How are you holiday preparations coming along? I hope you are not feeling too stressed.  If so, hopefully the gift wrap idea I have to share with you today will help out a bit.  All you need is a simple paper gift bag, some patterned paper or cardstock, adhesive and ribbon.  The paper bags usually come in white or kraft and are sold in packs of 10-12 at your local craft store. In my case, I found mine in my sister’s recycle bin!

I began by selecting and printing two coordinating patterned papers with my Cricut Imagine machine from the Imagine Mr. Frosty Patterns Cartridge.  Next, I designed my title, borders and paper rosette using the free online design tool, Cricut Craft Room.  I love that I can lay out my design on the “mat” and size things to fit.

For the title, I used the Cricut American Alphabet Digital font and under the font properties I changed the letter spacing to -6.  This “squeezed” the letters together and welded them for me to easily cut out my word in one piece.  I really love this option and how it simplifies adhering your title to your piece. No more worrying about lining the letters up or keeping them in the right order!

The borders and rosette were made using the fabulous Ribbons & Rosettes Cartridge. Fast becoming a new favorite of mine!  I then added a bit of coordinating ink to the edges of the pink papers pieces.  I also added a bit of glitter to the tree in the center of the rosette and on the tips of the the green folded paper. I used my sewing machine to stitch around the outside edge of the large background paper and across the border pieces to add a bit of texture.

One last fun tip I have to share with you is that I hand-dyed my own ribbon. This is simple polyester organza ribbon.  I cut a length of it and placed it in a zip lock bag.  I then added drops of 2 colors of pink/red alcohol ink.  I closed the bag and worked the ink into the ribbon.  Once the entire ribbon was colored, I removed it from the zip lock bag and tied it to my gift bag.

This is such a quick and simple way to dress up your gift bags and I hope you enjoy creating and personalizing your gift wrap this holiday season!

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GIFT BAG PAPER

GIFT BAG CUT FILE

Designed by: Juliana Michaels
Cricut Machines Used: Cricut Imagine, Cricut Craft Room
Cricut Cartridges Used: Imagine Mr. Frosty (patterned paper), Ribbons & Rosettes, Cricut American Alphabet Digital
Other Supplies: Cardstock (white, green), Patterned Paper (Imagine Mr. Frosty), Gift bag, Scoring tool, Distressing ink, Ribbon, Alcohol Inks (Ranger), Sewing machine & thread, Adhesives