simple and enjoyable art technique suitable for both kids and adults. You’ll be amazed at how simple it is to create multiple penguin prints, perfect for gift tags, Christmas cards, or even wrapping paper. Whether you’re crafting at home, in the classroom, or during a holiday party, this project guarantees smiles all around.

So grab your potatoes, paints, and brushes and let’s get stamping!

Why You’ll Love This Penguin Gift Tag Craft

Fun and festive: These little penguins add personality and joy to every Christmas gift.
Perfect for kids: Easy to make and ideal for introducing stamping and simple printing techniques.
Eco-friendly and budget-friendly: All you need are basic supplies (and a potato or two!).
Great for gifts and cards: Create matching wrapping paper, greeting cards, or ornaments using the same stamp.
Fast and low-prep: Quick drying time makes it perfect for a cozy afternoon craft session.

This simple craft combines creativity, laughter, and just a bit of mess, the good kind of holiday mess!

Craft Supplies for Potato Stamp Penguins

You’ll only need a few basic materials for this fun Christmas project:

1 potato (oval-shaped works best)
White cardstock or thick paper
Black acrylic paint (we used Amsterdam Acrylics)
Black and orange paint markers (Posca paint markers are great)
Googly eyes (optional but adorable!)
Paintbrush
Bottle lid (for tracing the penguin’s belly)
Scissors
Small knife (for carving – adult use only)
Cutting board

Tip: Have a few potatoes on hand so kids can make multiple stamps and experiment with different penguin shapes and expressions.

Safety First: Crafting with Kids

This craft involves using a knife to carve the potato, so please ensure an adult handles the cutting. Kids can safely join in for painting, stamping, and decorating. Cover your work area with newspaper or a craft mat to make cleanup easy, potato stamping can get delightfully messy!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Penguin Potato Stamp Gift Tags

Step 1: Prepare your supplies
Gather all materials and set up a clean workspace. You can watch our tutorial video for visual guidance if you’d like.

Step 2: Cut your potato
Place your potato on a cutting board and cut it in half lengthwise. Make sure the cut is clean and even this will help your stamp print correctly. Adults should handle this step.

Step 3: Create the penguin’s belly
Use a bottle cap to press lightly into the potato about 1 cm (½ inch) from the bottom. Twist slightly to leave a circular mark, then carve out that small area with a knife to form the penguin’s white belly.

Step 4: Paint the stamp
Use a paintbrush or sponge to cover the rest of the potato surface with black paint. Don’t paint the carved-out belly, that’s the penguin’s tummy!

Step 5: Stamp your penguin
Press the painted potato firmly onto your paper for about 15–20 seconds. Make sure to apply even pressure on all sides for a clean print. Carefully lift the potato to reveal your penguin design!

Step 7: Add details
Use your orange paint marker to draw the penguin’s beak and feet. Then, take your black marker to add flippers and a few fun details, maybe even some fluffy hair or earmuffs!

Step 8: Cut out your tags
Once your penguin prints are dry, cut around each one, leaving a small white border. You can also cut square or round backgrounds to give your tags a clean, polished look.

Step 9: Add googly eyes
Stick on a pair of googly eyes (or draw them if you prefer). This instantly brings your penguins to life!

Step 10: Finish your gift tags
Punch a hole at the top, thread some twine or ribbon through, and your DIY penguin gift tags are ready to attach to presents. Don’t forget to write names on the back!

Creative Ways to Make Your Penguin Gift Tags Extra Special

Want to take your penguin gift tags to the next level? Try one (or all!) of these fun ideas:

Add a snowy background: Paint the paper behind your penguins with white or silver to create a frosty winter scene. You can even flick small white paint dots to make it look like falling snow.
Give your penguins accessories: Add tiny pom-poms, scarves, or glittery earmuffs for a playful touch.
Try different colors: Who says penguins have to be black and white? Experiment with pastel blues, gold, or pink for a modern holiday look.
Create matching crafts: Use your potato stamp to make matching wrapping paper, greeting cards, or gift boxes, it’s a fun way to tie everything together.

Each little penguin turns out unique, and that’s part of the charm, perfectly imperfect, just like handmade gifts should be.

More Fun Christmas Crafts?

Want even more Christmas craft inspiration? Don’t miss our blog post with 29 fun and easy Christmas crafts for kids, packed with creative ideas for all ages.

Looking for more fun Christmas crafts to keep kids creating? Bring a little extra magic to your holiday season with our BIG Christmas Craft Printable Bundle, designed for kids ages 5–8. Inside you’ll find festive templates, coloring pages, and easy craft projects that make Christmas crafting simple and fun. Everything is low-prep and ready to go, print and start creating. Perfect for both the classroom and home, this bundle helps spark imagination and joyful learning all season long. Find it now on Teachers Pay Teachers or in our Etsy craft printables shop.

Enjoy crafting, and have a happy holiday season!