Decorate Bags to Wrap Your Gifts
A few years ago, I actually stopped buying gift wrap and tags. I started buying inexpensive bags from the local craft store and then decorated them to give my gift wrapping my own special touch. I really enjoy making the bags and tags each year. I always scour the clearance racks at craft stores throughout the year to get really good deals on the bags. With some pretty tissue paper, it makes a nice presentation for a gift. I also add a little ribbon around the handles to make a pretty bow. All of these things can be reused which also helps the environment. Gone are the days when you take out a giant garbage bag full of ripped apart gift wrapping. Enter the days of a truly homemade holiday. Just one more tradition to make the holiday special.
Close up of the bag decoration.
I used my Big Shot of course! For this tag, I used the Apothecary Accents Framelits. I cut one from Sahara Sand and then one the same size from Designer Series Christmas Paper. I cut that one in half and used snail to mount it like a frame along the edges of the Sahara Sand tag. I also sponged the edges and center of the Sahara Sand tag with Sahara Sand ink, which gave it a nicely weather look. I’m thinking the Wood Grain Embossing Folder might have been a nice touch! The wreath was made with Garden Green embossed with Petals-a-Plenty Folder which was then cut with the 1 3/8″ circle punch first, then I used the 2 3/8″ scallop circle punch around the circle cut-out to create the wreath. The sentiment is from the Polar Party Stamp Set in Chocolate Chip on sponged Sahara Sand cut into a banner shape. I secure that to the tag with brads and added some ribbon and paper piercing at the curves to complete the bag decoration.
Tips to making bags and tags:
- This is a chance to use up your scraps! These are small projects, so those little squares of paper you’ve been saving all year are great for these projects.
- Ditto the leftover ribbon pieces!!
- These are quick projects, so have fun! It’s so relaxing to make decorations for gifts for your family and friends.
- The tags and bag decorations can later be removed to be used in a scrapbook for a holiday page! Add a photo of the gift under the tree and the person opening the gift and you’ve got a completed scrapbook page!
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Happy stamping!
Kim
