Giftable Bagboxes |
This versatile presentation can be filled with anything including hot cocoa, small candies, flower petals or even tiny toy cars for that special little man in your life!
You will need a long, thin rectangular piece of cardstock to start with. For this sample, we will use a sheet cut to 4 1/4 by 11 inches.
Fold the cardstock in half, with the top being folded at least an inch short. This will allow for a foldover flap. Then, while it is still folded in half, fold the bottom up and back about 1/4 inch. This will create a "gusset" that will allow your bagbox to expand. Now take that fold and poke it back up inside the main fold. If you were to look at your cardstock from the side right now, you *should* see your folds make the shape of a 'W', with one side being about an inch taller than the other. That one inch flap can now be folded over the front. Your folded creation will resemble an expanding envelope with no sides.
Now that you know the basic procedure, you can use any size card stock and make the folds wherever you like. And by all means, don't forget to stamp the heck out of the outside!
To complete your bagbox, you will fill a cellophane or other plastic bag with a pleasant item like potpourri. (To make sure the floral scent comes through, you can take an exacto knife or pin and poke tiny holes through your bag.) Now put that bag inside the bagbox and sort of wrap the bagbox around it, with the open end of the bag at the top. Ideally, you will want to choose a bag slightly narrower than the width of your bagbox. Make sure the bag reaches up to the top where the flap is, then use a hole punch and punch a hole just below each top corner through the cardstock and the bag at the same time. String a ribbon through to hold the bag in place and to hold the bagbox closed. Pretty nifty, eh?.
SOME CREATIVE NOTES:
-To highlight whatever item you include in your bag, you can use an exacto knife to make cuts that show the product through the front. For instance, if I were to make one for Valentine's Day, I might want to cut out the shape of a heart and let tiny red cinnamon candies show through.
-For a very elegant flair, consider using gold
to emboss the edge of the foldover flap.
-Remember to use some sort of sealable bag and punch your holes
above the seal if you choose to use contents like hot cocoa powder.
-You can easily attach a matching tag to the ribbon you string through...try a mitten-shaped tag for a hot cocoa bagbox or a tie-shaped tag for a salsa mix on Father's Day!
These bagboxes work well for any occasion but my favorite contents for Mother's Day would be potpourri or bath salts.
Happy Stampin'!