Giftwrapping With a Brown Paper Grocery Bag

Save money, entertain the kids, and recycle a common item by using a brown paper bag to create unique wrapping paper.

For similar Instructables, check out:
Green Gift Wrapping
Re-Wrap
How to Wrap a Gift

Step 1: Supplies

Gather the following:

• 1 paper grocery bag
• scissors
• clear tape
• crayons, markers, etc
• gift to be wrapped (pictured is the dutch oven for my mother's birthday)
• optional: children to do the decorating (this adds to the cuteness, especially for relatives of said children)

Step 2: Cut Bag to Form One Flat Piece

Find the seam on the back of the bag and cut along it until you reach the bottom fold.

Turn and cut around the bottom to remove the folded and glued portion; set aside or discard (i was glad i saved mine...see step 4)

Step 3: Wrap the Gift

Place the gift in the center of the paper: printed side of the paper up, top side of the gift down.

Fold up ends to cover and tape down.

Fold loose sides of paper to cover the sides of the gift; tape. Turn and repeat on the opposite end.

Step 4: Patch Up Gaps

Sometimes your gift is too large for one shopping bag. Feel free to tape together two or more bags at step 2 to make a larger piece.

If you have a small gap, use the leftovers from the bottom of the shopping bag in Step 2.

Tear carefully to unfold and remove excess layers of paper and glue. Cut the needed amount and tape down; small loops of clear tape will help disguise the patch.

My four-year-old even invented a use for this little pocket--to hold a secret note for Nana!

Step 5: Decorate

This is the fun part. Decorate as desired.

I let the kids go crazy with crayons. They chose to portray the upcoming party scene.

Step 6: Optional: Decorate With Scraps

If you have any leftover paper, feel free to decorate with it! The final result looks nicer than it sounds.

I repeated step 2 and then cut the paper lengthwise to make a banner. I cut small squares of the second half for coasters. Be creative and you suddenly have a brown-paper themed party!

Comments

[luvit]

 i do this all the time! i also use newspapers or old underclothes!

[Diabala]

You can also, re-cycle your own paper, and add some natural tint into the mix, it makes beautifull color papers, and also, is very entertaining for the kids....
Remember they allways appreciate a way to get all messy and dirty... XD
In addition, you can make the papers, and ones they are finished, give it to the kids, so they make their own designs of cutted paper.. some cutted paper, some glue, and voilá.. the wraping could never be more fun...

ow!.. and remember: All the paper that it's left, you can allways re-re-cycle it! ^_

[niceday8888]

I always thought wrapping gift is a waste of paper, but this is so much better. By the way your children are very cute too.

[hippie_mama]

Thank you! I'm sure my own drawings on the paper wouldn't have been as special to the recipient. :P

[LinuxH4x0r]

*cough*freebrownpaperathomedepotorlowesiforgotwhichone*cough* I do this all the time. Great job!

[hippie_mama]

Thanks! Any paper is good, so long as it's free paper. :D

[awoodcarver]

Use to use the funny papers from Sunday papers as a kid still do on some friends presents .....works well like a paper bag .... good reuse

[Mr. Rig It]

I did this when I was a kids too. Great idea, can you still get paper bags though? They are also good for wrapping packages for the mail.

[hippie_mama]

Most smaller locally-owned grocery stores still give you the option (at least in the midwest).

[SWV1787]

I wrap gifts in brown post paper all the time... drives my girlfriend nuts...

[hippie_mama]

Hehe, maybe you should draw cute pictures on hers and win her over to the dark side. :P