Decorative Packaging

What do you do with all the gift bags that you receive for various occasions? I know people who just pitch them. I can’t stand to see a perfectly good gift bag go to waste.

Maybe I save too many things and my book shelf may reveal the harsh truth of that. However there have been many occasions when an event came up that a gift was required and I didn’t have time to run to town to get a bag.

This is a great way to recycle gift bags. Most of the bags we get are plain without design or specific occasion bags. These are the bags I tend to grab if we leave an occasion and they are just piling them up to throw them away and save the gift.
Revive a pastel gift bag with three layers of animal print ribbon. You can use double stick tape to attach your ribbon, or hot glue depending on how much time you have.

Whether it’s a pop of cool royal blue…or eyecatching lipstick red….or the timeless sophistication of black & white…this high-fashion two-tone bag is guaranteed to garner admiring looks. And not just because of the fresh white color contrasts. It’s the shape! The medium and small bags are uniquely square. Called the “Sophie” bag, this turn top eurotote is created in a satin finish and polished off with paper twist handles set at a very comfortable width. At 130 GSM paper weight, this bag exudes “upscale”.

Case packed in 100s, and 100% recyclable, “Sophie” shoppers are available in 3 sizes: 7” x 7” x 3”, starting at $73.92 per case; 10” x 10” x 4”, starting at $98.41 per case; and 16” x 6” x 12” starting at $134.44 per case.

And to make a lasting impression, hotstamp your logo; we have over 40 foils to choose from.

For more information, CLICK HERE to contact our customer service department.

Valentine’s Day is a fun time to send valentines and love notes to those we care about.  But why is that the only day that we have to do these things?  Here is one cute idea you can show love to your kids or spouse, or even a neighbor or friend.

These cute little bags are obviously simple brown paper bags.  But by cutting a few inches off the top of a bag, and using a scrap-booking punch to create a decorative edge, you can pack a lunch in a beautiful bag for a surprise.  Make a gift tag by cutting a fun shape and maybe even using an ink stamp to decorate it.  Punch two holes in the folded down flap of the bag and one in the tag, use curling ribbon to thread through the two holes from the back, tie a knot to the gift tag and curl the ends.  It’s just that simple.  It just takes a few minutes to add some frills to a pain bag to say “I love you”.

You can bake come cookies or other yummy snack and put inside the bag, and stash it in your husband’s brief case, or place it in his car, or where ever he will see it when he leaves the house.  He will be so thrilled you did something so cute and purposeful for him.

Some friends could use a pick me up occasionally, and what a better way than to add some chocolate or other favorite treat in a pretty bag and just drop it off when they least expect it.

If you have a little card stock and grosgrain ribbon there is no limit to what you can do or make!  This name tag or gift tag is so cute.  It’s very easy to make too.  You can use your scrap ribbon or buy new ribbon and make up a bunch while you are making them. Any type of ribbon will work.

If you are very talented, you can free hand draw the shape you want, like this tree.  But if you are like me, you should find a picture of one shape you like and cut out a template.  Once you have the template, trace it on card stock or scrap book paper then cut it out.

Double stick tape works great for this craft.  Cut the ribbon to overlap ¼ inch and tape it together on the back.   Make the design on the tag that you wish, like this one, it just goes up in layers.  Finish off with a bow at the top of the tree.

Use a calligraphy pen to decoratively write the name or message on the tag you want

Custom printed ribbon is such a great idea!  You can have almost anything printed on it.  By using a neutral color for the ribbon, and accent color for the writing, you can use it on almost any paper.  This can save the need for gift tags at Christmas. You can also say Happy Holidays, and that fits most occasions.  Consider graduation receptions, You can decorate with the school colors for ribbon and personalized with the “Class of 2012″ and the graduates name.

You can have ribbon printed with Happy Birthday, or even keep some on hand for all occasions in different colors, such as; Congratulations on the baby, engagement, happy anniversary, Merry Christmas, or whatever fits your cause.  We were at a wedding recently that used custom printed ribbon on all the guest favors that said “Thanks for sharing our special day” and the date.  Another wedding we were at had personalized ribbon with the bride and grooms name and the date on it for guests to keep as a party favor remembrances and it was wrapped around the bubbles that we blew towards the bride and groom.

