Tuesday Technique - Trash to Treasure....Ewww to New....

Whatever you want to call it. I went trash digging this week. Well, not really. It was in our recycle bin. And this idea is definitely not new but its been on my To Do list for a while!

I pulled out the package for the Ghiradelli Chocolate squares. (Love these!)

I needed a cute wrapping idea for a Birthday Gift this month and I used it as a template.

First, I carefully pulled it apart. Its going to rip and have some sticky parts so just be careful in the next step.

Next, flatten it out the best you can. It won't be perfect but it doesn't need to be. This package is slightly larger than the 12x12 paper. Its about 10x12.5 when its flattened out. Don't worry. When you are ready to glue it, that extra 1/2 inch won't matter!

Lay it down over your paper and trace around it loosely. Again, don't worry about being perfect. You're going to fold it up.

Once its traced, cut it with your trimmer. Use a scoring knife or a craft knife to score and cut the folds marked on the bag.

You can then fold it up the same way as the original bag using that as inspiration.

Glue the tabs on the bottom and the one tab on the side and decorate! I'll be adding a special tag later and attaching it using the Bakers Twine. You can also use ribbon to tie it shut. The umbrella is a sticker from the Echo Park paper line, Sweet Summertime and so is the paper I made the bag from.

Try this with some packaging you have laying around.