Swatchbook Gift Bag Tutorial

Family recipes are special treasures.   I have been working on several projects to collect family recipes from both sides of our family and make recipe books.  

The Orchard Harvest Swatchbook Digital Template was a huge timesaver for this.  All the graphic layouts were in place and I just added the recipes.  And to make it extra special I came up with a custom-sized gift bag made out the of the coordinating Orchard Harvest Designer Series paper.

One version of the recipe book is of my mom's desert recipes.

On some of them I added notes about the origin or special ways Mom makes the recipe.  This cake recipe is from a cookbook that came with her Sunbeam mixer in 1957.  Still a favorite today!

I made another version of recipes from Tom's mother.

Lots of traditional Polish recipes.

I made one for all of Tom's siblings and our nieces and nephews.  It was so fun when we gave them to to everyone at a recent family gathering to hear the comments reminiscing about the foods.    

To make the gift bag:

1. Cut a piece of DSP 11" X 12".  If there is a directional print on one side you will need to pay attention to which way the pattern will go.

2.  On the 11" side, score at 1", 5", 6" and 10".

3. Turn the paper 90 degrees and score at 1" and 9".

4.  Fold on all score lines.

5.  Clip the corners of the tabs at the bottom.

6. Fold the top 3 inches down on the scoreline.

7.  Use Sticky Strip on the sides and bottom to assemble the box.

8.  Punch two holes about one inch from the top on each side of the box.  Thread a knotted length of ribbon through one hole and out the other.  Fold a 2" X 4" piece of DSP in half and punch a hole in the corner.  Thread this one the ribbon and tie another knot.

9.  Pull the ribbon until the knots are snug against the box.  Add a second ribbon to the back in the same manner.