Considering numerous options, you might want to keep buying gift bags from stores for every precious event of your life. Most of the bags are wrapped to conceal something for the person to receive it, only to be torn when opening. This case will only happen in paper wrappers. What about paper gift bags? Paper gift bags are available in stores and even in school supplies stores. The thing is, some are cheaper and others will definitely weigh heavier in your budget. With this thing existing, frequent visits to the stores, especially if you are active to attend personal events and a kind of person who likes to give presents, will be a problem (if you have budget constraints). Then, this article will be beneficial for you in the long run. Are you asking how to make gift bags? No worries. We will guide you from making the best homemade gift bag to selecting the best fabric gift bags pattern tailored to your preference.
What Are Gift Bags?
Gift bags are pretty common as decorative packing bags for gift giving. They can also be used for other reasons such as an alternative to shopping bags or temporary storage of essentials. They can be compared to shopping bags, but are usually not very durable like the former, thus can only be used for aforementioned purposes.
Importance Of Gift Bags
Gift bags are used for objective and personal reasons. Below are the specific aims when utilizing gift bags:
1. Presentation– Gift bags are there to conceal the gift you are supposed to give. This will add suspense and also presents it nicely. Imagine if you cover it with a newspaper instead of the diy gift bags, would it look good? If you would never add style to it, then it would really look like there was no thought of emphasis at all.
2. Convenience– These bags are there to help the ease of presenting the gift to the receiver. The thing is, gift bags diy options are significant to selecting cheaper alternatives and offer a faster wrapping process. You can even just use a staple or tape to seal the bag.
3. Personalization– How to make a gift bag look nice? Gift bag making offers more extensive options for personal styling additions. Unlike buying from the stores, doing it yourself will offer you a wide collection of your preference to be applied. If you want to paint it, you can definitely act on it. If you want to sew gift bags, you can also do it. If you think the receiver wants diy goodie bags that have a disney character in it and you want to draw or paint it yourself, then you can choose to do so. That’s free art!
Diy Gift Bags As Cost-Effective Option
Looking for affordable options for your Thanksgiving and birthday presents? A homemade gift bag will definitely lower the cost of the entire project. You can also explore a lot of alternatives when doing this. For example, consider the styling and design options and try to search for cheaper but effective solutions. With gift bag making, you are in control of the entire process and definitely would not suffer from the mark-up prices of the stores. Aside from the affordability, you can also experiment with the artist inside you!
Materials Needed
Exploring on the side of diy projects, particularly gift bags diy projects, will be sustainable in the long run. Most of the activities you will do will use the same tools and if fortunate, the same main material. Diy gift bags are one of the most common things you can do at home, especially if coupled with letter cards. Below are the materials necessary for the whole process of gift bag making.
- Paper or Fabric – You can choose whether you like making paper Diy gift bagsor fabric gift bags diy.
- Scissors (Cutting Tools)
- Adhesive (Glue or Tape) – Choose the right kind of glue for your paper gift bags.
- Sewing Set (Forfabric gift bags diy)
- Ruler (1 ft ruler)
- Ribbon or tie (For straps)
- Cutting mat (Optional)
- Decorative Elements (Optional)
Guide: How To Make A Gift Bag
In this section, we will introduce to you the steps of the best gift bags tailored to your preference. Below are the steps on how to make goodie bag for a friend, a family, or an acquaintance.
How to make gift bags: How to make gift bags from fabric
Step 1. Choose the size
Depending on the size of the gift you want to wrap, cut the fabric according to size. A shorter one will mean not enough coverage. A larger fabric will be too large which can also be a negative connotation to those who wish for a cheaper gift bags diy option. Below are the specific sizes you can follow:
Large Bag: 21 x 15 inches (Strap: 26 inches)
Medium Bag: 17 x 13 inches (Strap: 22 inches)
Small Bag: 13 x 11 inches (Strap: 18 inches)
Tip: Only dry wash the fabric before use.
Step 2: Measure and Press
Measure a 1.3 centimeter from the edge of the fabric. Draw a line with an erasable fabric marker. After drawing a line with the marker, turn over the fabric and press. This will make a crease for the next step.
Step 3. Sewing the Sides
With the fabric on the top of the table, fold it in half. The pressed side must be on top. When you start, pin the side in place. Draw a line or mark 2.5 centimeters from the crease. Next, mark another 4.5 centimeters down from the down from the crease, forming an L-shape. Additionally, allow a 6 millimeters seam allowance. Along the marks, perform backstitching. Before continuing the backstitching, leave a 2 centimeter gap for the ribbon to pass through.
Step 4. Stitching the Casing
Open up the seam and pin the gap you previously created. To form a casing, stritch the folded edge.
Step 5. Add the Ribbon
These gift bags diy fabric will appear like a drawstring bag. Push the ribbon to the gap created earlier with the help of a safety pin. This will help you access the hole and thread the ribbon faster. You can tie a knot after threading the ribbon in the fabric. The how make gift bag diy process would take time depending on your expertise and experience. You can search on the internet with teh personalized ideas you can apply.
How to make gift bags: How to make a gift bag made of paper
Aside from the one made of fabric, you can also use a wrapping paper or a kraft paper if as of the moment, the fabric is not your option.
Step 1. Measurement
To start, measure the item you wish to fit inside the gift bags diy. You can follow the above measurements but for specific measurements, you can measure the item and multiply it twice. Therefore, the size of the paper must be double the size of the gift item. Fold the right and left sides of the paper until they meet in the middle. Overlap the sides a little and tape the edges.
Step 2. Folding at the Bottom
Fold at the bottom of the bag (approximately 1-2 inches). Press it gently until you see a firm crease. Open the fold you just did and flatten the sides until you make a triangle. The triangles must be facing outwards. Press it well.
