Holiday Traditions

12/17/2015

Holiday Traditions

Over the past 12 years one of my traditions has been to make gifts for my employees. Usually something small like cookies, hot cocoa, or candy- but the true gift is the handmade packaging I put them in. I usually make about 20 of these gifts and since I am so busy during the holidays it has to be simple but special, and economical! Sometimes the economical part can be challenging- lets face it, I would love to cover each and every one of them with tons of Petaloo flowers, but narrowing it down to just one flower keeps it easier to make and in the budget! It can be very hard to keep a design simple yet elegant, so here are 4 ideas for you to make your own Special Economy gift bags.

This first one did require a little simple sewing but depending on the gift being given- you may need to make "less space" than a fully opened brown lunch bag. The other embellishments came from my vintage paper stash and some twigs from my backyard. The focal piece is Petaloo Burlap Blossoms x5 Ivory

This next one is my wee tiny one, great for a gift card or candy. This one used a red Dennison label, a gold staple and some twine. The focal Piece is Petaloo Botanica Blooms x4 Red

This is one of my favorites, just for its simplicity and elegance. I used a pack of 50 paper bags, and some paper straws from the craft store only 2.99! Then used a punch on black cardstock for the back ground. The focal flower is a Petaloo Teastained Dahlias x10 in cream- I love this flower from the set as it looks like a pointsettia!

Now this one uses a full brown lunch bag- good for popcorn balls or fuzzy sock gifts! Another Dennison label (I just love these can you tell?) a Botanica Bloom and some Petaloo Assorted Glitz trims in red- you can do two bags from each trim so one package will do 8 bags!

I hope I have inspired you to make your own creative homemade packaging without totally breaking the bank or taking too much time- Denise