Easy Gift Bag Toppers

Have you ever found yourself scrambling at the last minute to come up with some pretty packaging? I used to try to stock up on fancy gift bags for every holiday and interest. Not only was this a bit pricey but it also presented a storage challenge. Keeping all of those gift bags organized and wrinkle-free wasn't easy. An easier, and more economical, solution is to create gift bag toppers for basic kraft gift bags. Not only can you get packages of 2-3 plain gift bags for $1, but you can also use your scraps to decorate them.
For my bag topper, I used my Cricut to cut out a label shape and its shadow. I cut the original label shape in half. (I only used one half-you can use the other for a second gift bag!) I then folded the shadow die cut in half and trimmed a wide slit along the fold. Make sure that the slit is wide enough to fit over both of the bag handles. I ran the half-label through my Cuttlebug before adhering to the front of the bag topper.

Now you can embellish your bag topper any way you would like. I chose to trace a chipboard bird onto patterned paper from American Crafts. I then matted the bird shape with black cardstock and hand cut a wing from a coordinating patterned paper. The wing is embellished with a button and twine.

For a sentiment, I stamped "For You" onto a white cardstock circle and matted it with a scalloped circle punched from black cardstock. I also used pop-dots to attach this to the bag topper.

This bag topper is generic enough to be used for a variety of occasions, yet is more thoughtful than a purchased bag. Keep a few bag toppers on hand and you'll be ready the next time you need a last minute gift wrap!