I wanted to use a 12 x 12″ paper pad I bought from Michaels a long time ago in their bargain bin. The paper pad I’m using is from DCWV and is called Royal Gypsy. It’s no longer available and I don’t recommend this paper as it cracks when you bend it and I’m making a bunch of these gift bags to use up the pad…

For each bag, you’ll need:

two pieces of 10 x 12″ patterned papers (they don’t have to match, as one is for the front and one for the back.

two pieces of 4 x 11″ for the sides (I used regular card stock for this and

one piece of 4″ x 10″ for the bottom

Scoring:

Front and Back: the 10 x 12″ paper–Score on the 12″ length…. If your paper has a pattern that is directional, make sure the direction faces the left side of your score board and score both of your papers at 1 1/2″… One of your 10 x 12″ papers also needs to be scored on the opposite end from the 1 1/2″ score at 3″ so it will fold flat. This is the back of your bag. The front of your bag only has the 1 1/2″ score at the top. S

Sides: I used a thicker black cardstock and I recommend you use a lighter weight cardstock, 65 lb to 90 lb would work best. Score both side pieces on the 4″ length at 1/2″ and 3 1/2″ on the 11″ length, score at 1/2″ and 3 1/2″ on both pieces (if you paper has a directional pattern, make sure it faces to the right when you do these scores) Then turn the paper back to the 4″ length with the 3 1/2″ score close to the bottom…score at 2″ down to the 3 1/2″ score. Do this to both sides. Take the paper out of the score board but hold onto your stylus and take a ruler and lay the ruler at the base of the 2″ score you just made down to the left side of the 1/2″ score on a diagonal using the ruler so the rectangular box, then do the same from the 2″ score to the right side of the 1/2″ score.

Bottom piece: score on the 4″ length at 1/2″ and 3 1/2″ or you can score at 1/2″ and then turn the paper around and score again at 1/2″…this system works better for me as I’m left handed. Your results will be the same with either method.

I used a corner rounder (I prefer the Kadomaru Pro corner rounder, but got this rounder free and wanted to try it.) I rounded the two top corners of the front and back pieces closest to the 1 1/2″ score.

Take the two side pieces and cut out the bottom two corners to their scores and then angle out a notch on the bottom center piece on either side and the 1/2″ scores, but a small notch out of the top and bottom on both sides. The end result will make it so you don’t have any paper showing once you glue this bag together. The scissors I used are from Tonic, here’s a link on ebay…they’re really inexpensive. https://tinyurl.com/54sfcy3n

Fold and burnish all scores..My bone folder is from Fiskars and here’s a link to them on ebay.https://tinyurl.com/7mjrnnuc

Add tear tape to the bottom piece on the outside of the scores.

Side pieces,–add tear tape to the outside of the scores and on the bottom score from the score to the bottom (same side as you put tear tape on the other scores.

Front and Back–add tear tape to the back of the 1 1/2″ score near the top of the paper so this lays flat, but don’t take the backing off yet.

To put the bag together: Start with the bottom piece and the back and take the tear tape off the bottom and add wet glue so you can move the paper if you need to. Line up the bottom edge of the back of your bag to the bottom of the scored area and make sure it’s straight and that you can’t see the black paper once the bag is standing up. Make sure the front and bottom pieces are lined up so the edges are straight. Then use your bone folder to ensure it’s glued together…Do the exact same steps to adhere the front of the bag.

To adhere one side, take off the backing of the tear tape and add wet glue to both sides and bottom of the side and pinch in the side scores and pull up the bottom score and then lay the bottom score down so it’s straight with the bottom of the bag, then pull the front (or back) up and make sure the side and front line up and then do the same with the back, adhering it to the side. Do the same steps to the back and your bag is made. You need to rub all glued areas with your bone folder.

To make the strip to glue onto the 1 1/2″ white area, cut leftover paper down to 10 1/4″ by 1″ and you’ll need two of these. For the handles, I used 9″ long strips of ribbon. I made a mark 2″ from the edge of the white strip of paper on the left and right edge. I added tear tape on the 2″ mark and closer to the center of the bag, and laid one end of the ribbon on the tear tape (making sure the ribbon doesn’t go to the bottom of the 1 1/2″ strip. Loop the ribbon around to the other mark and glue it in place. Once one side of the bag is finished with ribbon, flip over the bag and use the first ribbon as a guide for where to put your tear tape.

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