How to Personalise a Christmas Gift Bag with Posca Pens
Surprise your loved one with a beautiful, hand decorated gift bag this Christmas!
With the use of Hobbycraft's Posca Pens, you will create an artistic masterpiece in just a few steps.
Choose from a selection of festive designs, including a unique gingerbread house.
Once complete, all that's left to do is to fill your gift bag with some festive treats or special gifts!
Project and instructions by Caroline Shard
You will need
How to make
Christmas Wishes Gift Bag:
* Kraft Brown Paper Gift Bags
* Posca Paint Pens
* Pencil
* Eraser
Gingerbread House Gift Bag:
* Kraft Brown Paper Gift Bags
* Posca Paint Pens
* Pencil
* Eraser
* Scissors
Merry and Bright Gift Bag:
* Kraft Brown Paper Gift Bags
* Posca Paint Pens
* Acrylic Paints in White, Red, Green, Brown and Gold
* Pencil
* Eraser
* Paintbrush
Mini Gift Bags:
* Kraft Brown Paper Gift Bags
* Posca Paint Pens
* Acrylic Paints in White, Red, Green, Brown and Gold
* Pencil
* Eraser
* Paintbrush
Merry and Bright Gift Bag:
Download the PDF template here
Christmas Wishes Gift Bag:
Download the PDF template here
Gingerbread House Gift Bag:
Download the PDF template here
Download the PDF template here
Mini Christmas Gift Bag:
Using a Posca paint pen, carefully outline the template and then leave it to dry.
Fill in all the letters using the paint pens so they are solid and clear shapes.
Add simple patterns like stripes or zigzags to add some interest to some shapes, or add some stars, dots and doodles to the space around the design.
Top Tip: Use different colours and metallics to personalise the design for each gift bag you are giving
Select a premade template or use the DIY gingerbread house sheets attached.
Cut out and build a unique gingerbread house. Move the pieces around and tape the finished design to a piece of paper to create your own template.
Once completely dry, gently erase any visible pencil marks.
Use some coloured posca pens to add some simple details to the house. Stripes make a great candy cane pattern, and dots and simple shapes are good for candies
Top Tip: Don’t worry if the design isn’t perfectly symmetrical, remember its an iced and decorated gingerbread house!
Fold the top corners of the bag inwards to the inside of the bag to create a roof shape. This needs to be done on all four top corners of the bag.
Top Tip: Fold the front corner down first, make sure they are even on both sides, then fold the back corners down to match them. If this doesn’t work for you, carefully cut the corners off the bag instead, but be careful to stay away from the handles
Continue adding details onto the design until you are happy with the design!
Print out the relevant template and transfer the wording into the middle of the paper bag using a pencil.
Using a Posca paint pen or acrylic paint and a fine paintbrush, carefully outline the template and then leave it to dry.
Once completely dry, gently erase any visible pencil marks.
Lightly draw some simple leaf shapes in pencil on the top and bottom edges of the bag, then paint these using a fine brush and a festive green acrylic paint.
Add some extra little thin lines in-between the leaves.
Add some dots to the end of the thin lines in a white or red.
Top Tip: Use paint pens for these details if you are less confident with a brush.
Using a lighter green, paint some small curved lines pointing towards the centre. Add lots of thin lines coming out of each side.
Top Tip: This doesn’t need to be neat, real leaves in nature are not perfect! Practise using the template examples, or start by tracing them
Add another layer of leaves in a paler green to complete the leaves ombré pattern using the same process as before.
Once completely dry, gently erase any visible pencil marks.
Add some metallic sparkle to some of the berries leaves or lettering as a final touch to your design!
Print out the template wording and transfer using a pencil to the bottom half of one side of the paper bag.
Then, draw (or trace the examples on the template) some baubles in different shapes and sizes but also at different heights.
With festive colours, paint each of the baubles in a solid colour. Then, using a black posca pen, add the loops and hanging strings to each of the baubles.
Fill in the wording in a solid white paint, using a posca pen and/or a fine paintbrush.
Add simple patterns and shapes to the baubles with posca pens, stripes, zig zag wavy lines etc.
As an optional extra, add a drop shadow or outline the wording. Add some stars or dots inbetween the baubles for an extra festive feel!