Wrapped presents might look great, but most wrapping paper can’t be recycled. One way you can give a sweet gift with eco-conscious wrapping is to make your own gift bag from a book jacket cover. This is sure to win you bonus points with friends who want to reduce waste and love to read!
Materials needed for DIY book jacket gift bags:
- Book jacket
- Exacto knife or razor blade for scoring
- Scissors
- Glue (we recommend a glue stick)
- String, yarn, or ribbon for gift bag handles
Steps to make a DIY gift bag from a book jacket
1. Find some book jackets! If you don’t have any book jackets: ask your friends if they have any they don’t want.
2. Remove book jacket from book, and score and cut it.
- Tip: The score around the binding end of the book jacket should be the same width as the “wings” of the jacket that contain book summaries and author bios. If these sections are not the same width you will end up with a book jacket that is shaped like a triangle.
- Tip: be careful not to score too deeply. This could result in you cutting your book jacket into pieces! If you do score all the way through the paper, you can patch it up with clear tape.
- Caution: adults should handle all cutting steps.
3. Fold along all score lines
4. Glue the book jacket “wings” on top of each other.
5. Glue the bottom flaps together.
- Tip: fold the smaller flaps in first so that they don’t show.
- Tip: to reinforce the bottom of the bag you can glue a piece of paper or cardboard into the bottom on the inside.
6. Cut small holes and insert string for handles.
7. That's it!
Embrace eco-conscious gifting with DIY book jacket gift bags. Reduce waste and promote creativity as you craft these unique gift solutions, setting a green example for all your friends who share your love for the environment.