Learn how to create DIY gift bags out of a variety of materials – fabric, paper, wrapping paper, and more. Perfect for all sizes of gifts.
I have memories of wrapping gifts when I was younger. When we (my brothers and I) would go to other kids’ birthday parties, we were responsible for wrapping the gifts. My mom would buy the thing, and we would have to wrap it ourselves to take to the party.
Well . . . one time I couldn’t find the wrapping paper and so I used supplies from the recycle bin to wrap a present. I believe it was newspaper and potentially a paper bag.
My mom saw it and immediately said, “you’re going to need to re-wrap that.” I don’t think she wanted to send me to a party with a present wrapped in garbage.
And I have to admit – I’m not the Martha Stewart of wrapping. Even when presented with paper, tape, and all the correct supplies, I still have difficulties executing the perfect fold-and-tape situation. My corners aren’t crisp and leave a little something to be desired.
And that’s where DIY gift bags come in! Because guess what my friends: you don’t have to wrap something perfectly when you have a gift bag.
They are perfect for those of us who can’t wrap worth a crap, as well as unusually sized or shaped Christmas gift items that might be difficult to wrap.
And just because it’s a bag doesn’t mean you can’t personalize it or make it fun! This post is going to show you 50 ways to either make or dress up a gift bag so it’s absolutely perfect for giving to that special person. Who knows . . . they might even like it more than the gift! 😮
If you’ve got “gift wrap-itis” like I do, you’re going to appreciate these ideas. Just scroll down and take a peek at all of these DIY gift bags using a variety of supplies.
Many of them you probably already have in your stash, making the craft a budget friendly item as well.
Check out these projects and then let me know which you’ve tried and which are your favorites in the comments. Am I missing a perfect way to bag your gifts that you love? Let me know that too!
1 Lisa Tilse No Sew Fabric This project is all about putting love and care into gift wrap – create gorgeous unique no-sew fabric gift bags handmade by you. It’s quick and easy to make a batch of these in one session and you’ll have something ready for a little thank you or hostess gift. Get the Tutorial 2 Crazy Rachel Make a Gift Bag Out of a Magazine I cannot believe how easy it is to make a gift bag out of a catalog or magazine! Pick some pages you like, get crafty, and you'll be amazed at how many you can make in a matter of minutes. Get the Tutorial 3 lollyjane.com Handlettered Holiday This is an absolute favorite way to package goodies and small gifts during the holiday season. Brown paper bags are super affordable and can be printed on easily . . . this tutorial shows you how. Get the Tutorial 4 Amy Bell How to Make Reusable Gift Bags Once you see how easy these reusable gift bags are to make, you’ll want to make a passel of them to use for any number of the recipients on your list: neighbors, teachers, friends, and more! Get the Tutorial 5 Kelly Elko Make DIY Gift Bags From Any Paper Learn how to make a gift bag from any paper! It's a bit of a hybrid between wrapping and gift bagging with handles . . . and so easy to do. Get the Tutorial 6 Cassandra May Simple Sewing This is a very simple sewing tutorial for even the most beginning seamstresses! There are three seams, and then you have a drawstring gift bag for Christmas that you can reuse. Get the Tutorial 7 Ingrid Ødegaard Triangular Gift Bags These bags are perfect for a hostess gift, candy for the kids or an advent calendar present. They are really easy to make, and recipients are going to love the unique shape. Get the Tutorial 8 Erin Williams Gold Foil Unicorn These gold foil DIY unicorn gift bags add a personal touch to birthday parties. Use them for party favors, teacher gifts, birthday gifts, and more! Get the Tutorial 9 everydaydishes.com DIY Mother’s Day Gift Bag When Mother’s Day rolls around, skip the usual box and wrapping paper and give your gift to Mom in a new and unique way. Use the template; scrapbook paper and lunch bags make it easy. Get the Tutorial 10 Emma Liston Milk Carton Gift Box Make your own mini milk carton boxes using scrapbook paper and a scoring board. A clever way to make a homemade gift box, with a difference. Get the Tutorial 11 Kate Blocher Birthday Bath Bomb Bag Bath bombs are one my favorite things to gift! These bags would be perfect for gift them . . . or hot cocoa bombs too. They are a very easy sewing project! Get the