Homemade, Decorated Santa Claus Gift Bags
When you give someone a Christmas present, you want the packaging to reflect the care and thought you put into the gift, but there is no need to have a gift professionally wrapped or to buy expensive decorative gift bags. Whether you are trying to save a little Christmas cash, trying to be greener with your wrapping choices or just want to add an extra personal touch to your presents, you can make your own gift bags. Decorate them with a Santa Claus theme and you may even feel like you're one of his elves eager to spread Christmas cheer.
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Things You'll Need
- Envelopes
- Construction paper, red and black
- Scissors
- Chenille string, gold and white (optional)
- Glue
- Tape
- Hole punch
Instructions
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1
Cut a rectangle that is about 4 inches-by-2 inches from red construction paper. Cut a more slender rectangle, about 4-inches-by-1-inch, out of black construction paper. Cut a length of chenille string that is about about 4-inches long.
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2
Glue the red rectangle vertically onto a regular mailing envelope, so there is a red stripe going all the way from the top to the bottom of the center of the envelope. Glue the black rectangle vertically through the center of the red rectangle. When the bag is made out of the envelope, it will be turned so the rectangles run through the middle like Santa's belt.
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3
Glue the chenille string in a square directly in the center of the black rectangle; this will be Santa's belt buckle. Allow glue to dry completely.
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4
Close and seal the envelope. Cut off about 1/4-inch along one of the sides so there is an opening. If you have them, use the type of scissors that produce a jagged or decorative cut.
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5
Fold the top and bottom of the envelope about 3/4-inch in toward the center and crease deeply. Fold the opposite side (the one without the cut) in toward the center about the same amount and crease. Put your hand into the envelope through the cut end and push the paper out so the creases form a bottom and sides to your gift bag. Fold the corners of what is now the bottom of the little bag into triangles and tape them down to the bag's bottom so the shape holds.
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6
Punch two holes near the opening of the gift bag on both sides. Thread a piece of gold chenille through both holes on one side and tie the ends together to make a handle. Repeat on the other side to make the other handle.
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Tips & Warnings
Use felt instead of construction paper for any or all of the colors to turn the bag into one that will be used again and again.
Line the red construction paper with a strand of white chenille to represent the fur that lines Santa's suit. This looks best if you have colored envelopes or if you first glue a background onto the envelope so the white lining stands out.
To use envelopes of a size other than a regular mailing size, simply adjust the lengths of the rectangles to accommodate the size of the envelope.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Santa Claus image by Ray Kasprzak from Fotolia.com