Step 3. Folding the Bottom (Part 2)
On the fold you just made on step 2, you need to fold it horizontally this time. You can overlap until they meet in the middle. You can refer to the bottom of a paper bag of your groceries. That is how they should look.
Step 4. Punching and Straps
On the top of the bag (opposite of the bottom), punch two holes for the ribbon to thread. If you don’t like straps, you can also just tape the upper part of the bag. However, we do not recommend it because it is oftentimes bad to look at.
Style the ribbons with the decorative elements of your choice. You can also decorate the paper bag itself and shower them with your artistic love.
Creative Design Ideas
After making your diy gift bags, you can eventually be more creative with it and allow your artistic desires to flourish when following a how to make a gift bag guide. Else, you can take inspiration from the list below:
1. Stamped patterns– If you have your personal rubber stamps, you can create patterns on the gift bags diy. This will perfectly work with plain bags like a kraft paper bag.
2. Watercolor– Water coloring comes easy with the available materials you might have. It is similar to typical painting but it is easier to mix colors. The only problem with this is, it is not water resistant and would eventually be erased with the rain splashes. Well, in the case of paper bags, you should not leave them under the rain, right?
3. Collage – If you remember and enjoy your highschool scrapbooks, then you can try this. You can collect magazine and brochure cut outs and make an entire image out of those. You can then paste them on the homemade gift bag.
4. Monograms or Initials– You can decorate the initials of the receiver to the bag instead of looking for random cutouts. You can create a monogram (if you dare do so) or paint the initials. Either way, it will be successful once done right.
5. Nature Inspired Decor – If you are currently in the spring or maybe the receiver is a naturalist, then you can add the touch of nature on the gift bags. Diy gift bags are best partnered with neutral to natural colors which is the ultimate reason for this option on this list.
6. Buttons – If you want a unique but playful design for the bag, you can gather unused buttons and create a masterpiece on the surface of the bag. If you have several ones, you can definitely create a pattern. Otherwise, you can try using it on the seams or on the middle.
7. Personal photos – To make it more personal and memorable, you can create a collage or print on the paper bag a set or a few of the pictures you have together. This will create more personalization and expression and more importantly, would touch anyone’s heart.
Can you imagine giving someone a typical gift bag from the store? It is the fastest you can do when in rush, but a personal effort will not definitely hurt and much more appreciated. That is why it is very significant to know how to make gift bags if you like subjecting yourself in the process of gift giving.
Eco-Friendly Options
When following a how to make gift bags guide, you can try sourcing for recycled materials on the market if you can’t reuse any of the material you have. You can also try to include a small note where the bags came from in order for the recipient to be informed and encouraged. Below are the examples you can use on how to make a gift bag and promote environmentally friendly material options:
- Recycled Materials (Repurposed newspapers, maps, packages)
- Reusable fabric or fabric bags (you can add more personalization for future gifts)
- Natural Dyes
- Jute Handles
- Seed Paper Embellishments
- Reused Ribbons or Straps
- Recyclable Gift Tags
Our Top Tips
To make the project of gift bag making successful, it is always essential to research and consider options for making the perfect fit! With this how to make gift bags guide, we will recommend a few things.
1. Choosing the right material
It is important to carefully decide the material for you to use. For example, if you want to add watercolors on the body of the bag, then you should choose the right color of the material such as a plain color white or a brown color. Whatever you think is best will always matter to the decorative elements you will apply.
2. Accurate Measurements
Aside from the color, correct measurements should be prioritized. You can follow the measurements we have written in this how to make gift bags article but always feel free to research especially if the item is larger than our measurements. You should be aware that the amount of material is to be kept mindfully.
3. Durability
To ensure durability, make sure to tape the edges or sew them properly. Use strong tapes or glue to secure them. If you can, you can reinforce the side and the bottom with a spare hard paper or cardboard, especially in paper diy gift bags.
4. Personal Touch
Your creative mind will help you bring a successful gift bag making process with this guide. We can only offer ideas and opinions for you, but in order for gift bags to make perfect, you should follow your expressive arts and thoughts. The gift bags should be a reflection of who you are and how sincere you want to give the gift item to the receiver. So adding some personal touches will greatly improve the diy gift bags.
5. Always Measure the Gift Item
Aside from following the measurements we have written here, you should be able to measure or even just estimate the gift itself. If you fail to do this, you might have a problem in the process and if unfortunate, redoing the process. You will waste your time and the decorative ideas you already applied. And most of them, especially the ones that are not removable, are ruined. Unless, you can reuse it for smaller gift items.
6. Gift Tags
For more personalization options, you can try adding a gift tag. Adding the name of the recipient to the tag while having a short message will always be sweet. You can add their pen name or their nicknames of your preference.
Conclusion
With the ideas above, we can infer that gift bag making is an enjoyable process. It might be tedious for some, but it offers more personal touch to the act of gift giving itself. Even though buying from the store is a faster process, we can always opt to design it ourselves to build cheaper solutions or choose eco-friendly options. Not only that, we can also give more emphasis on the gift itself and not just on the tradition we have to attend. The events and the concept of gifts must be well understood by the people to have an entire image of the entire process. Most of the time, it is overlooked. Therefore, having the knowledge of how to make gift bags and personally trying the diy gift bags will eventually raise the level of personalization of the gifts you give, meaning, it will not just be presented well; it can also be an emotional intention to the receiver. Regardless of whether you can understand the psychological effect of diy gift bag making, you will eventually realize it after a couple of doing it yourself. Nonetheless, we hope that you will have the perfect and personalized diy gift bags!