The bagalope, a simple gift bag made from an envelope, is a project I’ve shared with countless people over many years. I’m still tickled by their reaction when they learn how it’s created. “That bag started as an envelope? No way.” Never has the term “pushing the envelope” been truer than with this practical paper project.
You will need: An envelope, glue stick, liquid glue, scissors, ruler, scoring tool, pencil, rubber stamps, ink pads
1. Seal and decorate. Seal the flap of your envelope down using a glue stick. Be careful not to glue the front to the back or your bag won’t open. If you want to decorate the sides of your bag, do so now while it’s still flat. I love to rubber-stamp over the surface using various colored inks and stamp images. Let the ink dry thoroughly before you begin the next step, or you’ll risk smearing your ink.
2. Score lines and open bag. Measure and score a line about 1" in from all the edges of the envelope. After scoring, fold back and forth on the lines to “loosen” them up. Trim about ¼" off one of the short ends of the envelope.
3. Shape your bag. Put your hand in the envelope to open it up. With your hand inside, press down on the short end to flatten it out. The bag will begin to practically shape itself. Push in on the long sides and gently pinch along the fold lines. Just like magic, your bag appears. You should have 2 triangles sticking out of the bottom of the bag. Apply glue to the triangle sides, and press them down so they touch the bag’s bottom. Press with your fingers until the triangles adhere completely.
4. Make the final fold and
add finishing touches.
After the bottom is secure, all you need to do is
fold the top portion of the bag inward to give it
a strong lip for attaching optional handles, bows,
or other fun embellishments. Too cute!
For details on a fanning option and ideas on how to embellish your bag, check out craftzine.com/05/quick_bagalope.
Stephanie Scheetz ( coolcrafting.com) has been a designer and instructor in the craft industry for nearly 15 years. Her hobbies include thrift store shopping, eBaying, and collecting mail art, prison art, and bad art.
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