How to Make Paper Gift Bags

There is no need to spend several dollars buying a gift bag when you can make them yourself for a few cents. Not only is it fun, but people appreciate home made crafts. You can make your paper gift bags in a few minutes for one or an hour to too for several. Get your kids to help out too and get done twice as fast. Here is how you can make paper gift bags:

Things You'll Need

• Paper lunch bags
• Hole Puncher
• Ribbon
• Glitter
• Glue
• Stamps
• Stamp ink in a pad
• Markers or paints
• Gifts for your bag

Instructions

1. Cover your workspace with a bunch of newspapers. This is so you don't damage your table or floor with paint, etc. It also makes cleaning up 10 times easier because you can just roll the newspaper up and dispose of it. You may also choose to wear a smoke or an apron to protect your clothing.

2. Get out your paper lunch bag. The first thing you want to do to your bag is fold the top edge down about 1-1 1/2 inches. Take your hole puncher and punch a hole through each end. Then unfold your bag so you can decorate it. This step comes first so you don't paint your bag and then up needing to cut a hole where you painted.

3. Get out your decorations. Create bags according to the theme of the party. Stamps and stamp pads are great for adding words or little icons such as a baby bottle or rattle for a baby shower. Michaels has stamp pads for a good price and you can find sayings like "Happy Birthday", or "Merry Christmas." Just push the stamp hard in to the ink pad and then place on your bag where you want it.

4. Use glue and glitter to add a person's name. Spell out the name in glue and then add glitter over the glue. Hold you bag over a trash can and gently shake off excess glitter. Set aside until the glue drys and then continue on decorating your bag.

5. Add finishing touches with markers or paint. Paint is not necessary on this project unless you find that your markers are not showing up dark enough to read. Then you have the option of painting over the marker so no one would suspect your mistake.

6. Take your bag and fold it back down again on the fold you made earlier. Add a strand of ribbon through both holes and tie it in a bow in the front of the bag.

Tips & Warnings

• Compare the prices of buying gift bags verses making your own and you will be pleasantly surprised.

• Make sure your paint and glue are thick enough so that they don't run and ruin the rest of your bag.

• You can not use glue sticks on this project.