Paper bag lanterns

Add tea lights (electric one are much safer) to your bags to turn them into super cute and cheap lanterns

You could even cut a design or message out of the bag to personalise them

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Flag bags

Add a cute little flag to your packaging to personalise it

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What you need:

Cocktail stick

Pretty paper or card

Glue

Scissors

Cut out a piece of paper twice as long as you want your flag to be

Wrap it round the cocktail stick and fix in place with glue

Cut a triangle out of the end to make it look like a flag

Pierce it through your packaging to customise it

Printed menu bags

 Use these bags as your menu cards to add a rustic feel

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Wire and fabric closures

Make these simple wire fasteners from your left over fabric scraps

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What you need:

Garden wire

Fabric

Glue

Scissors

Pinking shears (optional)

Cut a strip of fabric twice as wide as you want the finished fastener to be

Cut a length of wire slightly shorter than the fabric

Apply glue to the wrong side of the fabric, place wire inside, and fold over and seal

Try and make sure the wire is down the middle of the finished fastener

Once the glue has dried trim off any excess fabric or use pinking shears to make a prettier edge

Peg message bag

Fix a message to your packaging with a peg for rustic feel

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Brad sealed bags

Use a cute brad or paper fastener to seal your packaging

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Printed bags

Personalise these bags with initials or date or use them for menu by printing on them using an inkjet printer

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I create my file in Microsoft word. I change the page size to match the size of the bag and then add the message I want, selecting the font, colour and position before printing them

It might take a few attempts to get the positioning right but the effect is worth it

Top tip - always feed the bags in so the folds with remain flat inside the printer to avoid any issues

Message bags

Add a little message to your packaging by stapling a little card over the opening

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Shaped edged bags

Use a simple punch to add interest to the edge of your bags

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String tied bags

Add some pretty string to your bags to personalise them

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Fold the top over, punch some holes with a hole punch and then tie with string

Scrapbooking

These tiny bags are perfect for scrap booking, use them to store small item and mementos and fix them to your journal

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Scalloped edge bags

Add interest by shaping the edge of the bag

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Confetti bags

Use these tiny bags for confetti, stitch them closed and hand out at your wedding

Top tip – make your own homemade confetti with a pretty punch and tissue paper

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Seed gift bag

Create a cute little seed gift bag, or use them to store extra seeds until next year

Buy these bags at my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/93075525/5-x-medium-glassinesweet-white-bag 

Add some seeds to a bag

Print some sowing instructions

Sew the instruction to the bag, sealing the seeds inside in the process