Christmas Paper Bags

Hello, friends! I’m Kierste, the girl behind Brown Paper Packages, and I’m SO excited to be here on Lil’ Luna, and a part of this fun series.

What is your favorite holiday, and why?

Most definitely, Christmas! Starting the day after Thanksgiving, I go into holiday mode, and I love every single minute of it. The lights, trees, music, giving, food, traditions, friends & family, celebrating the birth of Christ–all of it is wonderful.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Every year our little family bundles up and goes to cut down our own Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving. We take a hayride out to where the trees are, then we walk up and down the aisles of trees, looking for the perfect one. Once we find it, my husband cuts it down with a saw, and we drag it back to the truck, and tie it on top. The smell of the trees, the crispness in the air, and the crunch of the snow all contribute to one of the very best days of the year! We follow it up with hot chocolate, making sugar cookies, and decorating the tree. LOVE it!

What is your all-time favorite Christmas movie?

Meet Me in St. Louis. I LOVE LOVE it!

What has been the best present you’ve ever received, and why?

My favorite gifts are always the one from my kids. I love the glued-on macaroni, glitter, lumps of clay formed into snowmen, and wreaths made of plastic bags. They are so excited to give them to me, and it truly comes from their little hearts. I treasure them, and one day when they’re not so little anymore, they will bring me fond memories of Christmases past!

5. Why do you blog?

As a mom of small children, blogging is one of the ways that I can spend do something for me–it keeps me sane! I also love to create, to share that with others, and enjoy the amazing blogging and crafting community.

…..

Looking for a fun way to package treats or small gifts? I’ve got the perfect thing! I took paper lunch sacks and sent them through my printer, making an all-in-one bag and tag. It’s simple, inexpensive, and SO fun! You could actually do this for any holiday, birthday, or as an invitation, too!

I just love paper sacks. Not only are they super cute, but they’re inexpensive, which means making just a few or in bulk is very reasonable. I’m going to give you directions based on my printer, but you will probably have to make a few changes depending on the kind of printer you have. Just take a few minutes to experiment with which way the paper goes in, which side it prints on, and how it comes out. Once you know that, you’ll know how to insert your paper and/or lunch sack.

Here’s how I did it…

SUPPLIES:

paper lunch sacksprinterribbon or fabric strips

hole punch

DIRECTIONS:

1. I created my text and image in Photoshop, then inserted it into a Word document. Don’t worry–if you don’t have Photoshop, you can just use your fonts and create the text right in Word. A lunch sack is about as tall as an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, so you can place your text on the document where you would want them on the sack, and it works out just about right. (Fonts = Typewriter and MS Try a Bon)

2. My printer won’t let me put a paper sack through by itself–it has to be exactly the same dimensions as an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I really miss my old printer, because I could put through even the smallest scrap all by itself, and it would print on it. You might have a printer like that (LUCKY), and you could just go ahead and print right on the paper sack. If yours is like mine, then keep reading…

In order to trick my printer into printing on the sack, I had to send it through attached to a regular-sized piece of paper. I printed out the text on an 8.5 x 11 piece of white paper, then I was able to use it as guide, placing the lunch sack directly over the text. This way, I would know where the printer was going to to print, and it would be right where I wanted it. I taped it lightly in place on the sides, and at the top–just so it would stay in place while it went through the printer. I printed the sacks one-by-one, then carefully removed the tape. It worked like a charm!

3. I tore strips of fabric into pieces about 1.5 inches wide and 15 inches long. I folded the bag over twice, punched two holes in the top, then used the fabric to tie it closed. SO cute!!!

Here is the Merry Christmas image, in case you’d like to use it. Just right click on the image, select “save as”, and save to your computer. Open up a new Word document, select “Insert”, then ” Picture”. You’ll be able to browse for your picture, then click to insert it into your document.

Thanks so much for having me!! I’d love for you to come on over and say hi sometime!

Discussion

1

Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more
July 31, 2012 at 5:54 am

I love how country this is, I am a country girl at heart I swear:)
Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more recently posted..Angry Birds Cupcakes

2

kristie
July 31, 2012 at 11:56 am

so darling and simple!

3

Kimberly @ The Brown Eyes Have It
July 31, 2012 at 3:59 pm

I love this idea! So cute for any occasion, I’m pinning it right now.
Kimberly @ The Brown Eyes Have It recently posted..4th of July Wreath

4

Kelly
August 1, 2012 at 4:57 am

I wish I would have thought to tape the bag down! I can feed the brown bags through my printer, but when i tried my printer screamed at me (literally). I’ll have to give it a go again like this. Great idea!
Kelly recently posted..Crockpot Pesto Ravioli

5

Karie @ ipinterest
August 1, 2012 at 9:26 pm

Such a great idea! I hope to try this for the coming season, or any packaging time!! Thanks!
Karie @ ipinterest recently posted..CMYK Inspired Baby Shower, part 3: {Wear it Wednesday: color block dress with pop of color: coral orange earrings}

6

Allison Dredla
November 24, 2012 at 7:46 am

Wow! I love brown paper sacks. This is awesome. My MIL has taught me that the packaging is as important as what is inside. I love fun ideas on how to wrap things. Thank you.

7

Christa @ BrownSugarToast
November 29, 2012 at 12:48 pm

LOVE!!! Sharing this tomorrow on my blog! Thanks for the inspiration!
Christa @ BrownSugarToast recently posted..Clusters of Goodness

8

Angela Randall
December 12, 2012 at 7:49 pm

Thank you for showing how to do this. I tried it before but I too could not get it to take the bags through the printer. I will have to try your way!