Make Your Own Gift Bags

By Noreen Doll.

When you make your own gift bags, you can make them any size you need.

And they can be made from almost any kind of paper.

Gift Wrap

Brown Paper

Newspaper

Magazine Page – for Small Bags

Comics Page

Wallpaper or Wallpaper Samples

Butcher Paper – Let your kids draw on it first.

You can vary the size of your gift bags by varying the size of the box you wrap.

Several gift bags can be made at one time and then stored flat until needed.

Materials.

Paper

Ribbon or Twine for Handles

Cereal Box or Other Box – the size you want your gift bag to be.

Scissors

Double Sided Tape

Paper Punch

How to Make Your Own Gift Bags.

1. Lay the box on the paper you’ll be using and cut it so the finished size is about 2 inches bigger than the circumference of the box.

The paper needs to be tall enough to wrap the bottom of the box completely, and to be folded under about 2 inches at the top of the bag.

2. Lay the box on the paper so that the seam will be in the back or on one side of the bag.

Wrap the paper around the box and tape the side or back seam.

3. For the bottom, fold the paper in on both sides of the box bottom.

Then crease the resulting triangle on each side of the bottom flap.

Repeat with the top flap.

4. Fold the top flap over the bottom flap and tape neatly in place.

5. Remove the box from the wrapping paper.

6. Fold the top edge of the bag to the inside – about 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Crease the top edge.

7. Gently crease all the side corners and the bottom edges so the bag can stand by itself.

8. Cut 2 pieces of cardboard narrower than the top edge of the bag and shorter than the inside flap.

9. Slip the cardboard pieces between the inside flap on the front and back of the bag and tape in place.

This will make the top edge sturdier for the handle.

10. Find the middle of the top edge on the bag front and mark about 1 1/2 inch on each side of the center and down 1/2 inch from the top.

Punch holes here for the handle.  Don’t make the holes too big or the knots will pull through.

Repeat on the back of the top.

11. Cut a 12 inch length of twine or ribbon for each handle.

Poke one end of each handle through the holes and tie a knot so the handle won’t pull back out.

After securing the handles, the gift bags are ready to use.

Tips

You can put the handles on by pushing the ribbon / twine through from the outside of the gift bag to the inside, and tie the knots on the inside of the bag.

Or you can push the ribbon / twine through from the inside of the bag to the outside, and tie the knots on the outside of the bag.

[Miss Lynda suggests putting a piece of poster board in the bottom of the bag to make it sturdier. I would use cereal box cardboard with the gray side up. Thanks for the suggestion, Lynda.]

© Noreen Doll

Crafty Journal