Are you ready to learn how to make a gift bag? These newspaper gift bags are a breeze to create! These creative, handcrafted bags not only reduce waste but also add a distinctive touch of personality to any present. Imagine transforming yesterday’s headlines into delightful carriers for today’s treasures, combining the nostalgia of print with the joy of giving.
Whether you’re wrapping a birthday surprise or a heartfelt thank you, newspaper gift bags offer a unique blend of practicality and creativity. Join us as we delve into the art of repurposing newspapers into beautiful gift bags that are as kind to the planet as they are to your budget.
This holiday season save money and go green when you make your own gift bags out of newspaper. Better yet, while school is out, keep your children busy with this simple craft .
How to make gift bags
To make your own small gift bag (5 inches tall), you’ll need a few items that are probably already around the house. Here’s the list:
- Two sheets of newspaper
- Tape (clear packaging tape is best) or glue
- A ruler
- Scissors
- String, twine or ribbon (optional)
- ARTS AND CRAFTS STAPLE: Fiskars SoftGrip Scissors All Purpose for cutting a wide variety of materials including wrapping paper, paper, cardboard, and more
- PRECISION ART SUPPLIES: Durable, hardened stainless steel blades offer a sharp edge for scissors that cut all the way to the tip
- LONG LASTING AND RELIABLE: A dependable addition to your paper cutter, crafting, stationary, and scrapbook supplies; Fiskars craft supplies and materials are built to last
- XMAS RIBBON - GIFT WRAP RIBBON SET CURLING RIBBON DARK RED GREEN GOLD SILVER GIFT-TYE RIBBONS 4 PACK: 4 Rolls 400 Yards of Thin Curl Ribbon Set (100 yard each) Ribbon for Crafts / Christmas Gift Wrap Poly (Polypropylene) Crimps & Curled for Women / Woman & Girls / Girl
- RIBBON CRIMPED METALLIC & SPARKLE: Shiny Glossy Crimped Assorted Color Ribbon for Present Gifting, Xmas Tree (Trees) Decorations & Gift Tag & Ornament Hangers, Ribbons for Gifts / Bows, Holidays DIY Hair Ribbon Tie, Gift Box & Bow, Wreaths, Floral Centerpiece, Bachelorette Parties, Valentines
- PARTY RIBBON SETS: Assortment of Ribbons Set for Florist, Craft, Parties Decoration, Curls Ribbon for Flowers, Wedding Presents, Balloon, Birthday, Anniversary, Baby & Bridal Showers, Good Natural Party Decoration
- GIFT TAPE WITH A SECURE, STRONG HOLD: 2 rolls of Scotch Gift Wrap Tape with tape dispensers gives a strong, secure hold to seal gift bags and keeps presents securely wrapped
- DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY: This holiday tape disappears on most gift wrap, letting the beautiful designs show through
- SATIN FINISH: The clear wrapping tape has a satin finish that gives gifts a smooth, finished look, making it the go-to tape for holidays, birthdays and everyday celebrations
Here’s how to make easy-to make homemade gift bags
Choose a sheet of newspaper that you’ll want for the outside of your bag. Lay another on top of it and measure then cut out a 15.5-by-8.25-inch rectangle to use for your do-it-yourself gift bag.
For the bottom of your easy-to-make gift bag, make a fold 2 inches from the lower edge. Fold the top edge down 1.25 inches. Glue these flaps down, using extra glue between the sheets to make sure both sheets are fastened. You can also use tape for this step.
Then you’ll need to measure and make several more folds to form your homemade gift bag’s shape. Working from the right edge of your cut rectangle, measure and mark the following points: 0.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 8 inches and 11 inches. Now make a creased fold at each of these points to form your bag.
Each side will be 3″ wide. The front and back are each 4.5 inches. The small fold you made at the right edge is the tab you will use to join your bag together, but don’t attach anything yet.
For reinforcement, you can run a length of packing tape around the top edge for extra strength. If you want even more reinforcement, you could use some heavier paper like card stock; cut a length and glue or tape that near the upper edge of your homemade gift bag.
Since I always figure the bags are throwaways, I skip this step and use these easy gift bags for lightweight gifts.
Now join the edges so the main bag shape is formed. You can use tape or glue. The tape is quicker since it doesn’t take any time to dry, but it will also show.
For me, quick always wins. Besides, the tape seems a little stronger than gluing.
Now form the bottom by folding sides, top and bottom, as if you’re wrapping a gift. Tape or glue to fasten. I like to line the inside bag bottom with tape or card stock for strength.
For a handle, you can punch holes in the top area of the bag and string twine or ribbon through to form handles knotted on the inside.
For variations, try cutting colorful paper with fancy-edge scissors and gluing that around the top outside edge of your homemade gift bag before you put on the handles.
You could also use old paper grocery bags, then add photographs, bows, or whatever else you feel makes your handcrafted gift bag complete. Altering the measurements by consistent percentages can make larger gift bags.
I told you it was easy to learn how to make your own gift bag! Giving a fun gift in a DIY gift bag is the best!
Is it hard to make your own gift bag out of newspaper?
Making your own gift bag out of newspaper is actually quite simple and can be a fun, creative project. It involves basic folding and cutting techniques, similar to origami, and requires just a few materials like scissors, tape, and of course, newspaper. With a bit of practice, you can easily create stylish and eco-friendly gift bags. Would you like a step-by-step guide on how to make one?
