Chiyogami Tags (千代紙タグ)

My job deals with a lot of paper, so I have a lot of left over papers. No matter what kind of paper, I just can't bring myself to throw these papers away, so I have whole box of them. The other day I picked out all the Chiyogami papers. I looked at these beautiful Japanese papers and decided to turn them into something I have a thing for---tags!

I love these tags and try to use them everywhere I can. I keep a set of these with me for when I buy a bottle of wine on my way to a party; put in an envelope to send a message to a friend; put on a gift bag or a present, use as placement card, or just simply use it as bookmarks. These are also good scrapbooking embellishments. I can never have enough of these on hand!

If you are interested in these tags, you can check here. It's $4.75 for a set of 5 plus shipping.

FYI, some people asked me what's the difference between Yuzen and Chiyogami? What I found is:

Yuzen patterns were originally designed for the textile industry in Kyoto where the production of cloth for kimonos reached its zenith. Yuzen designs were very elaborate, and included a lot of gold.

Chiyogami is a specific word developed to describe the graphic, repetitive designs applied to paper in the Edo period. Originally these patterns were printed by woodblock for use in paper doll and small accessory making. In the twentieth century, these patterns began to be applied using silkscreens and this continues today.

Today, as Yuzen textile patterns join the traditional Chiyogami ones on paper, both terms are used interchangeably.