My husband loves chocolate so I may just try to decorate a basket like this for him this year for Valentine’s Day.  I have already picked up his favorite candy and snacks.  Sometimes I pick up a cute coffee mug and put his treats in there with a sweet card. But the last thing we need is another coffee mug.

This is an easy way to use decorative packaging to make your gift have more eye appeal than just a bunch of random things in a sack.  If you don’t have a red basket, you can easily spray paint a basket from Easter and cut the handles off.  Let the basket dry and add some decorative shreds.

You can make your own shreds too by running construction paper through your document shredder.  Its noisy but fun. Then add your candy and cookies and other valentine gifts to the basket.  I love the heart shaped brownies in the basket from Little Debbie.  Secure all the items in the basket by using a  red and white checked ribbon or a Valentine’s Day ribbon like the one in the picture.

Cook his favorite dinner and this can be the centerpiece.

It seems that no matter what channel the TV is on this time of year, everyone is talking about football.  If you live in the house with sports fan, you soon learn that the 4 seasons are not winter, spring, and summer and fall, but football, basketball, baseball, racing and golf.  Not in that order, and sometimes at the same time!

Using sports themed gift bags or sports ribbon to decorate a gift for the sports enthusiast in your family will put a smile on their face.  They make clear gift bags that you can have ready for any season.  Just pick up some tissue paper in their team colors and a few decals or stickers to put in the bag.  If you are real talented, you can paint a sports scene on there.  Or just wrap the gift in plain paper and use sports ribbon.

Sports ribbon is also cute to use for girls hair bows.  They can help daddy cheer for his favorite players.

When you are planning centerpieces for holiday dinners, don’t forget the kids table.  Decorating a kids table should be fun for them not stressful like a formal adult table.

These fun dishes are mix and match and can be found at most discount stores and dollar stores as individual pieces.  You don’t have to buy complete sets of dishes, just a few pieces to accent the holiday and coordinate with what you already have.

This doesn’t have to be expensive.  Use your own dishes but pick up a holiday salt and pepper shaker, and possibly a mug to fill with candy for that season.  This table is set for Easter brunch so the mug and plate have pastel colors and spring shapes.  A fall party could have mini pumpkin mug or bowls with candy in them.

I love the jelly beans and peeps for table decorations.  They added some Easter grass and nested the peeps in them.  Add some curly pastel ribbon streamers and use the same color holiday ribbon as a napkin ring then slip the fork into it.  It looks fancy and expensive, but it isn’t.  The kids will be so happy you took the time to make them a special place to sit.  If a cup gets broken, it’s no big deal; it’s not your china, its only dollar store decorative dishes.

Homemade gift bags are so easy to make.  You can have a craft day where you make a variety of sizes and colors of these beautiful little bags.  Then you will have a gift bag for anything on the spur of the moment.  Whether you put jewelry, candy, cookies, perfume or gift cards in the bag, it will look amazing in this type of bag.

It would also be an easy craft to do with linen fabric or cotton muslin and use organic cotton ribbon as the draw string.

The picture shows a bag made from  a blend of polyester Voile.  Any sheer fabric can work, they make metallic types and some that are tighter woven and less see through.  You can actually use sheer curtains that may have snags in place and you don’t want to hang them in your window any more. The fabric can be dyed to any color you choose or even tie dyed.

Depending on the size bag you want to make, you can start with a 7×11 inch piece of fabric.  Sew a 5/8 inch seam all the way around to prevent fraying and raveling.  Then fold the long end up to meet the other, keeping seams inside. Stitch up the sides.  A pocket or pouch is the result.  You can twist the top shut and use a nylon satin ribbon to tie it shut.  You can also stitch the ribbon to the bag at the side seam buy centering the length of ribbon along the edge then sew it as you stitch up the edge.  You can also fold down inside another ½ inch seam and stitch it down except for the sides.  Then insert a length of ribbon through each side and you can pull the strings like a draw string bag.

We don’t have to wait until Valentine’s Day to be romantic and surprise our loved one with little gifts.  We should find ways to express our feelings to them every day through little things like a love note on a napkin in their coat pocket, or a heart shaped pancake for breakfast.

A simple canning jar, velvet ribbon and chocolate hearts are a wonderful surprise for Valentine’s Day and every day.  If you don’t have a glass jar, then use a small box or tin to place a favorite treat.  Wrap the gift up in velvet ribbon.  You can place some flowers or a bow on top for a more dramatic look.  But any gift given in love is never a bad idea.