Pretty Little Favor Bag

I imagine my craft room might look a lot like some of yours (well, at least the more chaotic ones!).  I always seem to have extra bits and pieces from projects that I leave on my work area.  I try to organize them so I'll remember to use them.  Soon they are overflowing and you could do an archeological dig through the layers that accumulate on any horizontal surface to discover what I have been working on for the past few weeks (...or months).  I actually prefer having these things sitting around because I sometimes find interesting combinations that I my not have put together if everything was neatly tucked away.

When I was making the Hope card (see THIS POST if you missed it), I tried a few different versions of the size and layers for the word "Hope."  I couldn't let them go to waste, so I put the extras together and used one of them to decorate this tiny favor or gift bag.

I have lots of cartridges that will cut bags and I can easily design my own bags and boxes to cut with one of my electronic cutters but sometimes I do prefer to use a regular steel rule die - particularly if I need to make a large number of the same item.

I recently bought this Tim Holtz bag die from the Alterations line by Sizzix. 

The die makes a tiny shopping bag that is easy to assemble.  It looks very authentic when you use a piece of a larger paper bag and run it through a manual die cutting machine (or the Vagabond if you have one). 

I first saw this die at Absolutely Everything, when I took the classes with Tim Holtz last spring.  They had lots of sample bags made up and decorated.

The bags had a vintage look and were done in mostly browns and subdued colors.  Many of them were inked for grungy and distressed effects.

I decided to try making a totally "ungrungy" bag using a pretty pink cardstock from Martha Stewart and some ruffled ribbon from May Arts for the handle.  The "hope" sentiment that was the wrong size for my card would fit the bag perfectly.

To assemble the bag, you need to put adhesive on the long side flap.  I also added a bit of adhesive on the two short side bottom sections.

The bag is designed so the bottom flaps will interlock.  First you fold in the two side tabs...

...then you fold down the long "U" shaped section.  Scor-Tape is my favorite adhesive for holding bags and boxes together.

The last section folds and tucks under the "U" shaped piece and the points of the "U" shaped piece lock it into place.

Instead of stapling a string handle to the front and back of the bag, I add some Scor-Tape to the two narrow sides on the inside and then adhered the ribbon to the bag.

The Scor-Tape will hold the ribbon securely so long as nothing very heavy is added to the bag.

The two sided cardstock makes the bag look finished inside and out.

I glued my extra "Hope" cut to the front of the bag.  You could add some flowers or other embellishments to decorate the bag.

I simply placed a few pink pearls on the first letter and the final flourish to accent the word.

I think I am going to enjoy trying all sorts of different versions of this bag.  I'll tell you more about the pumpkin bag another day.

We had a very busy weekend so things are a little off schedule again - lots of irons in the fire these days!  I may be making another trip soon - somehow I think that craftroom is never going to get sorted out!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  For the rest of the month, everyone who leaves a comment on my blog will have a chance to win this Sizzix "Scrap Pink" set.  You can see more photos and details at THIS POST.  For more chances, you can leave a comment everyday for the rest of the month - but just one comment per day please.

Subscribe to Capadia Designs if you would like to have new posts delivered directly to your email.