Recycling your Cards - Project 4 Gift Bag

 Hi Crafters

Well here we are with project 4 of Recycling your Christmas Cards

Gift Bags 

This project requires:

2 cards of equal size

1 large envelope 

Glue 

Ribbon or string

If you have saved your envelopes with your cards you can select a large envelope from these, or if like me you keep any envelopes sent with all the junk mail you receive you can use a business size envelope. 

These are the 2 cards and envelopes chosen from my pile for this project

Stick your envelope down and take a tiny sliver off the top to open the envelope

Score the 2 sides and the bottom edge (the closed edge) at 2cm

Fold over the score lines to make them flexible

Put your hand in the envelope and push in the base of the envelope using the score line 

Pull out the 2 ends that have formed a triangle and run your fingers along 

Glue the flaps down to the base with a wet glue like Pritt Stick.

Push the sides in and lay the bag flat

If you have enough length to play with  cut along the seams about an inch into the envelope and fold over to strengthen the top of the bag, Glue down

Next cut your cards to fit the front and back of the bag leaving an edge of 1cm 

Glue the panels card down.

When dry punch holes either side,  about an inch in, to take ribbon or string for the handles  

And here we have the finished bag. It may seem a bit of work but once you get the basic method you can make them from scraps and any envelopes you have spare, (and we  gather envelopes quite easily) so this is a great recycling project for all year around. I make them all year round to :-

1 Use up my scraps

2 To use at craft fairs when I sell an item 

Customers seem to appreciate the recycled and hand crafted gift bags and they have no additional cost so everyone is a winner.

NB If I am using them as bags at a craft fair I usually decorate them with some pretty threads, ribbons,  beads etc

BONUS PROJECT

The gift bag required no equipment but if you have an envelope maker here is another little project 

Gift Card Envelope

Use a 6.5 x 6.5” card and your envelope maker 

Score where indicated on the board for the card size and this should give you a lovely little glazed envelope to give a gift card or  money.

Hope you have a go at these projects, and I would love to see them.

Dee