Total Time 1 hour Ages school-age
This fun homemade gift bag can be filled with plain paper as a decoration or with candy or cookies to give as a present!
by Amanda Formaro
What you'll need
- Brown or white lunch bag
- White acrylic paint (if using brown bag)
- Red and green acrylic paint
- Silver ribbon
- Red glitter glue
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
Helpful Tip:
1. It's important to allow the paint to dry so that the colors don't run. 2. You can purchase white paper bags at your local craft or party supply store. 3. Use any color ribbon you like for this project, try two different colors like red and gold or green and silver.
How to make it
- If using a white paper bag, skip to step 2. If using a brown paper bag, paint the outside of the bag with white paint. Let dry completely. When dry, paint the top half of the inside of the bag with white paint. Let dry.
- Cut halfway down the bag at each of the four creased corners to allow you to easily paint stripes on the inside of the bag. Paint horizontal red stripes across the four white flaps (inside the bag) and allow for them to dry.
- When completely dry, lay the bag flat on the table and paint a simple triangular tree on the front. Use the handle end of a paintbrush to add green dots along the bottom border of the bag.
- Use red glitter glue to dot on tree ornaments. Let everything dry completely.
- Use scissors to cut ¾" wide strips, starting at the top of the bag and cutting halfway down. The strips should flop over, showing the red stripes.
- Fill bag with goodies, a gift, cookies or just paper for a decoration and gather the "neck" of the bag, tying a piece of ribbon around it just below the candy cane strips. Tie ribbon in a bow and trim the ends of needed. Arrange strips as desired.
