gift bag wall art tutorial

i love making somethin' outta' nuthin'! using inexpensive or free supplies is my jam.

and i love sharing those kinds of ideas here.

we all know that crazy-cheap retailers like Dollar Tree have loads of paper gift bags every season:

(Dollar Tree photo)

did you ever think of those as not just gift bags but craft supplies?

doing something unexpected with things is my jam, too...

like turning gift bags into wall art that echoes the current 'handlettered sign' trend! 

continue reading for this super 'fast, cheap & easy' project tutorial

okay, first, get thee to Dollar Tree or DollarTree.com and pick out some cute bags

with a seasonal message - such as 'Happy Valentine's Day - printed on them.

(since our goal is to create inexpensive 'sign art')

the bags come in many sizes, made of  paper and also vinyl. some even have glitter!!!

now you're ready to begin...

first, let's prep the bags

top left: GENTLY pull the bottom of the bag open. it's glued shut - go slow so it won't tear.

top right: next, cut the bag exactly in half, down the middle of each side, 

then lay the two pieces out flat.

lower left: remove the handle by GENTLY pulling the glued-on paper that holds it.

lower right: iron both sides of the paper flat.

now, let's use those pieces of paper to create some art!

 

to create a 'wrapped canvas' look, 

grab a box from the recycle bin, or maybe an existing canvas you have on hand, 

in a size that the paper you have will cover.

then follow these steps: 

lay your box down on the paper, facing right side up, and figure out where the center is.

then flip the paper over so your box is sitting on the 'wrong' side of the paper.

top right: use a pencil to lightly draw lines on the paper around the edge of the box.

remove the box, and fold sharp creases following the lines.

middle: put the box back, and fold the paper up around all of the edges,

as if you were gift-wrapping the box,

then use a few small drops of hot glue or staples to keep them in place.
(so you can remove the paper later if desired)

TIPS:
bottom left: i recommend doing the top & bottom first, then the sides last 

bottom right: fold in the corners when you do the sides for a neat finish.

then trim off any excess paper behind the box so it lays flat against the wall.

framed art is even easier to create: 

just cut the paper to fit inside a photo frame.

(i love this vintage frame, and create new art for it every season)

creating temporary seasonal art like this is SO EASY!

it took me just ten minutes to create those two bits of art (included photographing them!) -

and another two to pop them into our existing winter / February decor:

the wrapped canvas piece doesn't hang on a wall - 

it sits on a glass cake plate, along with my Mom's red melamine heart dessert dishes. 

 paired with a fun 'faux food' sweater cake and one of my Sweet Sweater Snowmen,

the art completes this sweet display on the kitchen side of our vintage industrial scale.

the framed piece sits on our dining room sideboard, 

joined by a sweet ceramic box that was a gift from a dear friend

(and is the PERFECT February decor accent!)

decorating doesn't have to be labor-intensive, costly, or hard...

you can get terrific results using creativity and imagination!

here's a fun bonus... 

there was enough paper left over on my small project to use as a bookmark:

(it's a good book, too!)

as i was preparing this post, i remembered something ELSE i made from gift wrap,

using an old store gift box that i found in Mom's garage. see it here! 

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #513