How to make a paper gift bag...

I've recently learnt how to make a gift bag, for an assignment. And I thought I could pass on this information to you, so that you can make your own DIY gift bags without having to spend an arm and a leg from one at the shops. I will take you step by step into creating your very own gift bag. And what’s best is that you can make it personal!!

Step 1:

First you choose a material to work with. You can use any type of paper to make a gift bag, you can use; brown Kraft paper, patterned scrapbook paper, and wrapping paper. For extra-fancy bags you can use fancy wrapping paper with glitter on. Do not use cardstock, as it’s too stiff.

You will also want to make sure that your piece of paper is rectangle, if the paper is not the right size, cut it down to desired sizing.

Step 2:

If you have plain paper or plain coloured paper, you can decorate it however you wish to do. You can add a simple design using rubber stamps and ink or acrylic paint. If you want to get fancy you can use glue with fine glitter sprinkled on top before the glue dries. Before heading onto the next step make sure everything is dry!

Step 3:

Fold top edge down to create a seam. Make the width of the seam 1-2 inches. Run your fingernail along the crease to sharpen it.

Step 4:

Flip the paper over so that the back is facing you. The folded part (the seam) should be flat against your work surface. If you are using plain paper, you can skip this step.

Step 5:

Fold edges towards the centre of the paper to make a tube. Overlap by ½ inch. Run your finger along sides of edges to make a crease. If you want a more ‘oval’ shaped bag, don’t crease sides.

Step 6:

Secure edges with glue or double-sided sticky tape. Unfold top flap, run glue stick or lay down a strip of double-sided sticky tape along the side edge of the bottom flap. Put the flap back down and secure it by running your finger along the seam to seal it. If you used a glue stick, make sure that you don’t get any glue on the inside of the bag.

Step 7:

Fold bottom edge up by a few inches up to 3-5 inches. If you want a wider base on the bag, fold it up further.

Step 8:

Open pocket by the fold and flatten it, making a diamond shape.

Step 9:

Fold the top and bottom taps of the diamond towards the centre. They will overlap slightly, and this is okay.

Step 10:

Secure the bottom of the bag with tape or glue. Unfold the top flap, run a glue stick or double-sided sticky tape along the bottom tab. Press the top flap back down and run your finger across the seams to seal them.

Step 11:

Punch two holes for the handles on the front and back of the bag. The holes should be about ½ inch from the top edge. Should be closer to each other than the sides of the bag. If the paper is thing enough, you can punch holes through both layers of paper at the same time. You can insert eyelets into the holes, this makes them studier as well as adding an element of design.

Step 12:

Cut some ribbon for handles. Measure and cut two equal lengths of ribbon. For more of a rustic touch, you can use a strong cording, yarn, or twine. Choose colours that go well with your bag. You would want to avoid skinny ribbons. The knots won’t be big enough to hold it inside the bag.

Step 13:

Add ribbon handles. Thread each end of your ribbon through each hole on the front of your bag. Tie the ends of the ribbon into knots on the inside of your bag. Flip bay over, and do the same for the back.

Step 14:

If you wish to make your bag rectangle, fold the sides of the bag. All you got to do is fold the left and right-side edges down until the base of the bag is the same width as the top.

If not, just leave it as it is and open the bag now, it will be shaped more like and oval sack.