Gift Bag Makeover

Today’s project is a gift bag makeover.  I only ever buy plain white/kraft packets or gift bags or I sometimes make them from scratch. I have a stack and decorate them as and when I need them.

Today’s gift bag started off as a plain brown paper packet. I covered the front of the bag with a layer of Gesso, applying it with a palette knife.

I tore up some dictionary paper and stuck it down.

I applied another thin layer of Gesso and wiped it back in some places so that the dictionary paper would show through. 

I rummaged through my stamps and found some round stamps from the Finnabair “Don't Forget To Fly” stamp set and used black Archival Ink to stamp them out onto plain white craft stock.

Then fussy cut them out and stuck them onto the packet.

 I used some texture paste through a stencil on the top right hand and bottom left hand side and left it to dry for a while.

 I used a vintage photo distress crayon and a stencil to stencil the coffee cup stain.  I rubbed over the crayon using my finger to blend it in a little.

 I used Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron Distress Crayons on the background and made a few drips here and there.  

I coloured the circles with a Twisted Citron distress crayon, also rubbing it slightly to blend it in. Then went round them again with my Stabilo Aquarable water soluable pencil and used a Pentel Water brush to activate.

I stamped the butterflies from the same stamp set. I wanted them to be sturdy so I drew a little squiggle of Picked Raspberry distress crayon onto my craft mat, picked up a little onto my Pentel Water Brush, then swiped it into Liquitex Matt Medium and painted the butterflies.

I cut the  words using the Tim Holtz Alterations Collection - Thinlits Die - Celebration Words – Script and black cardstock and glued to the packet.  I thought I was done, but true to form, I came back and added touches of Picked Raspberry distress crayon to pull everything together.

I wanted something to close the packet so stamped the small butterfly twice onto heavy water colour paper fussy cut them then glued the two together. I coloured the butterfly with Picked Raspberry distress crayon using a Pentel water brush. I have this pack of Bobby Pin Hair Clips with Round Cabochon fitting in Antique Bronze  that I often use as packet closures. I cut a few small circles from heavy cardstock and glued them into the round Carbochon fitting, then added a bit of Glue and Seal that I coloured then glued the butterfly on and left it to dry.  It makes an awesome packet closure.  I also couldn’t resist a few dabs of Silver Stickles on the butterfly bodies. Now my gift bag makeover is done.

A gift doesn’t always have to be expensive but when it’s in a hand decorated gift bag it seems to be a million dollar gift.

Supplies:

Kraft packet
Gesso
Texture paste
Black Archival Stamp Pad
Palette knife
Stabilo Aquarable water soluable pencil
Pentel Water Brush
Dictionary paper
Finnabair “Don't Forget To Fly” stamp set
Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron and Picked Raspberry Distress Crayons
Stencil
Liquitex Matt Medium
Bobby Pin Hair Clips with Round Cabochon fitting in Antique Bronze