How to make a beautiful paper bag for a home project

Arts and crafts can be a great way to pass time if you are stuck inside, and if you are using materials that you would have otherwise thrown away even better! One item that many households have lying around are paper bags. These robust products can take some beating, and the materials used in their production have the potential to fade over time.

In today’s blog, we take a look at some of the ways that you can breathe new life into tired paper bags and make them an item you are proud to take shopping with you again.

  1. Sacrifice some other paper bags for upcycling materials

When creating an upgraded paper bag sometimes other unsavable paper bags can be a good place to start for materials. This works well particularly if you have some colourful paper bags knocking around. Make sure you recycle any of the material that you do not use from the old paper bags to ensure the activity is environmentally friendly.

  • Bring out the crayons and glitter (with caution)

Crayons and glitter may strike fear into the hearts of parents and cleaners alike, but they are a great way to add extra colour and style to paper bags (just make sure you approach with caution). This coupled with colourful paper from other paper bags will put you on the way to making a beautiful new paper bag.

  • Make sure the handle is well secured with extra glue

Making sure the bag is usable is just as important as creating a good design, this is why you should take extra steps to make sure the bag is still well attached. As the bag is old, the glue/stitching may have worn off or become damaged over time. Trust us, the extra effort of making sure the handle of the bag is well attached will pay off in the long run.

  • Pick a definite theme for your new paper bag

The final recommendation we make when upcycling an old paper bag is to make sure you have chosen a good theme. This may be challenging (particularly if you have younger children with lots of creative ideas) but picking on the right theme will ensure you have a bag that works well when you reuse it. Some of our favourite themes include:

  • Space
  • Floral themes
  • Mechanical designs
  • Natural patterns
  • Colourful collages

Sticking to some of these themes will keep the bag on track, but if you want to experiment with different designs it could create an interesting look that will be very unique from other arts and crafts paper bags.

Use paper bags that have been well-made to avoid disappointment

Paper bags are a product that can vary a lot in terms of the build quality with lots of different suppliers out there. If you are repurposing or improving your current paper bags, make sure you pick one that has been well made from a good paper bag manufacturer.