Tutorial 12 Diana Callaghan Make a Simple Fabric Gift Bag Diana likes to give gifts in reusable fabric bags! They are super simple to make so that even a beginner sewist can create them. There are loads of different fabrics to choose from depending on the occasion. Get the Tutorial 13 Lucy Akins Gingerbread House Gift Bag These gingerbread house bags are perfect for holding cookies, a small gift, or gift card. You'll use puffy paint or a paint pen to draw on the design. Get the Tutorial 14 Sam Calcott Large Briefcase Style Gift Bag Use sheets of scrapbook paper to make these useful and pretty bags! Be careful taking the gift out; you'll want to reuse these. Get the Tutorial 15 Kari Sweeten Father’s Day Gift Bag Printables All you need are some plain gift bags (or even brown paper bags) and you can dress them up for Father's Day using Kari's printables! They are so easy. Get the Tutorial 16 Allison Murray Glitter Dipped Gift Bags Learn how to glitter these beautifully blingy gift bags that take very little time to make and cost very little. Can you imagine getting a gift dripping with glitter? Sounds absolutely fabulous to me! Get the Tutorial 17 handmadiya.com Easy Drawstring Bags These simple drawstring bags are easy to make and are perfect for goodie bags or for gift-giving. You can make them in any size required, or personalise them by adding a letter initial to each bag. Get the Tutorial 18 somethingturquoise.com Fringe Christmas Trees Fringe scissors are your best friend when making these darling fringe Christmas trees! Quick simple and the perfect embellishment to any bag. Get the Tutorial 19 Kelly Rowe DIY Burlap Gift Bags Burlap is a perfect fabric for the holiday season! Learn how to decorate smaller gift bags for party favors or Christmas events. Get the Tutorial 20 Tasha Agruso Make a Gift Bag from Wrapping Paper Never buy pre-made gift bags again! Learn how to make a gift bag from wrapping paper. It's easy and PERFECT for oddly shaped items! Get the Tutorial 21 tulipcolor.com Stranger Things If you are looking to step up your gift wrapping game, start by making these Stranger Things inspired gift bags. You can never go wrong with a little pop culture, and these bags are a nod to one of my fave binge-worthy TV obsessions! Get the Tutorial 22 Cindy Hopper Printed Burlap Bottle Bag You've probably painted on burlap, but have you printed on it? Cindy will show you how, and you can do this for any sized bag you like. Get the Tutorial 23 Lexy Ward DIY Stenciled Gift Bags This gift bag idea would be a good one for teens! Not only is it easy, but you can be the cool mom with your understanding of text abbreviations. It's a win-win. Get the Tutorial 24 Alice & Lois No-Sew Fabric Gift Bags Patterned fabric and fusible hemming tape are all you need to whip up this no-sew gift bags. They take less than 10 minutes to make and you can fill them with holiday goodies and gifts. Get the Tutorial 25 designertrapped.com DIY Santa Sacks Your Kids Will LOVE! Before you know it, Santa will be on the chimney eager to deliver all his special gifts. What's a better way to receive a Christmas gift than in a DIY Santa sack?! There's a Cricut file here that you can easily personalize. Get the Tutorial 26 The Dating Divas Harry Potter Magical Gift Bags Do you have a muggle in your life that you just love and adore?! The Dating Divas created a whole gift bag jam-packed with beautiful printables for you to give to your favorite Harry Potter fan! Get the Tutorial 27 craftsalamode.com Valentine Arrow I love the 3-D arrow on the front of this sweet gift bag! Perfect for giving to sweethearts, kids, friends, and co-workers. Get the Tutorial 28 tikkido.com Wolf Themed Turn a plain paper gift bag into a wonderful wolf gift bag using felt and free printable wolf mask templates. These would be great for a woodland themed birthday party! Get the Tutorial 29 afewshortcuts.com DIY Paper Bag Bunnies Giving a fun spring gift has never been so easy! These DIY paper bag bunny treat bags are not only simple to make for spring or Easter, but affordable too. Get the Tutorial 30 thesemifrugallife.blogspot.com DIY Painted Billy Balls This is a great one for the person who feels like they don't have any crafting skills! All you need is a foam spouncer and you can use any paint colors you like. Get the Tutorial 31 Jen Goode Wine Gift Bag with Infusible Ink Create your own custom wine bag with and art design heat set using Cricut’s Infusible Ink. Create a Cricut project that is full of color! From start to finish you can make a personalized fabric beverage gift bag