Make these DIY Valentine Gift Bags!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!  It is a special day to recognize those we love and tell them as much.  This year I’ve decided to make ‘Love Sacks’ for my dear ones (aka Valentine gift bags).  In addition to some little treats, I plan to have the sacks filled with love notes.  In the hustle and bustle of everyday routine, we don’t always take the time to write to the people we live with or who are most dear to us.  I’m determined to take that time this Valentine’s season.  Would you like to join me in this idea?  Read on…

Love Notes   

In the days leading up to Valentine’s day, I’m leaving a stack of little papers out (shaped as hearts, of course) for our family to write notes to one another.  Each note won’t necessarily be long, perhaps just some thoughts about what we love in each other.  The more specific, the better.  For instance, “I love when you read to me while I’m cooking dinner.”  We’ll be encouraged to write more than one, and to make sure each family member gets the same number of notes.  The notes will go inside our personalized ‘Love Sacks’.  No peeking! 

I think this idea would also work well with a group of close friends.  After all, there are many forms of love beyond romantic or familial.  Each friend could make a Valentine gift bag for another and mail out notes about what they love in one another.   

Come Valentine’s Day….everyone opens the sacks! 

DIY Valentine Gift Bags

Here are instructions to make your own Love Sacks like the ones shown.

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Supplies:

Approx. 20” of twine per sack

Brown Lunch bags – I used jumbo sized paper bags (6″ x 4″ x 12″) that I had on hand

Calligraphy Pen or Sharpie

Crochet Hearts (You can find the pattern for these here)

Jewelry charm connectors (I found mine here on Amazon.  You can find a wide assortment of charms with words that your recipient would love)

Paper Hearts for love notes (cut out your own, or find a supply here)

Love Sack Assembly Instructions

• Personalize a lunch bag (sack) for each person.  I’m not much of a Calligrapher, but I found a great tutorial on Youtube by this gal and tried my hand at it.  She recommends several types of Calligraphy pens, but I just ended up using a Sharpie. 

• Trim about 2 inches off the top of each sack (if using Jumbo sized bags).  I used paper scissors with a zig-zag edge to do this.
• Carefully fold the top of the sack over about 1 inch.
• String about 20” of twine through the back of the jewelry charm connector.
• Next string the twine through openings in the crochet heart.

• Tie the assembled twine around the upper part of the sack, knotting in the back.  (At this point I temporarily placed something heavy inside the sack while I tied so that the sack wouldn’t flatten back down).

• Add some sweets or a gift inside the sack to make sure it can stand on its’ own.  Perhaps embellish with a paper flower on top for fun! Our dining room is decorated with these fun flowers!

While assembling my sacks, a version of the song Love Shack by the B-52’s forced its way into my head:  ”Love Sacks, baby Love Sacks!”.  Let me know if the same phenomenon occurs to you.

Love Notes

Now spend some time writing small love notes to the recipients of the sacks.  Have fun by jazzing them up with stamps and stamped words.

Speaking personally, I can’t wait for my husband and kids to open these Love Sacks.  A few caring words can mean the world. 

Want to remember this craft? Post these Love Sacks to your favorite Pinterest board!