Gift Bag Punch Board

Written and Created by PaperCraftCentral Susan

The Gift Bag Punch Board makes customising your gift wrapping so easy!

You can learn how to use it by watching the video a bit further down the page, but first here is a picture of the tool I am talking about on this page  You may find one in a diffeent colour or shape, but it will have instructions for its use on the front and diagrams too, if it is a good tool!

When and why should you use it?

I love to use this lovely tool when I want to make a present really special for a friend or family member. I just love to choose the decorations to suit the person I am giving my papercraft projects and gifts to.

You can use the colours, die cuts and stamps you want to decorate, the embellishments are yours to choose, and you can put any greeting you like on the bag with your personalised present. You can even hand write special messages for your sentiments.

Also, think of the money you will save by being able to make your own packaging for gifts!

Some  manufactured gift packaging options you buy are quite expensive.  With being able to make my own wrapping elements, I never have to go out shopping for ways to make my presents pretty. I can just sit down in my craft room and make my own. And I can take inspiration from what I see in the shops instead of bringing the items home with me.

You can even customise your gift tags with your paper craft tools and stamps, and use ribbon, threads, bling, glue or staples to add them to your projects.

How to Use the Gift Bag Punch Board

This video below from Stampin' Up! shows how to get great use out of your new papercraft tool.

The tool being demonstrated was once sold by Stampin' Up! but there are many different kinds of gift bag boards available in craft stores these days. (I will let you know if Stampin' Up! ever offers such an option in their range again though).

It really is an easy tool to use as all the measurements and sizes have been worked out for you.

You can make small, medium and large bags, bags that are thin and bags that are a bit fatter.

I had a lovely afternoon with friends making gift bags with this board. Scroll down further to see some examples of bags my friends and I have made with this tool.

What would you use a customised bag for?

I have some examples of my own gift bag punch board projects and those made by friends  for you to see. I hope they will inspire you to make your own.

I  use my customised containers for birthdays, bon voyage, welcome presents, and all sorts of occasions where it is nice to give a gift. They make wonderful thank you presents.

You can fit candles and other types of heavier ornamenets, crockery and decor  inside as long as you have glued the bottom together well so it will take some weight. 

You could also make cookies or cakes to fit your bags! It would be such a nice Christmas present full of home baked goods, You could wrap cookies or cupcakes in cellophane to easily slip them into your bag, leaving it clean and tidy for another use.

It really is fun to make tiny little things like these:

Or to make really tall ones like this one.  Imagine incense sticks housed in a little wrapper like this, or new pens or pencils, a small ruler, anything tall and thin really. New stationery suplies are always welcome as a gift in our house.

You can even make them like this for square-ish shaped gifts like soap or a pillar candle, a jewellry box or a Teacher's gift. You could add a package of hand made cards in this one:

I like to use my other paper punches and dies to decorate my projects too, as you can see from the use of the flower one in my examples. The little punched paper bow looks gorgeous too.

Don't forget your Christmas and Easter wrapping can also be enhanced by making a customised sack for each gift. Having some pre-made bags on hand makes wrapping jewelry, chocolates, tickets, candles, and all sorts of small exquisite presents a breeze.And they store flat, taking up little room till you are ready to use them.

I love to add foil wrapped hollow chocolate Easter eggs to them at Easter time. 

I hope you now feel able to make your own gift bags with a punch board. 

Other Ideas

You may also like the following papercraft projects:

• Make your own Paper boxes
• Make your own wrapping paper
• Make a heart-shaped box
• Make a paper wallet
  

Enjoy your crafting!