in under 30 minutes! Get the Tutorial 32 www.craftystaci.com Double Beer or Wine Gift Bag If you'd like to give more than one bottle, this is a great way to do that! Not only does it make a great gift bag, but it's perfect for reusing when going to the store. Get the Tutorial 33 yarnandhooks.com Easy Crochet Gift Bag Pattern I've been in the process of learning to crochet for about 10 years! If you're already an expert, you can whip out these crocheted gift bags in no time. Get the Tutorial 34 www.theyellowbirdhouse.com Plaid Fabric Gift Bags Follow this simple sewing tutorial to make these cute reusable plaid fabric gift bags for Christmas! An easy craft to reuse year after year and perfect for people like me who love plaid. Get the Tutorial 35 Vicky Barone Pineapple Gift Bags How much easier can it get to make the cutest summer gift bags ever? You'll need a white marker, yellow bags, and green tissue. Perfect for summer birthdays and pool parties. Get the Tutorial 36 seekatesew.com Mini Bags Not every gift is large! For the really small ones – make a small gift bag! Get the Tutorial 37 Dawn Wade Ice Cream Gift Bag Honestly I don't need anyone else to scream for me to scream for ice cream! These ice cream favor bags are so cute . . . the pom poms make me squeal. Get the Tutorial 38 Kara Harvey Reindeer Gift Bags If you're giving children little Christmas gifts, or they're giving each other little gifts (maybe in the classroom?) these reindeer gift bags are perfect. I just love the wiggly eyes. Get the Tutorial 39 Desiree Campbell DIY Gift Bags and Apple Stamps These apple stamped gift bags are the perfect for back to school or gifts! Add some fresh picked apples and your own homemade applesauce or apple pie recipe to the present. Get the Tutorial 40 Stacey Gibbon DIY Mermaid Gift Bags Mermaids are magical all year long! If you have a “mermaid” lover in your life with an upcoming birthday, this handmade gift bag idea is the perfect “extra something” to blow the lucky receiver away! Get the Tutorial 41 ahomemadeliving.com Sweater Treat Bags You'll make this pretty and simple gift bags using pieces of sweater! Use up scraps from old clothing projects or make a thrift store run to make this Christmas sweater bags. Get the Tutorial 42 Kara Harvey Color Your Own These personalized Color Your Own Gift Bags are easy to make thanks to the Cricut, and are the perfect way to gift wrap your holiday gifts this year. Get the Tutorial 43 unifyhandmade.blogspot.com Paper Bag House Turn a paper bag into a cute little Christmas house for gifting, with a few simple supplies. Get the Tutorial 44 Carrie Waller Modern Botanicals This 30-minute craft upgrades plain bags using exclusive botanical coloring pages so no two bags will ever be the same! Be sure to download the free botanical coloring printables at the link! Get the Tutorial 45 Danetta Thurman Santa’s Belt Looking for a fun way to wrap up your Christmas gifts? We have this fun and simple DIY Santa belt gift bag to help you finish off the perfect present. Get the Tutorial 46 Jen Walshaw Unicorn with Flowers If you need a gift bag, transform a plain white bag! Jen turned hers into a beautiful unicorn gift bag with a fab free printable. Get the Tutorial
I hope you enjoyed these handmade gift bags! I’d also love for you to check out these other craft ideas as well:
Lisa Tilse No Sew Fabric This project is all about putting love and care into gift wrap – create gorgeous unique no-sew fabric gift bags handmade by you. It’s quick and easy to make a batch of these in one session and you’ll have something ready for a little thank you or hostess gift. Get the Tutorial 2 
Crazy Rachel Make a Gift Bag Out of a Magazine I cannot believe how easy it is to make a gift bag out of a catalog or magazine! Pick some pages you like, get crafty, and you'll be amazed at how many you can make in a matter of minutes. Get the Tutorial 3 
lollyjane.com Handlettered Holiday This is an absolute favorite way to package goodies and small gifts during the holiday season. Brown paper bags are super affordable and can be printed on easily . . . this tutorial shows you how. Get the Tutorial 4 
Amy Bell How to Make Reusable Gift Bags Once you see how easy these reusable gift bags are to make, you’ll want to make a passel of them to use for any number of the recipients on your list: neighbors, teachers, friends, and more! Get the Tutorial 5 
Kelly Elko Make DIY Gift Bags From Any Paper Learn how to make a gift bag from any paper! It's a bit of a hybrid between wrapping and gift bagging with handles . . . and so easy to do. Get the Tutorial 6 
