We don't know about you, but we can't be the only ones who end up in a sea of shop-bought wrapping paper or gift bags after a Birthday or Christmas. And doesn't it seem like a waste? That's why we had to create this ultimate list of the best DIY gift bags you can create yourself at home, making use of old wrapping paper, scraps of fabric or any paper you already have. This is a cheaper and often eco-friendly alternative to shop-bought gift bags (not to mention, much more thoughtful). And we have to admit, these bags are often a gift in themselves, just crying out to be repurposed!
In this roundup you'll find a huge variety of guides to make your own gift bags, from reusable fabric gift bags to origami gift bags, there's something to suit every gift and any occasion.
If you're looking for more ideas and tutorials to get making, we think you'd love thesefree daily craft projects, we're sure you'll find something to inspire you. If you want a super quick project head over to our five minutes crafts, or our easy crafts to do at home for simple and quick fun.
Make your own gift bags - 31 DIY gift bags
Free DIY gift bags knitting pattern
We’re all about eco-friendly gift-giving, so try your hand at these reusable knitted gift bags. It’ll make any gift even more special, these ones are 12cm long so perfect for smaller gifts such as sweets or jewellery. If you’re new to knitting check out our knitting for beginners guide - you'll be creating in no time.
Make your own gift bag - handbag
If a Gucci purse is off the table, this cute make your own gift bag tutorial is the next best thing! You can customise by creating your own version of this handbag gift bag with your favourite coloured card and patterned papers. Find the full guide and the free template for the handbag gift bag templates & tutorial.
DIY gift bags tutorial - how to sew fabric gift bags
If like us, you have lots of odds and sods fabric lying around, you'll love these fabric DIY gift bags. Personalise your gifts with these reusable bags, perfect for storing nicknacks. In this DIY gift bag tutorial Jennie Jones gives us a simple how-to for these special bags, you'll be able to use any fabric you've got handy, or choose a fabric that the recipient would love, to make it extra special.
Macrame DIY gift bags for wine
Everyone loves to receive a bottle of wine but why not add that extra special touch with one of these macrame DIY gift bags from My French Twist. This tutorial contains all the steps you'll need to create these unique gift bags. If you love macrame you should take a look at our macrame plant hanger, which would also make a lovely gift alongside the wine.
Eco-friendly Fabric gift bags
If you want to make any celebration more sustainable, check out Laura Cunningham's easy ideas for turning your fabric stash into reusable fabric gift bags. These beauties can be reused afterwards, for sewing kits, makeup or jewellery. We have to say - it's a gift in itself!
Wine bottle DIY gift bag
Now, we'll drink to that! Check out this DIY gift bag tutorial from The Kim Six Fix, where you'll find an easy make your own gift bags guide to creating this eco-friendly gift bag. It's the perfect opportunity to use up your spare fabric, or choose your favourites and get creating. Cheers!
DIY paper gift bags
Over the years we're all guilty of collecting up rolls and rolls of wrapping paper, so it's time to make use of that rather than letting it gather dust in the loft! That's why we've included A Piece of Rainbow's super quick 2 minute tutorial on how to make a gift bag out of any paper.
Professional looking DIY gift bags
If you love the perfection of shop-bought but still want to make your own gift bags, we'd recommend you check out A Beautiful Mess' tutorial on creating a DIY gift bag that will give the shops a run for their money. Their guide contains full instructions for the bags pictured, but you are free to get creative with it too once you know the basics.
Crochet Christmas gift bags
How amazing are these crochet gift bags from Handy Little Me, they do give us a real festive vibe, like we're ready to pull out the mulled wine and put our feet up. You might already be a dab hand at crochet - if so read no further and get creating! If you need a little bit of guidance or a refresh, be sure to check out our How to Crochet guides.
Bunny gift bag sewing pattern
Now this one is not strictly speaking a gift bag, but it would work perfectly as one! If you're giving a chocolate egg or other Easter treats make them extra special with this sweet bunny gift bag, it can be kept and reused every year, it might come in handy for Easter egg hunts too.
Origami DIY gift bag
As you might know, origami is the art of folding paper, without using glue or scissors - it's an especially good way to use up scrap paper and is very low cost. All you'll need is any pretty card and a ribbon or tie. Follow along with the video tutorial from Pootles to make these unique origami gift bags.
Paper gift bags
This excellent tutorial comes from Gifts.com, each step is shown as a mini video, so it makes it really simple to see exactly how to make your own paper gift bags. This is another chance to use up any old wrapping paper, or just any spare paper you have lying around!
Handmade recycled gift bags
Whatever your choice of cereal, there's always one thing left at the end (and no we're not talking about the toy). Cereal boxes are usually just popped in the recycling and that's that! Not this time though, this creative tutorial for recycled gift bags comes from The Centsible Life where you'll find the full guide to creating these cereal box gift bags - the ultimate recycling!
Pom pom Santa sack gift bags
Handmake your very own Santa sack gift bags to use for years to come! This pom-pom design is from Amy Phipps’ here on Gathered where you'll find easy step-by-step instructions to create these lovely Santa sack gift bags - there will be no confusion for where Santa needs to leave the gifts!
Brown paper gift bags
This one is less about making your own gift bags, but if you have some brown paper bags of any kind lying around then this guide from Nutmeg Creations will show you how to spruce them up with decorations to make them into extra special paper gift bags.
