Creating Gift Bags for Year 12

As their final exams loom ever closer Year 12 students need encouragement (and sugar). These gift bags are a nice way to say "keep studying!". We wanted to give gift bags filled with lollies but buying them at $1 or more a bag seemed exorbitant, so we made our own. It turned out to be really easy and meant we could personalise each gift and spend more on the lollies!

 


The finished product



  To make your own gift bags follow these steps:

Step One
Cut paper to 30cm x 21.5cm. We used spare scrapbooking paper as the extra weight makes the bags tougher.



Step Two

Fold the longer length of the paper up 3cm. Once you have a crease open the paper out again.

 Step Three

Glue the shorter edges together to create a tube. Fold the 3cm section you creased earlier into the inside of the tube. Flatten the tube into a rectangle.

Step Four

Using a hole punch make holes for handles through all layers. Measure on each side of the punch to ensure your holes will be centred.

Step Five

Fold the side of your rectangle opposite the holes up 6.5cm and crease. Fold the upper layer of this fold out at both ends.

 

Step Six

Fold the bottom edge of your diamond up approx 2.5cm and then the top edge down the same distance to create an overlap. This forms the base of your bag. Glue the overlapping sections together and allow to dry for a minute or two.



Step Seven

Fold the outside edges of your bag in at the centre of the diamond created by forming the base and crease. Open out this fold.

Step Eight

Carefully open out your bag and form the shape of the sides using the creases you created in step seven.



Step Nine

Cut two lengths of cord approx 32cm. Knot one end of the cord and thread it through the holes on one side of the bag. Tie a knot in the other end of the cord to hold it in place. Repeat this with the second piece of cord on the opposite side of the bag.

Step Ten

Fill your gift bag with a selection of lollies (we used Lifesavers, Time Out's, KitKat's, Nerds and Smarties as they all relate to study in some way).