Pondering over what to do with a pile of gift bags? Save your cleaning task with these creative ideas given below to reuse gift bags. These will help you organize your sundry things at home as well.
A holiday season leaves behind dozens of photographs, some of the beautiful memories and a stack of gift wrapping papers and bags. Once the guests leave, it is time to clean up the mess and put away all the holiday season materials. The gifts received find their use, the mess gets cleared up and the pile of gift bags keeps increasing. This year, do something different with the bags, instead of adding them to a dust-laden stack. With so many creative ideas to reuse gift bags, your collection will definitely be put to a worthwhile use.
Ways to Reuse Gift Bags
Newspaper Holder
Scattered newspapers are an everyday scene. Oftentimes, the pages are missing or finding yesterday’s newspaper becomes a painstaking task. Turn the wasted gift bag into a newspaper holder, by just hanging it on a hook in your reading room. To segregate today’s paper from the old ones, hang another next to it, labeled ‘old newspapers’. Make sure the bags have a sturdy base.
Magazine Holder
Just as you are making a newspaper holder, you could use a gift bag as a magazine holder. Any gift bag can easily accommodate up to five magazines.
Tiffin Bag
Carrying lunch in your bag can prove to be risky as it can cause damage to things inside due to spillage. Prevent this by using a gift bag as a lunch or a tiffin bag. These bags make up for great accessories too!
Shopping Bag
Every time you go out shopping, carry a couple of gift bags. This will not only avoid introduction of new bags in your house, but will also help in contributing towards the environment.
Donate
Donate the bags to Churches, schools and orphanages. These places will readily accept them as they are often looking for packing materials to give away gifts to the needy.
To-be-read Reminder
Most of us go on collecting books, periodicals, magazines and other reading material, until it dawns on us that there’s a lot to be read. Put all of this in one gift bag, so that the ‘to be read’ items remain together and are easy to find.
First Aid Kit
Who says you need to buy a first aid box? Make a first aid bag instead, by using a gift bag. To simplify recognition, paint it white with a red cross on it.
Book Covers
Break the convention of brown or white paper covers and recycle your gift bags by turning them into book covers. The interesting designs and patterns on the covers can make up for nice looking book covers.
Wallets for Kids
Paper wallets for kids is a great idea instead of handing them expensive wallets. Cut out small purses and wallets from the unused gift bags for your kids. This could be a fun Sunday activity too!
Recycled Gift Bags
Go ahead and use your gift bags as ‘gift bags’. Do so, if only nothing is written on the bag.
Art and Crafts
Learn a few origami objects with gift bag paper. The colorful paper can be used to make some wonderful flowers, box to store jewelry, pen holders and many more things.
Collage
Looking for things to do when you are bored? Make a collage of your favorite painting with a gift bag paper. This could be your own masterpiece!
Wrapping Paper
Remove the handles from the gift bags and use the remaining paper as gift wrapping paper.
Greeting Cards
Turn the gift bags into greeting cards by using its paper. The thread handles can make up for some pretty looking bows on the cards. This way, you would be utilizing the bags entirely.
Decorative Envelopes
This time, do not go looking for decorative envelopes. Instead, make them at home by cutting them out from your collection of gift bags.
Paper Frames
Use the gift bag to make frames for your child’s first picture or some old photographs. If you have these paper frames laminated, they will last for a long time.
Stationery Bag
If you need to hunt your entire house just to find scissors, scotch tape and a ruler, then turn one of the gift bags into a stationery bag. This will save your time too!
Gift bags are essentially made out of paper, which makes them perfect for small art and craft projects and storing light items. Hope these ideas make your cleaning task a lot easier!