Doily Gift Bags {DIY}

   Before I left for England I wanted to do something special for my amazing friend Emily. So for her birthday present (which was right after I left) I made her seven gift bags. She gets to open a new one on the first of each month & she has one for each month I'm away!

   Emily did something similar for me. She wrote me a letter for each month I'm in England. They encourage me & make me laugh the first of every month.

   My mum also wanted to do something similar for one of her close friends (who happens to be Emily's mum) and made a bag for each month with a recipe & some (non-parishable) food items. 

   These monthly gifts are so fun. If it's for someone you won't see for awhile, each gift/letter they open means one less month till they see you again! Toward the end of each month I find myself counting down the days till I can open my next letter! I also get excited for her to see what I've gifted her that month.

   My love langue is gift giving & I adore DIY projects. So this has me written all over it! I'm enjoying it so much that I'm thinking about doing it for presents in the future. It gives your friend something to look forward to & a monthly reminder of how much they mean to you.

   Since I needed to make seven bags they had to be simple & inexpensive, but I still wanted them to be cute. I saw these bags {here} & knew they were just what I was looking for. I tweaked them a bit & added a few touches here & there. They resulted in these Doily Gift Bags!

Supplies:

• Brown paper bags
• Paper doilies 
• Ribbon
• Small tags
• Hole punch
• Stapler 
• Scissors  

1. Make a card to go in each bag with the month on one side & a note about the gift on the other

 2. Label tag with the month the bag is to be opened in

3. Place the gift(s) & card in bag & staple closed

4. Fold the paper doily in half & straddle it over the top of the bag

6. Place two hole punches in the middle of the doily about an inch apart 

4. Thread ribbon through holes and gently tie a bow

7. Thread tag strings through doily holes & tie a little knot

8. Cut sides off doily 

9. Admire your beautiful gift bag

10. Give to a special friend!

   I won't say exactly what I put in Emily's seven bags since she still has several to open. But here are some ideas for filling your bags!

Something to use:

• Candle
• Box of stationary
• Bookmarks {here} {here}

Something to decorate:

• Christmas ornament
• Hooped embroidery {here}
• Photos of the two of you
• Painted picture 
• Garland {here} {here}

Something to wear:

• Scarf
• Headband
• Jewelry {here} {here} {here}

Something to eat:

• Chocolate bar
• Box of tea
• Cookies in a Jar {here}

   The possibilities are endless! You can even make themed gift bags. How about things that smell good? Candles, lotions, & potpourri. Or be like my mum & have a food theme. Recipes & ingredients.

  So choose a friend to bless & go buy some paper bags & doilies! Do you have any other themed gift ideas? Let me know about your brilliant ideas in the comments!