Candy Heart Inspired Deco Foil Valentine’s Day Tags
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Use your Heidi Swapp MINC machine to foil these custom deco foil Valentine’s Day Tags! They make great gift tags for Valentine’s Day treats for family, friends or school celebrations!
A few weeks back I bought some deco foil from Expressions Vinyl and fell in love with it. You can use it to make shirts but I’d also heard I could use it for paper projects. The only problem was I needed a laser printer (which I don’t have).
Luckily you can go to Staples for copies, but you still need a laminator to get your foil to adhere to your ink.
After doing some research I found that you can use the The MINC machine from Heidi Swapp. It works well but it is so expensive for what it is! You can actually get a laminator for less than $35 and it does the exact same thing as the MINC.
I ended up with the MINC and decided to buy the bigger of the two machines (mine is 13 inches wide) because I wanted to be able to make wall art for my office. I still recommend buying the cheaper laminator and saving yourself some money. I don’t use my MINC machine enough for this purchase to be worth it.
But it was fun to use for these deco foil Valentine’s Day tags!
The fact that you can plug it in, let it heat up and then run your cardstock through makes it very easy to use.
The only thing I realized after finishing this project is that bold text works best if you really want to be able to see the foil! Skinny letters just don’t do the foil justice.
Materials for these Deco Foil Valentine’s Day tags!
Everything you need to make these Valentine’s Day gift tags!
- Heavy Cardstock,
- Deco Foil,
- Laminator,
- Laser printer (optional)
- Paper Cutter
Common questions about the MINC machine and Deco Foil
Can you use Deco Foil with a Heidi Swapp MINC machine?
Deco Foil is typically used with a heat laminator or a MINC machine. So yes, you can use it with your MINC!
However, a MINC is expensive and as long as you are using a heat laminator, you can use deco foil. I suggest this one, which is a thermal laminator and is less than $35. It will do the exact same thing as the MINC and will save you money.
What type of printer do you need for the foil to stick?
You need a laser printer, not an inkjet printer. Foil will only stick to toner which is why you need to use a laser printer.
If you do not want to invest in a laser toner you can go to Staples and get very cheap toner prints to use with your MINC machine (or laminator!).
Is a MINC machine better than a laminator?
Both work with foil but since the MINC is made to be used with foil, it is better than a regular laminator.
The MINC heats up quickly and evenly where it may take longer for a regular laminator to heat up. You also may have issues with black spots on your projects with a laminator because it won’t heat up evenly.
However. If you are just doing foil projects for personal use…I think a laminator makes more sense money-wise.
But this is personal preference.
If small black spots don’t bother you, I’d go with a laminator. If you’re going to be doing a lot of projects or are wanting to sell foiled designs, a MINC machine may be the way to go.
FAQ’s For these Valentine Gift Tags
Do you need a cutting machine to make these Candy Heart Inspired Deco Foil Valentine’s Day Tags?
No you do not!
I love my Silhouette Cameo but you do not need them for gift tags. All you need is a paper cutter and a hole punch to make these gift tags.
More Valentine’s Day Craft Projects!
- No Hugs or Kisses Valentine’s Day Cut File
- 20+ Candy-Free Valentines
- Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Rose Art
- Paper Heart Straw Toppers
- Valentine’s Day Mailboxes
Deco Foil Valentine's Day Gift Tags
Use you Heidi Swapp MINC machine to foil these custom deco foil Valentine's Day tags! They make great gift tags for Valentine's Day treats for family, friends or school celebrations!
Materials
- Heavy Cardstock
- Deco Foil
- Paper Cutter
- Printed Gift Tags
Instructions
- Use a laser printer to print out your design (or send it to Staples to have them print it for you).
- Plug in your MINC machine and let it warm up. Put it on setting 3 for this project.
- While it's warming up put your cardstock with the design inside the transfer sheet and place the deco foil (colored side up) on top of your cardstock. (SEE NOTE #1)
- Put your transfer sheet into the MINC machine and let it run through your MINC. Do not force it through or pull it out the other side.
- Once it is done, peel the deco foil off your cardstock.
Notes
- Cut down the foil to the size of your design. Cutting it down means you won't waste any and can use it for another project!
Recommended Products
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more holiday fun!
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Love all the goodies you’re sharing with our Deco Foil! Would love to get in touch to talk!
Hi Julia! Thank you so much, I love the product! Please feel free to get in touch with me via email (teresa.cox1185@gmail.com). I would love to chat with you.