Each year it becomes harder to find the perfect holiday gifts for everyone on your list. One way to ensure your gift is unique is to make it yourself! I plan to create a lot of gifts by hand this year. There’s something so special about putting time and effort into making something for your loved ones (both 2-legged and 4-legged). I know they will treasure it because of the care I put into making it just for them.

There are so many things you could make for the dog lovers on your list, I have so many ideas to share but some need to stay a secret until December 25th! One awesome handmade gift I’m planning on making are these DIY stamped metal dog tags.

Holiday Gift Idea: Stamped Metal Dog Tag

Sure, you can go out and buy these at most pet supply stores, but if you make them yourself they have a lovely handmade quality. I also love that once you buy the supplies you can make as many as you’d like! The blank metal tags are very affordable so you could make a tag for every collar. If you are a DIY pro then you might even want to make the metal tags yourself. You will need a lot of tools, but it’s possible. One of the main tools that you’d probably need is an angle grinder to ensure the metal is cut properly. When using an angle grinder, it’s likely that you’ll also require some flap wheels to finish the metal off nicely, ensuring it’s smooth enough to stamp. Getting the metal as perfect as possible does take a while, but it’s pretty easy to do with the right tools. A friend of mine, who’s a welder, said he made a whole bunch from scratch for family and friends. He advised anyone who wants to have a go that stick welding is most common and works well for this type of project.

Switching tags between collars is a sure-fire way to ruin your manicure! So, it’s better to just make tags for each one! Keep scrolling to see the video tutorial and links to buy all the supplies you need for this easy dog mom craft.

DIY Dog Tag Tutorial Video

In this video, I walk you through all the steps to make your own DIY Metal Stamped Dog Tags for holiday gifts this year. These are a wonderful add on to a collar and leash set you plan on giving as a gift, or use them to put a personalized touch on your gift wrap! Think outside the box… you could stamp a cute message instead of a name and number.

DIY Stamped Dog Tag Supplies:

• Metal Letter Stamps
• Metal Number Stamps
• Steel Bench Block
• Metal Stamping Hammer
• Blank Dog Tags
• Stamp Straight Tape (optional, you could also use masking tape)
• Sharpie Marker

How to Stamp Your Own Dog Tags

Once you have all the supplies, these custom tags are really easy to make! I like to get all my letters and numbers ready and line them up in the order I plan on stamping them.

I taped the blank metal bone-shaped tag to the steel bench block. Make sure your tape is super straight, because that’s what you’ll use to line up your letters! Get the letter stamp lined up and hit it with one swift whack of your hammer. If you pound it a few times there’s a chance the stamp could move and you won’t get a clear impression. You might want to use one blank tag as your tester until you get the hang of it (so make sure you order a few extra).

Once you get the name all stamped out, it’s time to move on to the phone number. Remove your original tape and put down a new piece that covers the name. For this row, you’ll use the tape as a guide for the tops of your number stamps.

Once you get everything stamped on the tag there’s one more step to make the info easier to read. You can buy special supplies to darken the stamped characters, but I just used a Sharpie and some rubbing alcohol. Draw over the stamped impressions making sure to get the sharpie ink into all the letters and numbers. Once it’s all covered, use a little cotton ball with some rubbing alcohol to wipe off the excess marker.

Uses for DIY Stamped Dog Tags

You could definitely use these to stamp your dog’s name and your phone number. That’s the intended use, for sure! But I think they also make for really fun wrapping add-ons. You can stamp someone’s name or something cute like “Puppy’s First Christmas”. Think about using them as ornaments on a dog-themed Christmas tree!

These also make a great add on to a framed photo of your pet. Just stamp their name and the year and your cute framed photograph will look like an expensive piece of custom artwork!

Order Supplies for Stamped Metal Dog Tags

To make it even easier for you to make this craft for all your favorite dogs, I went ahead and put together an Amazon shopping list with all the supplies you need. One of the hardest parts of making anything is having all the supplies! When the DIY mood strikes, you need to be ready. So, just click over and add these goodies to your cart. I made sure they are all available on Amazon Prime to make it even more convenient!

You’ll need:

• Metal Letter Stamps
• Metal Number Stamps
• Steel Bench Block
• Metal Stamping Hammer
• Blank Dog Tags
• Stamp Straight Tape (optional, you could also use masking tape)

Love this post? Check out more dog-inspired DIYs:

DIY Concrete Dog Bowl Holder
DIY Flower Crown for Dogs
How to Take Better Dog Photos for Instagram
Treat Recipe and DIY Doggy Treat Bag

All photos in this post are by the wonderful Sarah Collins Photography. Video is produced by Wear Wag Repeat. Shopping list contains affiliate links.