Is a newspaper gift bag appropriate to make and use during the holidays?
Absolutely! Newspaper gift bags can be a unique and thoughtful choice for holiday gift-giving. They add a personal, handmade touch to your presents and align perfectly with the spirit of sustainability. You can even customize them with festive decorations like ribbons, stamps, or drawings to make them more seasonal.
Plus, they offer a charming, vintage aesthetic that can stand out under the holiday tree. If you’d like, I can suggest some creative ways to decorate them for the holidays! Have fun making these DIY gift bags!
What are fun holiday gift ideas to add to these easy gift bags made out of newspapers?
There are so many fun gift ideas. Here are a few suggestions:
- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
- AN INDULGENT SELECTION OF OUR 15 BEST SELLING CHOCOLATES: Gift baskets arrive with more than a pound of assorted milk, dark and white truffles. Flavors include: Peanut Butter Squares, Cookie Crunch, Peppermint Patties, Pretzel Clouds, Almond Clusters, Milk Chocolate Pretzel, Dark Chocolate Pretzel, Cashew Clusters, Pecan Snappers, Sea Salt Caramels, English Toffee, Coconut Haystacks, Double Dark Silk, French Meltaways and Pecan Meltaways.
- CELEBRATE JOY with this elegant yet affordable gift. This little treasure has delighted recipients ranging from employees and employers to parents and children. Who doesn’t love a delicious box of chocolate? It’s versatile packaging works for multiple occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Birthdays, Sympathy or to simply say Thank you.
- WRAPPED AND LABELED Each chocolate is individually wrapped to promote comfortable sharing and a fresh experience, even if you (try to) save some for later. Kosher Dairy
- THOUGHTFUL THANK YOU GIFT BOX & PERSONALIZED MESSAGE - Our handmade gift set is beautifully designed. No need to repackage. Show your gratitude and appreciation with a perfect gift. PLEASE CHECK "Add a gift receipt" to add your free personalized message. Thanksgiving Gift Box,Valentines Day Gifts, Valentines Gifts for Women, Mother day gifts, mother s day gifts for mom, mother day gifts from daughter.
- AN UNFORGETTABLE UNBOXING - This Thank You for Being Awesome gift basket contains 7 gifts: a 10 oz insulated stainless steel coffee tumbler, a scented candle, bath salt ball, pure manual bath salt, a handmade bar soap, a soap bag and a thank you card
- GREAT THANK YOU GIFT IDEAS - Whether you're looking for appreciation gifts for best friend, sister, brother, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, coworker, boss, employee, dad, mom, daughter, son, teacher, coach mentor or nurse, the relaxing gift box is the best choice.
- DESIGN: Our welcome sign have a history of twelve years, with skilled craftsmanship, durable products, and a variety of colors and texts to choose from.
- MATERIAL: This round of welcome sign is made of high-quality wooden materials, and high-quality hot-melt glue is used to stick artificial green plants and decorations on the board. Our products give people a beautiful enjoyment.
- PURPOSE: welcome sign can be used to decorate our living room, room, kitchen, front door of farmhouse, front door of flower shed, beach wooden house, front of coffee shop and Home Decor so on.
Delicious dried fruit Gift Tray comes on foldable Wooden Fruit Bowl.- Holds a variety of exotic mango slices, Mediterranean apricots, luscious California yellow peaches, mouth-watering pears, Washington apple wedges, and yummy California dates, tangy kiwi, plums and prunes
- The multi-use Wooden Tray can be used as a Trivet, cutting board or as a Fruit Bowl. An ingenious gift that will impress and excited all recipients!
- Give the gift of best-selling deliciousness or treat yourself to two of our prized house-made gooey caramel corns: butter and dark-chocolate drizzled, Ghirardelli dark chocolate and caramel-filled squares with along with 2 flavors of crunchy confection mini pretzels, our house-made milk chocolate almond bark, fresh chocolate covered cashews and crunchy melt-in-your mouth peanut brittle packed into high quality, keepsake seagrass basket for the ultiimate in chocolatey, nutty and crunchy snack gifting.
- Hot weather notice: While we ship with ice packs during hot weather, prolonged exposure to heat or sunlight may lead to melting/damage of product. We recommend alerting gift recipients to gift arrival to ensure their availability to receive the package and minimize head exposure.
- Handmade chocolates, handmade caramel corn. We pop fresh popcorn, melt real Challenge butter and caramel, and drench it in the rich, thick goodness. The melters are full of real chocolates, pouring out pans of chocolate barks, pressing whole almonds into the warm, thick Slabs. Nothing but the best will do for our our customers giving to their favorite people.
If you liked this post, you may also like:
- 16 cool things to do with used Christmas cards
- Turn old magazines into beautiful bowls
- 18 ways to reuse and recycle old calendars
- Thrifty ways to reuse old pantyhose
- 10 uses for shredded paper
LOVE IT! ♥
Thanks, Mia! I hope you enjoy!
Sheri
Great idea. I could definitely use my unused garden bags for this.
What a great idea! I love it. I and trying to figure out how to make them bigger.
How much weight do you think this will hold? I am working on putting together some beauty and household gifts from items I have used coupons on :)
I would use it mostly for lighter presents, since it is basically made from newsprint.
Love your shopping with coupons strategy!