Upcycling paper bags - with a Christmas theme

You know the routine -buy something, get a free paper carry bag. Some of these bags are pretty strong and durable, and it's a pity to throw them away especially since you know you will be going right back out there to BUY another paper bag, the next time you need to give a gift.

Leading up to Christmas, I like to collect red-themed paper bags and re-purpose them into gift bags. My colleagues at work know about my passion for recycled craft, so I was quite thrilled when my colleague gave me a really nice large red paper bag which had come with a cake she ordered from a hotel.

So the bag was perfect, being already red in colour, except for the large logos and slogans printed on the front and back as well as on both sides. Those needed to be covered, so out came my box of Christmas-themed cutouts and bits and pieces.

I selected a couple of cutouts from leftover wrapping paper and old christmas cards, covered the logos and slogans with mod podge, and stuck on the cutouts. For the most part, mod podge worked well as an adhesive, with the only drawback being the think layer of film that's visible over the designs. It's not noticeable from afar though.

And Voila! a perfectly nice Christmas gift bag is ready to go under the Christmas tree :-)