Cassandra May Simple Sewing This is a very simple sewing tutorial for even the most beginning seamstresses! There are three seams, and then you have a drawstring gift bag for Christmas that you can reuse. Get the Tutorial 7 
Ingrid Ødegaard Triangular Gift Bags These bags are perfect for a hostess gift, candy for the kids or an advent calendar present. They are really easy to make, and recipients are going to love the unique shape. Get the Tutorial 8 
Erin Williams Gold Foil Unicorn These gold foil DIY unicorn gift bags add a personal touch to birthday parties. Use them for party favors, teacher gifts, birthday gifts, and more! Get the Tutorial 9 
everydaydishes.com DIY Mother’s Day Gift Bag When Mother’s Day rolls around, skip the usual box and wrapping paper and give your gift to Mom in a new and unique way. Use the template; scrapbook paper and lunch bags make it easy. Get the Tutorial 10 
Emma Liston Milk Carton Gift Box Make your own mini milk carton boxes using scrapbook paper and a scoring board. A clever way to make a homemade gift box, with a difference. Get the Tutorial 11 
Kate Blocher Birthday Bath Bomb Bag Bath bombs are one my favorite things to gift! These bags would be perfect for gift them . . . or hot cocoa bombs too. They are a very easy sewing project! Get the Tutorial 12 
Diana Callaghan Make a Simple Fabric Gift Bag Diana likes to give gifts in reusable fabric bags! They are super simple to make so that even a beginner sewist can create them. There are loads of different fabrics to choose from depending on the occasion. Get the Tutorial 13 
Lucy Akins Gingerbread House Gift Bag These gingerbread house bags are perfect for holding cookies, a small gift, or gift card. You'll use puffy paint or a paint pen to draw on the design. Get the Tutorial 14 
Sam Calcott Large Briefcase Style Gift Bag Use sheets of scrapbook paper to make these useful and pretty bags! Be careful taking the gift out; you'll want to reuse these. Get the Tutorial 15 
Kari Sweeten Father’s Day Gift Bag Printables All you need are some plain gift bags (or even brown paper bags) and you can dress them up for Father's Day using Kari's printables! They are so easy. Get the Tutorial 16 
Allison Murray Glitter Dipped Gift Bags Learn how to glitter these beautifully blingy gift bags that take very little time to make and cost very little. Can you imagine getting a gift dripping with glitter? Sounds absolutely fabulous to me! Get the Tutorial 17 
handmadiya.com Easy Drawstring Bags These simple drawstring bags are easy to make and are perfect for goodie bags or for gift-giving. You can make them in any size required, or personalise them by adding a letter initial to each bag. Get the Tutorial 18 
somethingturquoise.com Fringe Christmas Trees Fringe scissors are your best friend when making these darling fringe Christmas trees! Quick simple and the perfect embellishment to any bag. Get the Tutorial 19 
Kelly Rowe DIY Burlap Gift Bags Burlap is a perfect fabric for the holiday season! Learn how to decorate smaller gift bags for party favors or Christmas events. Get the Tutorial 20 
Tasha Agruso Make a Gift Bag from Wrapping Paper Never buy pre-made gift bags again! Learn how to make a gift bag from wrapping paper. It's easy and PERFECT for oddly shaped items! Get the Tutorial 21 
tulipcolor.com Stranger Things If you are looking to step up your gift wrapping game, start by making these Stranger Things inspired gift bags. You can never go wrong with a little pop culture, and these bags are a nod to one of my fave binge-worthy TV obsessions! Get the Tutorial 22 
Cindy Hopper Printed Burlap Bottle Bag You've probably painted on burlap, but have you printed on it? Cindy will show you how, and you can do this for any sized bag you like. Get the Tutorial 23 
Lexy Ward DIY Stenciled Gift Bags This gift bag idea would be a good one for teens! Not only is it easy, but you can be the cool mom with your understanding of text abbreviations. It's a win-win. Get the Tutorial 24 
Alice & Lois No-Sew Fabric Gift Bags Patterned fabric and fusible hemming tape are all you need to whip up this no-sew gift bags. They take less than 10 minutes to make and you can fill them with holiday goodies and gifts. Get the Tutorial 25 
designertrapped.com DIY Santa Sacks Your Kids Will LOVE! Before you know it, Santa will be on the chimney eager to deliver all his special gifts. What's a better way to receive a Christmas gift than in a DIY Santa sack?! There's a Cricut file here that you can easily personalize. Get the Tutorial 26 
