How to Make a Watercolour Gift Bag From a Recycled Cookie Box

Beautiful Hand Painted Floral Pastel Gift Bag

Enjoy creating something special

Making a gift box from beginning to end with love and paint, is a satisfying project. It also can bring someone else, a lot of joy. It also inspires one to create more things from what you have at home and not necessarily buy in, all the time.

Have fun with glue and paint

Anyone can decorate a box. If you do not want to use paint, you can stick ready made stickers, or cut out flowers from magazines, artistically placed on the blank container. Also you can make a collage, from all your photos from vacations, for a family member.

Feminine Pink and Blue Gift Box with Butterflies and Roses

Make a start by looking for an old box in your cupboard

A sturdy cardboard container that can stand on a base.

No 1 - Cutting off the flaps of the box

Removing unwanted areas

• Remove all folded flaps and cut off carefully with sharp paper scissors.
• Make sure top edges are straight

No 2 - Trace the front of box and sides

Use fairly thick card

• Carefully cut out the traced sections on card
• There will be two sides and 1 front and 1 back section

No 3 - Cut out the shapes

N0 4 - Stick the white card paper on four sides of the box.

Stick card very carefully with glue stick onto box

• Make sure that you cover all the box sides with glue and smoothing the card paper evenly from the middle, to the edges.

N0 5 - Get your watercolour paints and brushes ready

Set of good watercolour paints and brushes

Easy paint palette using a porcelain plate

• Use good quality paints that you can purchase from an art shop.
• A few fairly thin brushes for detail. A larger one for painting the box blue on sides and back.

No 6 - Paint your flowers and butterflies on the front

Leave a few white areas around the butterfly for the spreading of your watercolour paint.

• Paint the flowers and butterflies first and then add layers of tones, of the same paint.
• Add more water to a dark areas to let it bleed a little, so that the edges are not to harsh
• Created a blue grey light wash on background and created some leaves in light olive green.

No 7 - Touch up painting when dry and give it more definition

No 8 - Add some white ecru cotton lace around top edge

White lace adds freshness to the gift bag

• Using superglue, carefully place your lace on top edge of box and glue.
• I take the round end of a pen to press it down, so the fingers do not get stuck.

No 9 - Punch two holes in front and back for handles

No 10 - Thread white pearl cord through holes - Knot

Finishing Touch

• A soft white cord can be bought at your local fabric and haberdashery shop.

No 11 - Place colour coded blue tissue paper inside the bag

No 12 - Completed project

Ready for your Mom or girl friend.

Hope you liked this creation for gift giving. Would be great for a birthday for you mom, or an anniversary gift, for a special lady friend.

Comments

Diana Carol Abrahamson (author) from Somerset West on October 28, 2020:

Thanks Lynsey, for your kind comment. Glad you like this recycled creation. Nice to meet you too.

Lynsey Hart from Lanarkshire on October 28, 2020:

This looks great! What a creative way to recycle an old box! Well done.

Diana Carol Abrahamson (author) from Somerset West on October 26, 2020:

Glad you liked the gift bag idea. Recycling, instead of throwing away, is a good habit to get into. Thanks for visiting my page, Lorna.

Lorna Lamon on October 26, 2020:

I love the idea of this gift bag which is not only useful, it teaches us to recycle. I'm not a great artist, however, I will definitely give it a go, and my children can help. Great article Diana.

Diana Carol Abrahamson (author) from Somerset West on October 25, 2020:

Thanks Linda. So pleased you found the gift bag pleasing. Yes, the colours are meant to be subtle and muted for a soft feminine appeal.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on October 25, 2020:

Your gift bag is very attractive. The colors that you've chosen go together very well. Thank you for sharing the instructions for this project.

Diana Carol Abrahamson (author) from Somerset West on October 25, 2020:

Yes Peggy. Cut-outs from gardening magazines can also do the trick. Roses come to mind. Often have stunning pictures and photos of them. Decoupage would be fun too, using your own theme.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on October 25, 2020:

I truly love your beautiful watercolor gift bag. Not everyone would have the talent to paint such pretty watercolor images. But everyone could cut out photos from magazines, etc., and affix them to the cardboard base.

Diana Carol Abrahamson (author) from Somerset West on October 24, 2020:

So pleased you liked the gift box painted idea. Hope you are keeping well :)

Sp Greaney from Ireland on October 24, 2020:

This is such a great idea. It's such a smart way to use up empty boxes and do something crèative.