--Experiment with different colors of faux leather. Real leather comes in any number of colors—from white to beige to black. You can even find leather dyed hot pink or turquoise! You can also antique the tags with a different color of paint.
--Try different textures. Use crumpled paper instead of foil. With the right stamp or texture sheet—or even a piece of the real thing—you can create faux snakeskin or alligator.
--If you prefer, you can cut the tag shapes from the sheet of clay first, then texture and stamp as you like.
--Regular polymer clay cured in thin sheets can be quite flexible. For an even more pliable faux leather, try Sculpey SuperFlex (aka “Bake & Bend”), a special formula of clay that remains very “bendable” after curing. (This clay is now sold only in samplers.)
--Create a tag that looks like it’s covered in stitched shapes. Gently press the blunt side of small shape cutters into the clay. Create a repeated pattern with one simple shape, or combine and overlap shapes. Using a small ball-ended tool, create evenly spaced “dots” along these lines. At a glance, they’ll look like stitching.
--Use a metal grommet/eyelet to line the stringing hole of your tag. There are a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors available in your local craft store.
--If you’d like more protection for your antiquing wash of acrylic paint, you can seal these tags with your choice of polymer clay-friendly finish. A matte or satin finish will probably be more realistic than high gloss.
--For a thicker, sturdier tag with stamped patterns on both sides, create two tags in the same size and “glue” them together with liquid clay. (Remember, liquid clay must be oven-cured to “dry” and harden.)
--Experiment with different sizes and shapes of tags. Who says they all have to be exactly the same? Circles, flowers, hearts, diamonds, donuts, triangles—play around and have fun creating something truly unique!
--Need a number of tags in the same size? Make a template from cardstock or a thin sheet of plastic. Lay it on the sheet of clay and cut around it to create as many identically shaped and sized tags as you like.
--Consider stamping tags with names or initials to use as attractive luggage tags—or for labels, stamp them with the appropriate word or phrase.
--For a different look, try antiquing the faux leather with a lighter wash of paint-- white, for instance, or tan. If you aren't pleased with the results, you can easily wash the paint away before it's dry. (A toothbrush is a great help when removing paint from crevices.)
--When you’re ready to use your tags, you’ll need some type of “stringing material”. This is a great time for a little creativity. Try yarn (regular or novelty), hemp, cord, ball chain, twine, ribbon, or whatever else comes to mind.
--Start with a larger sheet of clay and make a faux leather bookmark!