I have been making paper bags to use as giveaway bags for many years. I wanted to have bags to give away and I had a lot of newspaper available to me, up to 3 a day sometimes. I cannot claim to be the inventor of this bag as I researched the process on the interweb and found it amongst the origami models. . My customers love them and I have asked many times over by how to make them and therefore this page was born.

As an item that is useful for using up waste paper, if you want handles, it also serves well for using up scraps of wool . Decorate the bags with stickers or paint and you can have a fabulous hand made party bag or gift bag.

A bag made with a double sheet of newspaper is big enough to hold a standard paperback book

For one bag you will need

• 1 piece of newspaper, a complete double page approx A2 sized. You can also us any type of paper including gift wrap but avoid anything smaller than A3 unless you want tiny bags. The paper does not need to be a perfect square in fact an oblong works best. I use newspaper and find the thickness ideal for folding, the resulting bag is strong enough for anything small enough to fit inside them.

If adding handles

• 1 holepunch for punching 2 holes
• 1 length of wool or string

Method

I have tried to describe how to do this in the past and failed so here are the step by step photos of what to do as well. Happy folding.

• Step 1 - Start with your paper completely unfolded, fold in half and turn so that the fold is nearest you

• Step 2 create your guide creases at the half and quarter lines, then open out as shown.

•  Step 3 Fold the top sheet toward you about 1 third then turn the "bag" over.

• Step 4 Fold the botom corners in to the quarter creases and each side as well.

• Step 5 Fold down the remaining top flap and your basic bag is done.

• Step 6 create the handle holes, thread in your handle and tie

• Step 7 either decorate or just use as is. This bag is big enough to hold a standard sized paperback book.