Gift Bags!

I've written before about packaging...sometimes it isn't what's inside...it's the packaging that is so fabulous.  I bought a scarf once that came in a bamboo tube.  Awesome packaging.  I love body washes and shampoos that come in clear bottles.  I've always thought the way Pringles were packaged was way better than how they tasted.  I love things that come in zip lock bags...ok, those may not look so wonderful but it is such a cool packaging!  I could go on and on...

I like to spruce packages up a bit...I've cut out names before with my Cricut, added rosettes to gift tops, made paper ribbons, etc.  I also like to make bags and boxes...and what could be better than a gift bag which also has a boxy look to it???

So here are two very simple little gift bag/boxes I made with two sheets of 12x12 paper:

I bought this Kraft backed paper stack from Recollections at Michael's the other day when the Christmas stacks were a whopping 60% off.    The paper is really cute...country and whimsical and I love that it is printed on Kraft paper.

How do you make these bags?  Well, it is really difficult and complicated.  NOT!

So simple and particularly easy if you have a scoring board.

Score at 2 inches (shown above with the purple line), turn the paper a 1/4 turn and score at 3 inches (shown by the green line above), turn it twice more scoring again at the 3 inch mark (shown here with red and bluish purple).

Then cut on the the side scorelines up the horizontal 3 inch scoreline (the red line).  So in other words you would make a 3 inch cut of the bluish purple line (just to the red line) and do the same for the green line.

If you paper is face up fold the top section down (giving you a 2 inch fold).  On one of these I did a border punch before folding.  This will be the top of your bag/box.  Turn you paper over and fold the sides inward and the bottom pieces on the scorelines.  And then fold.  And you will end up with one half of a box!  Take your other sheet of 12x12 and duplicate and then slide one half inside the other.  It sounds complicated but it is oh so simple...

You'll see....

I punched a few holes in top and secured some ribbon to make handles.  Very easy...very easy...and they turned out really cute!

Happy Crafting!


Happy Crafting!