Making Gift Bags & Tags

A Fun & Festive All Ages Craft Project

You’ve completed your Christmas shopping, braved long lines and crowded stores or anxiously awaited the safe and timely arrival of online gifts to your front door. With your gifts in place, you breathe a sigh of relief only to realize that your job isn’t finished. Now comes the wrapping of all of those presents.

I decided this year to have a little craft time with friends and create our own wrapping paper and gift bags. The materials used are inexpensive and easy to obtain and very simple to assemble. Glue/glue gun, scissors, paper bags, construction paper, brown craft paper, markers, paint, pipe cleaners, colored pencils, hole puncher, mini pom poms and glitter stickers. This would be a great activity for children of all ages. Be sure to have adult supervision if using a glue gun.

Instead of the usual gift tags, use photos to identify your gift recipients. Old childhood photos or silly pictures will make gift-giving much more fun. A holiday gathering of close friends and family wouldn’t be complete without a few trips down memory lane. This year, kick off the nostalgia by incorporating childhood photos onto gifts to indicate who the recipient is — the goofier, the better! Tie off with decorative ribbon for a spin on the traditional gift tag that’s festive, sentimental, and sure to evoke a laugh or two. They’re easy to make. Be sure to make color photocopies to use and save your originals. Cut out and glue to construction paper, and add a ribbon.

If you feel that you lack the creativity to create your own and select traditional store bought wrapping paper, I've included some links to some other gift wrapping resources to help you wrap your presents.

Remember that no matter how your gift is presented, it is always better to give than receive.