I love pretty little packages. I mean, what girl doesn't like a gift wrapped in cute paper and tied up with twine, ribbon and other little embellishments like buttons, stamps and doilies? As you can see from previous blog posts and my Facebook page, I've already been busy making some kits for my Etsy shop and market :-)!
With Christmas just around the corner (7 weeks and counting...), I thought it would be fun to have a post on some easy DIY ("do it yourself") packaging ideas you can use to dress up your Christmas or Advent gifts.
1. Use fabric instead of ribbon
Using a cotton fabric, make a cut on the selvedge edge of a piece of fabric (the long side that is "bound" along the edges) about one inch from the edge, or however wide you want your ribbon to be. Tear the fabric from the cut all the way down to the bottom and pull off the extra threads. Do both sides if you want it to look "shabby chic". Alternatively, use shearing scissors (the ones that have the zig-zag teeth on them) to cut the fabric piece to the size you want. Use in place of ribbon to tie around a box, envelope or package.
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| Here's an idea for packaging using a wide fabric ribbon (this will be the packaging for my Child Apron & Baking Kits :-)!). |
2. Decorative paper envelopes for gift cards
Use a template (you can find loads on Pinterest) or a Stampin' Up! Envelope Punch Board to make adorable little envelopes for gift cards. Decorate the outside with stamps, ribbon, doilies and top with a tag and small wooden clip. Here are some I made with the SU! punch board for my Etsy shop and Christmas market.
3. Brown Bag It
I love all the brown paper gift bags that I see popping up on Pinterest all the time. Who knew those brown paper lunch bags could be so cute!! You can stamp on them, print sayings or images on them (check out this tutorial I found on Pinterest), make the top edge scalloped using a punch, and then top them with whatever you have on hand, such as, scrap papers cut into flag bunting, punched Christmas trees or hearts, doilies, lace, tags and the list goes on and on...!! Here are examples from three different kits I made for Christmas. Each kit includes all supplies to make 5 gift bags (one design per kit). As you can see on the bag on the right, I made my own fabric ribbon to tie the bag closed.
4. Scrap fabric & paper gift tags
Cut out tags using kraft-colored paper (I normally cut my tags to be 2 inches wide by 3 inches high, but you can cut them in any size you like). I have this tag punch from Stampin' Up! that works great for creating the tops of the tags. Then you can decide if you want to use scrap fabric or maybe you have a lot of scrap decorative paper from other projects...or use BOTH! Glue or sew onto the tags in a random way, add some text of your choice (either using stamps or printing off your computer) and voilà, you have a unique gift tag! Here are a couple cute ideas I found on Pinterest. |
| Adorable vintage flair paper and fabric tag from Love Stitching Red Blog |
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| Check out these amazing Chrismtas tree scrappy tags from tracyBdesigns on Etsy |
Pinterest is overflowing with ideas. Check out my "Packaging Ideas" board for loads of DIY packaging inspiration.
I hope this post has inspired you to get creative for the upcoming holiday season!
J x
