DIY: Gift Bags from Wrapping Paper

You can make gift bags, treat bags, or lunch bags from any kind of paper. These are especially handy if you're trying to save some cash or have a particular paper design you'd like to use to match a party theme. Here is a step by step guide on how to make your own decorative bag.

It looks a little overwhelming at first but it is really easy. After you do the first one you'll get the hang of it and you'll be able to make bigger bags or smaller bags.

You will need:

• Scissors
• Glue or tape (I used invisible gift wrap tape- I'm too impatient to let things dry. Invisible tape works great and looks fine or you can use double sided tape on the inside of the seams for an even cleaner look.)
• Paper (to make a lunch bag size, cut your paper into a 14"x17" rectangle

TIP: Target sells rolls of wrapping paper in their dollar section every now and then. It already measures 17" in width. You can get a lot of bags out these cheap rolls. (I love Target!)

What you're going to do:

1) Start out with your paper faced down on your table- long sides of the rectangle at the top and bottom, shorter sides on the right and left.

2) Bring the right and left sides together in the middle, overlapping one of the sides slightly (about 1/2"). When your seam is all lined up, press the sides down flat and tape the seam shut.

3) Roll the taped middle seam to the right about 1.5" and press sides down to create a new side seam. Roll the original taped middle seam back to the middle then roll it to the left about 1.5". Now you should have 3 side seams on each side.

4) Push the middle side seams inward and flatten your "bag" down.

5) Now we'll work on the bottom of the bag. Fold the last 2" of the bag upward.

6) From the 2" fold mark, fold the bag up one more inch. (This will be important when you collapse your bag)

7) Unfold the bag and open the bottom to create a rectangle. Push the sides of the rectangle in, as though you were wrapping a gift box without the box. It makes it easier to fold the bottom if you stand the bag upside down with the bottom part up.

(I'm switching over to this white paper because it's a little easier to see how this works.)

8) Line up the seams so you have a crisp base on your bag.

At this point you can collapse your bag down to make it easier to tape (or glue) down.

9) Tape the side with the original middle seam up first.

10) Tape the side with no seam down second.

Open your bag!

Here's a way you can create "windows" in your treat bags.

I'm using this wrapping paper because it has a circle I can cut out quite easily.

Cut out your window shape and then glue (or tape) cellophane over your window. Proceed to follow steps 1-10 above.

Ta-da!

I love this red and white polka dot paper. Can you imagine how cute it would be for a Minnie Mouse themed birthday party? Or, add a pretty green ribbon for the holidays!