DLTK's Holiday Activities
Decorated Brown Paper Bags

Children, teenagers or adults can decorate sturdy brown paper bags and use them as gift bags.  The typical cost of a sturdy brown paper bag (the type with rope handles) is about 75 cents which makes these both cute and less expensive than store bought gift bags.

I have provided templates for a few variations of the idea, but you can get creative and use letters cut from wrapping paper, hand made characters and die cut shapes to decorate them.

Handprint characters like the Handprint Reindeer, Handprint Santa and Handprint Angel also make cute decorations for the bags.
 

Materials:

• sturdy brown paper bag (the type with rope handles).  These can be purchased at craft stores or the dollar store.  You can also buy them in colors (white, green, red, etc) though the colored ones cost a bit more.
   
• printer,
• paper,
• scissors,
• glue,
• optional:  pom poms:
  • large orange for the snowman
  • large red for the JOY (reindeer nose)
  • small red for the reindeer
  • small red for the holly wreath  

Template 1 (JOY)

(color)

   or  

(B&W)

Template 2 (reindeer)

(color)

   or  

(B&W)

Template 3 (snowman)

(color)

   or  

(B&W)

Template 4a (holly wreath)       

(color)

   or  

(B&W)

or    Template 4b (directions)                      

(B&W only)