The Dating Divas Harry Potter Magical Gift Bags Do you have a muggle in your life that you just love and adore?! The Dating Divas created a whole gift bag jam-packed with beautiful printables for you to give to your favorite Harry Potter fan! Get the Tutorial 27 
craftsalamode.com Valentine Arrow I love the 3-D arrow on the front of this sweet gift bag! Perfect for giving to sweethearts, kids, friends, and co-workers. Get the Tutorial 28 
tikkido.com Wolf Themed Turn a plain paper gift bag into a wonderful wolf gift bag using felt and free printable wolf mask templates. These would be great for a woodland themed birthday party! Get the Tutorial 29 
afewshortcuts.com DIY Paper Bag Bunnies Giving a fun spring gift has never been so easy! These DIY paper bag bunny treat bags are not only simple to make for spring or Easter, but affordable too. Get the Tutorial 30 
thesemifrugallife.blogspot.com DIY Painted Billy Balls This is a great one for the person who feels like they don't have any crafting skills! All you need is a foam spouncer and you can use any paint colors you like. Get the Tutorial 31 
Jen Goode Wine Gift Bag with Infusible Ink Create your own custom wine bag with and art design heat set using Cricut’s Infusible Ink. Create a Cricut project that is full of color! From start to finish you can make a personalized fabric beverage gift bag in under 30 minutes! Get the Tutorial 32 
www.craftystaci.com Double Beer or Wine Gift Bag If you'd like to give more than one bottle, this is a great way to do that! Not only does it make a great gift bag, but it's perfect for reusing when going to the store. Get the Tutorial 33 
yarnandhooks.com Easy Crochet Gift Bag Pattern I've been in the process of learning to crochet for about 10 years! If you're already an expert, you can whip out these crocheted gift bags in no time. Get the Tutorial 34 
www.theyellowbirdhouse.com Plaid Fabric Gift Bags Follow this simple sewing tutorial to make these cute reusable plaid fabric gift bags for Christmas! An easy craft to reuse year after year and perfect for people like me who love plaid. Get the Tutorial 35 
Vicky Barone Pineapple Gift Bags How much easier can it get to make the cutest summer gift bags ever? You'll need a white marker, yellow bags, and green tissue. Perfect for summer birthdays and pool parties. Get the Tutorial 36 
seekatesew.com Mini Bags Not every gift is large! For the really small ones – make a small gift bag! Get the Tutorial 37 
Dawn Wade Ice Cream Gift Bag Honestly I don't need anyone else to scream for me to scream for ice cream! These ice cream favor bags are so cute . . . the pom poms make me squeal. Get the Tutorial 38 
Kara Harvey Reindeer Gift Bags If you're giving children little Christmas gifts, or they're giving each other little gifts (maybe in the classroom?) these reindeer gift bags are perfect. I just love the wiggly eyes. Get the Tutorial 39 
Desiree Campbell DIY Gift Bags and Apple Stamps These apple stamped gift bags are the perfect for back to school or gifts! Add some fresh picked apples and your own homemade applesauce or apple pie recipe to the present. Get the Tutorial 40 
Stacey Gibbon DIY Mermaid Gift Bags Mermaids are magical all year long! If you have a “mermaid” lover in your life with an upcoming birthday, this handmade gift bag idea is the perfect “extra something” to blow the lucky receiver away! Get the Tutorial 41 
ahomemadeliving.com Sweater Treat Bags You'll make this pretty and simple gift bags using pieces of sweater! Use up scraps from old clothing projects or make a thrift store run to make this Christmas sweater bags. Get the Tutorial 42 
Kara Harvey Color Your Own These personalized Color Your Own Gift Bags are easy to make thanks to the Cricut, and are the perfect way to gift wrap your holiday gifts this year. Get the Tutorial 43 
unifyhandmade.blogspot.com Paper Bag House Turn a paper bag into a cute little Christmas house for gifting, with a few simple supplies. Get the Tutorial 44 
Carrie Waller Modern Botanicals This 30-minute craft upgrades plain bags using exclusive botanical coloring pages so no two bags will ever be the same! Be sure to download the free botanical coloring printables at the link! Get the Tutorial 45 
Danetta Thurman Santa’s Belt Looking for a fun way to wrap up your Christmas gifts? We have this fun and simple DIY Santa belt gift bag to help you finish off the perfect present. Get the Tutorial 46 
Jen Walshaw Unicorn with Flowers If you need a gift bag, transform a plain white bag! Jen turned hers into a beautiful unicorn gift bag with a fab free printable. Get the Tutorial