Holiday Crafts: Animal Print Tree Goodie Bags

A bag of sweet treats is always an inexpensive holiday gift idea for friends, neighbors, and co-workers. These adorable animal print tree goodie bags are simple to make and will definitely look unique this Christmas!

For this project, you will need (per goodie bag):

- One medium sized cellophane candy bag without a topper (available in the candy making section of most craft supply stores)
- Bone folder tool or a butter knife
- Pink cardstock
- Animal print scrapbook paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- One inch sized Christmas tree stencil or metal cookie cutter
- Craft knife
- Self healing mat
- Elmer's glue stick
- Pink colored ribbon
- Scissors
- Candies, cookies, or other delicious treats
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Newspaper or a drop cloth

Lay a sheet of pink cardstock flat on a self healing mat. Using a pencil and a ruler, create a rectangle that is four inches tall by as wide as the cellophane candy bag you are using. Carefully cut out the design with a craft knife. Fold the pink cardstock rectangle in half horizontally and smooth the fold using a butter knife or a bone folder tool.

Place the sheet of animal print scrapbook paper flat on the self healing mat. Using a pencil and a one inch sized Christmas tree stencil or metal cookie cutter, transfer the image onto the printed paper. Repeat for a second tree image. Use a craft knife to very gently cut out the tree designs from the paper.

Apply a generous amount of Elmer's glue stick to the back of one paper tree. Adhere the tree shape onto the pink cardstock piece with the tip of the tree pointing to the fold. Repeat this step for the second animal print tree piece on the opposite side of the cardstock. Dry completely.

Heat up the hot glue gun. Cut two pieces of pink colored ribbon that are a half inch longer than the width of the cardstock piece. Use a dab of hot glue on the back of one ribbon to adhere it to the cardstock, leaving a quarter inch of ribbon hanging off the ends. Wrap the ends around to the back (or inside) of the folded cardstock piece and secure with glue. Repeat this for the other side of the cardstock piece. (This will leave you with one two inch tall folded cardstock piece with one tree and a piece of ribbon at the bottom on each side.)

Fill the cellophane bag with treats. (Candy, cookies, etc. all work well.) Apply a dab of hot glue to the outside of the cellophane bag on one side, a half inch from the top of the bag. Adhere the underside of one side of the folded cardstock piece to the bag. Repeat with the second side of the cellophane bag and the second side of the cardstock piece. (The cardstock and glue will seal the bag, making it so no treats can fall out.) Once the glue has cooled, give as desired.