Kate & Abby's Easy Paper Gift Bags

I love sewing on paper. It's so much easier than sewing on fabric!

First, you never have to iron. Paper totally holds a crease. You don't ever have to pin anything since you can just use a tad of adhesive to keep things where they need to be. But maybe the best part is that paper never has to be hemmed. It simply can't fray!

So, when Kate and Abby had some small, but oddly shaped gifts to wrap, with no boxes around to put them in, sewing these paper gift bags was the perfect solution! Made out of our cardstock, they have enough structure to them that they won't rip..... at least until Christmas morning!

These are ideal for fairly flat gifts like these flowers and headbands they wanted to give to friends (that's one of the perks of being a "craft-lady's" kid). We layed them out into sets and self-contained them as well as we could first.

The one above, fit perfectly using a single sheet of paper to make our bag. However, the one below was bigger. Never fear, you can piece paper together in a snap! (Notice the bigger bag with the Santa panel on the front.)

Sew your paper into a tube by bringing the edges together with the right side facing out (wrong sides together) and without creasing the fold. Stitch this down using 1/4 to 1/2" seam allowance. The seam will be on the outside, but don't worry you can make this decorative by folding it out after it's sewn. When that's done, sew across the bottom.

Kate and Abby did this themselves. I did help them fold open the seam by first folding both halves to one side. After that crease was made, it's easier to open it up and fold one half to the other side. Put your gift inside and then stitch across the top. After this is done, you can cut down the sides of the fold and bring the tops down for a decorative border.

Punch a pretty edge and embellish with paper, stickers, fabric and ribbon.

And there you have it. Wonderful, handmade, gift bags. Sewing on paper is a great way to introduce young hands to a sewing machine. If you have never tried it, see all our tips for sewing on paper to get yourself started!