Aunt Annie's Crafts: Boxes and Bags

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About the projects

These craft projects are all about making gifts a visual delight with techniques and ideas for gift wrapping. There are instructions for making boxes and bags in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, along with tips for adding decorative elements. Come back in the coming weeks and months for other projects!

The projects range in difficulty from VERY EASY to DIFFICULT.

Browse down this page for descriptions and illustrations of the projects, then select a project and have some crafting fun!

Collapsible Box - If you haven't made boxes before, you'll be delighted with how easy it is to make a box in exactly the size needed. This project features a collapsible box with an attached lid. Use these boxes for gifts, as decorative containers or for storage around the home or craft room.

EASY
Interlocking Curves Box - This project features striking boxes with interlocking tops and bottoms. Choose from boxes with two interlocking curves on each side or three interlocking curves per side. Instructions are given for drafting a box pattern/template for any size interlocking curves box.

EASY
Easy Gift Bags - Learn how easy it is to make reusable gift bags from wrapping paper. With a simple technique bags can be fashioned in just the right size for your gift in just a matter of minutes.

EASY
Interlocking Box - Try your hand at making boxes that feature sides that lock together. The interlocked sides create a striking design that you can further enhance with patterns and designs. These square boxes are ideal for gifts of cookies or brownies.

EASY
Valentine Heart Shaped Box - Make a novelty box for Valentine's Day in the shape of a heart. Choose from a variety of printable patterns for two sizes of heart boxes. This is a cute gift box for small presents that will bring smiles and warm hearts wherever it is displayed.

DIFFICULT
Halloween Trick or Treat Bags - It's quick and easy to make trick or treat bags in any size you like to collect treats as you go from door to door. All it takes is a stack of books and a sheet of paper to make the basic bag. You can also create smaller bags for Halloween party goodies or to hand out to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door!

EASY
Halloween Treat Bags - Give your Halloween trick-or-treaters a colorful handmade bag filled with treats! Each bag holds several pieces of candy, two cookies, some caramel corn or a small toy. They are great for any holiday and for party favors, too!

VERY EASY
Tube-shaped Gift Bags - See how easy it is to make simple gift bags. These bags can be used for odd shape gifts, for food gifts, to store craft supplies, and more! With this technique you can make bags in a matter of a few minutes from any wrapping paper or other decorative paper.

EASY
Trinket Box - Use recycled materials to make this trinket box. All it takes to make this cutie are empty cardboard tubes, a cereal box and scraps of ribbon or paper. You are sure to want to make more than one!

AVERAGE
Diamond Box - This project features a diamond-shaped box with an attached lid in a variety colors, plain and patterned. Multiple diamond boxes can be combined to form a larger diamond, a hexagon and even a heart-shaped box.

EASY
Pentagon Box - Make a pentagonal-shaped box with an attached lid in various sizes with colored and black & white printable patterns. The boxes range in size from 3" to 1¾" and nest together for storage. Use the boxes individually, or stacked, as gift boxes, favors or for storing jewelry and other trinkets.

EASY
Hexagon Box - Make a hexagonal-shaped box in several sizes, plain or decorated. These boxes may be used as gift boxes, boxes to store trinkets, party or wedding favors, or as decorative accents in your home. Three of the boxes are sized to make into a stack. All of the hexagonal boxes are collapsible and store flat.

EASY
Milk Carton Fun - In this project, learn how to recycle milk and juice cartons, or any size gable top carton, into strong gift boxes. You can either wrap the boxes in your favorite way or transform the carton into a house or a cuckoo clock using Aunt Annie's patterns.

EASY to AVERAGE
Christmas Tree Shaped Box - Make a novelty box in the shape of a pine tree for Christmas in either of two sizes. This is a cute gift box for small gifts that adds some Christmas cheer wherever it is displayed. The project includes instructions for making your own patterns for novelty-shaped boxes.

DIFFICULT
Oval Box with Lid - Make an oval box with a lid in a several sizes and depths. The technique used to make these boxes is based on the band boxes popular in the 19th century, and is well-suited to making boxes with curves, like this oval box. This is an elegant box that will compliment that special gift.

AVERAGE
Pillow Boxes - Make a pillow box for small gifts and party or wedding favors. This is a terrific box that resembles a pillow in shape and makes an elegant package with the addition of a ribbon. The project includes printable patterns in a variety of sizes.

EASY
Flared Boxes - Make these wonderfully elegant boxes that increase in size from a square or rectangular base to lid flaps that flare out from the top. The project includes printable patterns for flared boxes in a variety of sizes and shapes. These boxes have many decorative uses.

EASY
Rectangular Box - Make a rectangular box with lid, also called a shirt box, in a variety of sizes and depths. This is a very versatile box that can be used to package about any gift. It can also be made without the lid and used as a letter box, napkin holder, etc. Instructions are given for drafting a box pattern/template for any size rectangular box.

EASY
Half-Moon Petal Envelope - Have fun making these delightful envelopes with half-moon flaps that fold like petals. Spring and Easter designs are included in the project. Use these envelopes as a gift wrap for small gifts or to store keepsakes.

VERY EASY
Little Gift Boxes - An easy to make cube shaped box with three choices of printable patterns - quick to make in full color, a black and white version for kids to color, or a plain template to unleash your creativity.

EASY