Wrapping paper gift bag
We know there's been a couple of wrapping paper gift bag tutorials already on the list, but we simply love the shape and style of these ones from Designer Trapped. You can follow along with their easy step-by-step guide to whip up these wrapping paper gift bags ready for giving to friends and family.
Brown paper gift bag
Ah, the humble brown paper gift bag, it's simple but is a great base for any kind of gift bag style, from paint splashes to ribbons or even lace. But before you get into all that fancy stuff you need to get the basics down. That's why we've included Delia Creates' DIY brown paper gift bag guide, it contains a video tutorial showing each step in a simple easy to follow way. Once you've created the bag the decorating is up to you!
Milk Carton Gift bags
Strictly speaking, these aren't gift bags, but we just had to include them because they're so unusual and cute! These milk cartons come from Gathering Beauty, where you can find the full guide to making these milk carton gift bags. They would be a lovely way to wrap up chocolate or smaller gifts, if you wanted to you could pierce a hole through the top and add a handle.
Pillowcase gift bag
These fab pillowcase gift bags are both up-cycled and reusable. We think they'd make great Santa sacks for the kids at Christmas if you happen to have some festive pillowcases you no longer use! This design is from Ros at Sew Delicious available for free right here on Gathered - check out the pillowcase gift bag.
DIY Christmas stocking gift bag
So, it might not be a traditional 'bag' but a DIY stocking is a great way to give gifts, which can then be used every year. You can find this tutorial right here on Gathered by Rebecca Reid. This DIY stocking is a great way to use up any fabric you might have leftover from other projects.
DIY gift bag for wedding
This wedding DIY gift bag is an amazing way to package a gift for the bride or bridesmaids, you could even use it to package your 'will you be my bridesmaid' gifts, then afterwards it could be used as a cute carry bag or for storing those all-important wedding day supplies. This special bag comes from Sum of Their Stories, where you'll find step-by-step instructions to this wedding DIY gift bag.
Komebukuro gift bag
Also known as the Japanese rice bag, the Komebukuro was originally used to carry rice offerings to Japanese temples or shrines, it was sometimes also used to carry important gifts. This kit contains everything you need to make these special komebukuro gift bags. It has been created by Japan Crafts and available on Etsy from only £8.49.
Faceted DIY gift bag
Keren Howell brings us this delightful faceted gift bag, it's unique shape would definitely keep the recipient guessing as to what's inside! Its small size would be ideal for jewellery or sweet treats. Keren provides an in-depth video tutorial with an easy-to-follow demonstration. Make the faceted DIY gift bag and surprise your loved ones.
Tiny gift bag
Why is the miniature version of everything so much cuter?! These tiny DIY gift bags are created solely from folding a single square of paper - amazing! You can find an easy video on creating these on Pinterest. We think these mini gift bags would be perfect for a special pair of earrings or a ring.
Fabric pouch DIY gift bag
If you're looking for a gift bag with a difference we'd totally recommend this cute fabric pouch gift bag from A Spoonful of Sugar Designs, where you'll find the full how-to guide. They also have a Christmas fabric pouch design too, bonus! These little pouches are drawn together at the top which gives them their signature 'petals', they're perfect for smaller gifts like jewellery and hair accessories.
Bunny gift bag
Hop, hop, hooray! This little bunny gift bag is perfect for giving Easter eggs or other Easter gifts for the little ones in your life, we just know they'll be jumping for joy! Find an easy step by step guide over at Hobby Craft.
Carrot fabric gift bag
These are enough to make Bugs Bunny envious! These cute carrot gift bags are so quick and easy to make - you'll have yourself a whole bushel before you know it. They are just the perfect size for filling with mini eggs for an extra special Easter treat. Find the simple guide to create these carrot fabric gift bags on Stitched by Crystal.
Felt gift bag
Felt is a fantastic material to create a gift bag from, it's soft and reusable. This simple gift bag tutorial comes from Treasurie where you'll find a step-by-step guide, a video tutorial and even a free printable pattern! This gift bag brings so much versatility in colour and style, perfect for all ages.
Santa pants Christmas DIY gift bags
Ho ho ho-w could we live without these?! These utterly adorable Santa pants gift bag designs come from Positively Splendid, where you'll find the simple guide to creating these cute festive DIY gift bags. Fill with sweets, chocolate or any other Christmas treats, we're sure it'll light up the faces of any little ones in your life!
Father's day gift bag
One for the Dad's and Grandpa's out there, what better way to give them a gift than in these clever shirt and tie DIY gift bags from I Heart Crafty Things. You could use any fun colourful paper you have handy to create your bespoke tie! Now... can we remember what colour Grandpa's favourite tie is?
Christmas tree fabric gift bags
If you love a more subtle festive feel you'll love this Christmas DIY gift bag from The Yellow Birdhouse. You'll need some checked patterns for this one, you could even reuse an old pillowcase. They are super handy for little Christmas gifts, and can be reused over and over.
I think we've got it in the bag! You can say goodbye to boring old shop-bought gift bags and hello to exciting handmade gift bags - now when is the next birthday coming up? We hope you've enjoyed this round-up of our favourite DIY gift bags, and how to make your own gift bags. If you'd like more inspiration for your next craft project head over to our latest craft trends, or find out what craft is right for you with our craft hobbies roundup.
