Custom Cookie Bag and Box by CACTUSmango Designs

© 2008 ~ Marissa Carranza, CACTUSmango Designs.

This tutorial, the intellectual copyrights and artwork are the property of Marissa Carranza, CACTUSmango Designs and have been uploaded in this format with her kind permission.

This tutorial may be printed out as an instructional copy for personal use only. This tutorial may not be distributed for educational, marketing or for-profit usage in print, digital, or any other format, nor may it be copied and/or uploaded to another website without the authors written consent.

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Thank you.

 
When “cookie cutter” is just not your style, take your favourite digital scrapbook kit to the next level.  Make personalized gift bags or boxes to hold yummy treats for bridal showers, Christmas or birthday parties.  Crank these out with an assembly line of your scrapping & baking buddies.  Try not to eat all the cookies before the bags are made!
 

Digital Supplies:
Your choice of digi frames + papers. – (For this project I used Scrappassie’s Brighter Side of Life which is available in the shop at Kjoistudios.com)
 
Other Supplies:
Printer
Pencil
Scissors & Paper Trimmer
Brown Lunch Bag or * For this project, I recycled a KFC take-out bag.
Clear Plastic Sheets  * For this project, I recycled plastic from a frozen dinner.
Dimensional Glue   * I used Diamond Glaze by Judi Kins from Scrapbook.com
Your choice of adhesive, ie. glue, tape, brads, staples or ribbon. You’ll need a hole punch for the ribbon.
White/Beige Textured Cardstock. *I used Bazzil white cardstock. Or Dig into your stash of coordinating  patterned traditional paper, to print on the white back side. 
 

Steps:
1. Purchase & Download a digi kit of your choice.  Then, Unzip the digi kit file, by right-clicking the zip file and choosing “Open with Compressed Zip File”.

2. Open each file that you wish to print out and drag them onto a 8.5 x 11 document into your photo/scrapbook editing program of your choice.  I happen to use PS CS2.

3. Arrange each embellishment onto the document, making sure not to overlap edges.

4. When happy, choose Print under the File menu and Print with preview.  Adjust Size percentage to your liking.  Select “Scale to Fit” to be sure nothing gets clipped.  (Printing outcome varies depending on your printer, ink, type of paper, etc.) 

5. Cut out the frames and embellishments.  You may cut right on the edge or leave a 1/8″ border (+/-),  to give the “sticker” look.  (This can be time consuming, but if you trust your hubby, scrap buddies or kids to cut these out for you, then by all means – GO FOR IT!)

6. Smear a thin layer of glaze to give an overall gloss finish. 

Let Dry.  Carefully drop tiny beads of Diamond Glaze onto the dots or edges of the embellishments or frames.  Set aside to dry.  This gives a quick 3D effect to your printed out embellies.  Experiment with glitter,  flock, stick-on pearls, etc.

7. Curl up the edges of the flower petals and corners of the frames for some added dimension.

8.   Place cut-out frame onto brown lunch bag and trace along the inside “window”, then cut center out.

10. Cut a piece of cleaned & reclaimed sheet of plastic to about 1/2 inch larger than the “window opening”.   Stick this to the inside of the lunch bag. (Or use plastic wrap or Ziplock bags.)

11. Align digi frame over the “window opening” and adhere with glue.

12. Layer digi embellishments around the “window/frame” and adhere.

13. Fill with home-made/store bought cookies  with recipes or electric votive candlers.  Fold flap closed & secure with staples, clips, brads, or ribbon etc.
 
Variations: 
Follow the same steps for boxes. I save all kinds of gift boxes, so I just resize the digi frame to fit the box lid.  I recommend using an Exacto knife to cut out the “window”.   To make a paper lantern, print digi paper onto thin scrapbook paper, tape into a cylinder shape.  Then, insert a battery operated candle. 

If you have any questions, comments or if you would like to share your finished project, drop me a comment on my blog: cactusmango.blogspot.com   
 
© 2008 CACTUSmango Designs by Marissa Carranza. All Rights Reserved. For Personal Use Only.