A Creative Life: DIY Steampunk Cards & Tags for Tres Jolie Kit Club

Thursday, March 5, 2026

DIY Steampunk Cards & Tags for Tres Jolie Kit Club

Hi all,

Get ready to travel through time using the 2026 March Card, Tag and More Kit! In today's video, I'm sharing my process for creating these heavily layered, industrial-style Steampunk cards and gift tags. We're leaning into the grit with 'rusted' gears, vintage portrait ephemera, and plenty of twine.
In this step by step tutorial and video tutorial I share layering vintage ephemera for maximum depth, working with "rusted' textures and metallic accents, and then using twine and ribbon to finish off the Steampunk & Time Traveler look.

2026 March Card, Tag and More Kit 2026 March Mixed Media Kit

To begin our tags we are going to cover the first one with one of pattern papers from the Card Kit.

This first has a few parts to it. The main base tag, chipboard piece will be covered with pattern paper. Then make a second tag cut out at 1 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches and punch a circle place in the middle to trace the middle of the tag as shown below.

Then cut a smaller tag measuring 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, this piece will be inserted into the tag with the circle. Once I cut everything out I distressed and inked all of them.

Next place your glue to left side and top and bottom, leaving the right side open to

insert the smaller tag.

Afterward I fussy cut out the tag that is placed on the side and added an eyelet on the side as well.

****For More Details View Video Tutorial****

Here is the finished tag. For the sentiments I used 2026 January Card Kit. Added twine to the top of each tag.

Second tag is inked with Walnut Stain on top of chipboard piece. I distressed and inked all pieces for every tag and card.

Next I added an image of a door and then fussy cut out the little stamps from the cut a-part page.

The little pieces in this paper collection are just perfect for these small tags.

Next for two of the chipboard tags I used the powdered rust colored paint from the

2026 Mixed Media Kit to paint both tags. To make the paint just add a small portion to a cup and add a bit of water to get the right color you would like.

To get the tags very rustic and vintage looking. After painting the chipboard tags with the rustic paint I added Crackle Medium on both tags. Let dry for a bit, then I added some black paint using a paper towel dabbing it around to show the crackle areas. For the chipboard cogs I painted a few black and then on the tags and cogs I used Jewel Effect Paste Tiger's Eye Stones from a previous kit (kit not available).

Here on the 3rd tag I cut out the "HI" from one of the papers and framed with the metal frame from the kit. I also adhered down one of the chipboard painted cog.

I then added a couple of other pieces of ephemera from the cut a-part page.

The 4th tag I added an alpha border from the paper collection. I fussy cut out the pocket and used on the left side and adhered down one of the metal corners on the left side. I then added some of the other pieces of ephemera.

Here are Tags 3 & 4 finished

For the last Tag #5, I tore one of the paper pieces and inked adhered down, then added the door on top that was fussy cut from one of the pages.

I cut out the word "illuminate" from from the scraps, adhered it down on the metal piece from the Card Kit and adhered this down, along with other ephemera pieces.

Down below I have photos of all the tags and how I used some of the tags to create cards with them,

The card base for this card measures 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches and the mats are about 1/4 inches to leave a nice boarder around the card. I then added some chipboard cogs that were painted, a tag and a small pocket from the cut a-part pages.

This card measures 4 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches I used an old newspaper piece I had in my stash that I adhered onto a black cardstock and cut into a banner. I added one of the tags and one of the chipboard stamp pieces you can find at the stop.

This Card is an A2 size card 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches with the front of the card folded in half. I cut mats down to leave 1/8th boarder around the card and adhered the tag down on the front folded flap.

I hope you found some inspiration from today's project. In this tutorial you learned how to add depth and dimension to your handmade cards. We used out metal accents along with our chipboard tags and cogs turning them into Vintage Steampunk style using our 2026 March Card, Tag and More Kit, the Mixed Media Kit and items from our stash to create a fun rustic texture to these Tags and Cards.

I invite you to check out the 2026 March Kits over at Tres Jolie Kit Club. These kits are amazing and will get your creativity flowing.

Thanks for joining me and Happy Crafting!

I invite you to please stop by our page to see what new items our design team has created using our monthly kits.

You can always post your projects on Tres Jolie FB page - Tres Jolie Club Cafe.

Don't forget to post your project on our Facebook Group Page, link is down below.

We would love to see what you create.

For more details you can always view the video tutorial process, which is at the top of the page.

Thanks again for joining me, I have all the links listed for you throughout the post so just click on the words and you will be taken directly to the store.

Enjoy and Happy Crafting.