Gift Bag and Tag Set

Had seen a video on Youtube by Karen Hightower using paper gift bags. She uses Gina K Designs stamp sets for this project for Christmas. In her video she also gives a tip about cutting out your own tags without a die using one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" card stock. Thanks to Karen for sharing her inspiration.

I have decorated paper gift bags from the dollar store before using stencils and washi tapes -- here is one of the bags I had decorated for Halloween:

Then for Thanksgiving I used the paper gift bags but just decorated them with a banner:

When I saw Karen's video I knew I wanted to make up gift bags using her tips/tricks. Here is my version of Karen's gift bag and tag:

For this bag I bought white gift bags at the dollar store. I used the same stamp sets Karen had used for her video by Gina K Designs:  Christmas Greetings and Music Background. Did not have the Gina K ink pads Karen used so I will explain what I used for my bag. My white gift bags are from the dollar store.

I used 110# weight white card stock from Mikes for the stamped panel piece and my tag. Cut the white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". Using the MISTI I stamped the Music Background stamp onto the white panel using SU Crumb Cake ink. I also stamped this on the matching tag. With the tag piece stamped I then punched the top corners of the tag using the Tag Corner punch by SU. Then punched the circle at the top of the tag.

With both pieces stamped I sponged SU Hello Honey ink on the edges of the panel and tag. Sponged over that using SU Close to Cocoa ink. Using three SU green inks -- light to dark -- Pear Pizzazz, Lucky Limeade, and Old Olive I stamped the sprigs, holly leaves, and vines in the upper corners of the panel piece and around the hole at the top of the tag. Using SU Old Olive ink I stamped the tree stamp at the lower left corner of the stamped panel piece and again on the lower left bottom corner of the tag. For the tag I also inked and stamped off the middle tree. Once the trees were stamped on the panel piece I used a light gray coloured pencil at the bottom of the trees cluster. Using SU Real Red ink I stamped the berries for the holly randomly on the tag and panel piece.

Karen explains that out of one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" card stock you will get 10 pieces to make into tags. With the 8 1/2" end of the card stock at the top of your trimmer cut this piece to 4 1/4" so you now have two 4 1/4" x 11" card stock pieces. Turn it sideways with the 11" edge at the top of your trimmer and cut this at 2 1/8" until all your pieces are cut. This one sheet of card stock will give you 10 tag pieces. Use your tag corner punch at the top of the tag and use a circle punch to punch at hole for the tag top.

Of course. . .  as usual I can not leave well enough alone. . . I did not have the stamp set Karen used for her "Merry Christmas" on her panel piece but I did have a free "Merry Christmas" die that came with a British card making magazine I had recently picked up at Barnes and Noble.... but.... I wanted my panel and tag to have a little shimmer and shine so I spritzed both of them with gold Glimmer Mist:

The camera did capture a little of this in the above photo.

Decided I liked the pop of red on the panel that the red berries gave the piece so I used red foiled card stock to cut out my greetings die. For the tag I used this foiled card stock and made a ring to the hole at the top of the tag. Put the greeting and ring on my pieces using a glue pen. Used a piece of craft foam (kids craft aisle @ Mikes --thanks to Bonnie for that tip) behind the panel piece and also use dimensionals to put the panel onto the paper gift bag front. For the tag I tied on a piece of sheer red ribbon and tied gold twine around that at the tag top. To keep the bow in place and not to untie I used clear glue by Aileen and a toothpick. Once that dried I used scissors to trim the twine pieces.

Here is the panel piece:

and the tag:

Using the MISTI makes making these panels for the gift bags/tags easy.  Cut out all my pieces and then did all the sponging, stamping, etc. Easy project to put together. A BIG thank you to Karen for sharing her projects for this pretty holiday gift bag. TFL