patchwork party gift bag by lauren bergold

by now probably everyone knows that i have a niece born on valentine's day, and that i love to decorate gift bags... here's a project, made with february's YOU MAKE LIFE FUN kit, which celebrates both!  i started with a plain shopping bag, about 10.5" tall. i buy these at my local big box craft store, i generally get a dozen--in various solid colors--for $4 or so, and i like to keep a bunch on hand. given the gorgeous selection of papers from my mind's eye "fun day" line this month, i knew kraft-colored was the way to go. i also knew i wanted to use the "patchwork party" paper... and, as befits a patchwork theme, to do quite a bit of cutting out! 

the complete motifs at the center of the page made a brilliant stacked flower!  all i had to do was cut them, ink them, place each layer on a few pieces of foam tape for dimension, and add a button-adorned scalloped circle to the center.

the partial flowers near the edges of the paper were equally useful: when i looked at the petals, i realized each tapering pair made up a sort of heart shape. and what could be better to adorn the birthday present of a valentine girl??! i added a few cosmo cricket buttons and hand stitches with black embroidery floss.

i am not sure my nieces are aware that gift bags purchased at the store do not automatically come emblazoned with one's name, but certainly, they are never going to learn that from me! for this version i used my computer to size and print riley's name in "pickwick" font, which i then cut from pink paislee's "prep school" pattern. again, the letters are mounted on a bit of foam tape, to lift them from the background paper.

nieces who get sweeter... (and cuter, and smarter!) ...every year are just one of the things that make MY life fun me; my pixie kits are another!!! :)

* Supplies *

Pixie February Kit

"YOU MAKE LIFE FUN"

Check it out HERE!!!!