The party season is upon us and we've got just the way to add some extra polish to your party gifting this time of year. We've put together a complete step by step guide on making your own custom gift bags that are unique and stylish - they'll add that little something extra to your next pressie! You can make these from everyday materials - gift wrap, colourful paper, and our personal favourite, wallpaper!

We love the wallpaper as it's the perfect weight making for a sturdy finished product. For our tutorial we used wallpaper "Morocco Sea Grass" from collection Neo.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Scissors
Glue
Ribbon or twine
A ruler
A sharp pencil
Gift wrap, paper or wallpaper off-cut

TOP TIP: The size of your paper or wallpaper piece will determine the size of your gift bag, so cut your material into the desired size, ensuring you have straight lines all-round to ensure a neat finish. The width of your paper will determine the height of your bag.

STEP 1

Gently fold your paper to establish a mid-point. Don't fold too hard as you don't want a line in your finished bag - use your pencil to mark the mid point on the inside of the paper.

STEP 2

Lay your paper face down and make a 2 cm fold on one side. This will eventually be the top opening of your gift bag.

STEP 3

Fold the left hand side inwards with the edge of the paper approximately 1 cm past the mid point. Then fold the right side over towards the middle so it overlaps the left side by about 1cm. Glue this in place. Press firmly on the join and the sides.

STEP 4

Flip your paper around so the unfolded side is closest to you. Fold the bottom inwards and press down hard on the edge to make a deep fold.

TOP TIP: The size of this fold will determine the size of the base of your bag - a smaller fold will result in a thinner base and visa versa.

STEP 5

Open up the flap you have created with the fold and push down hard on the seams to make two triangles on each end.

STEP 6

The original fold will make a natural midway point on your paper. Working from the top first, fold the top flap inwards, about 1 cm past the midway fold. Repeat on the bottom going 1 cm past the edge of the top fold.

STEP 7

Secure with glue. Press firmly on all seams and ensure the glue has set before proceeding. Use a little extra glue on this seam as it will be weight-bearing once you've filled your gift bag.

STEP 8

Fold the left hand side of your bag inwards. Press very firmly on the fold to ensure you make a sharp line.

TOP TIP: Use the bottom fold as a guide when make your side folds. The edge of your folds should meet up as shown in the picture below:

STEP 9

Repeat on the right side, remembering to press firmly with your fingers or a ruler to make a deep fold. You now have a functional gift bag!

STEP 10

Now to add the finishing touches! Flip your bag around to work on the top opening. Whilst your bag is still flat, mark the midway point using your pencil and rules and create a small hole about 2 cm from the edge of the bag. You can use a sharp pencil or paper punch to create a hold that goes right the way through the bag.

STEP 11

Thread your ribbon or twine through the hole. Once filled with your gift you can tie a bow to finish off the package. We used a wide-width satin ribbon for some extra glamour which we thought complemented the classic print on our wallpaper, but you could use twine for a more rustic finish.

And there you have it! A beautiful, one-of-a-kind gift bag, made with love.

TOP TIP: If your gift is on the heavier side, cut out a piece of card and insert it into the bottom of the bag to support the base.

HERE IS ANOTHER BAG WE MADE:

Mix and match different materials to create unique bags. For this bag, we used wallpaper "Saphir Jewel" from collection Origin and finished it with a gold twine double bow.