Cheap Gift Wrapping - Restyling a store bag

is anyone else like me?... do you have a crazy stack of bags that you picked up from department stores that you just can't seem to get rid of? 

the other day i was happy that i held on to those bags because i restyled it to use as gift wrapping for a birthday gift.

i wish i took a picture of the gift... it was for a sweet 11 year old who wants to go to FIDM when she grows up.  i bought this AWESOME book, Generation T:

i also picked up a cute tote and filled it with all the tools she would need to make the refashioned t-shirts in this book. 

if i were a kid, i would LOVE this gift.  funny, when i told my sis about the gift and how much i loved it, she said, "what?... you ARE a kid!"  LOL  she got me there!  :o)

ok... so those were the contents... now i had to find something to put it all in.  this bag was the PERFECT fit!

i loved the purple ribbon already on the bag so i went with the inspiration and created this: 

perhaps the tissue paper was a little out of control, but i didn't want to let anything show through.  ;o)  i love cutting the edge of tissue paper to make a scalloped edge... it's so pretty... like a cloud.

here's a close up of the bag.  i repeated the same thing on the other side.

the sweetest thing is that when i gave the gift to her, she held up the bag, twirled it around, and asked if i made everything. most kids tear into gifts.  she admired the wrapping before she opened it.  sweet, right?  what an observant little girl!

and she loved the gift!  of course we couldn't wait and we make one of the refashioned t-shirts right away.  she made a shirt like this... this isn't a picture of her, i found it on the internet... unfortunately i was too excited about the gift and i forgot to take pictures... shame on me!

 i love that i have a smart head on my shoulders. :o)