How to Easily Make a Gift Bag From Wrapping Paper

Do you have a gift for someone, but it's oddly shaped and difficult to wrap? If all you have is wrapping paper, there's no need to spend extra money on a bag.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wrapping Paper
• Tape
• A box or a book
• String
• Scissors

1. Estimate what you want the final size of the bag to be. Be aware of this estimate as you choose the box or book as one of your supplies. You want at least one of the surfaces to be the expected size of the bottom of your bag.

2. Wrap your book or box in the wrapping paper. Make sure you have enough to go all the way around before cutting. Leave enough wrapping paper extending past one end of the box or book to act as the height of your bag, and approximately two-thirds of the height of your base extending past the other end.

3. Tape the wrapping paper in place, giving you a tube of paper around your book-or-box base. Fold the wrapping paper around the end as if the book or box were the gift. (Fold in the sides and then fold down the resulting flaps.) Tape in place.

4. Crease along the corners of your base and up the length of your bag. Remove the box or book.

5. Use the scissors to cut half-inch slits in the creases at the top, then fold down the wrapping paper to make a neat top. Tape in place. You can either leave the bag like this, or add the string on as handles.

Tips & Warnings

• Whenever you tape, make sure you tape JUST the wrapping paper, not the book or box you are using for the base.
• When taping the base, if you end up with too much wrapping paper, fold in the sides as directed, then when you go to fold in the flaps, fold them over on themselves until they are small enough to fold in easily.
• If you end up with too little wrapping paper, you may have to make your bag slightly smaller than originally intended but scooting your base up a little bit and trying the folding again.