retail bags with a Christmas facelift

Are you like me?  You save all those paper bags from retail stores thinking surly they can be used for something.
You know, bags like these.

I just can't seem to throw something away that has such great potential.  They're well made, sturdy and great colors.  But what to do with them?  If you want to give a gift from that store, you walk out of the establishment carrying another bag.  Can't give a gift to someone in the wrong bag.  Buying something from Walmart and putting it in an Eddie Bauer bag to give just seems wrong or like false advertising.

This problem has been buzzing around in my head for some time now, and I finally just sat down and did something about it.  Only criteria I had was whatever I did, it had to be Christmas related, quick and easy, and I had to have the supplies on hand.

So.  Why not take that perfectly red American Girl bag and add a little black and gold paper...

And turn it into this:

Wanna go the extra mile?  Put some cotton balls on the bottom edge.

Add a little ribbon and paper to that forest green bag from Eddie Bauer 

And voila!

How about that blue checkered bag from Bath and Body Works?

A little paper and a gel pen really dress it up!

Such simple little changes to give a facelift to a trio of shopping bags.

There are all kinds of directions the bag embellishments can be taken: a snowman, single ornament, snowflake, holly and berries, or maybe a present out of printed paper and some ribbon.  Decorate to your hearts content and they will be so pretty hanging out under the Christmas tree this year.

Then it will be someone else's problem to figure out whether to throw out or keep that sturdy, perfectly colored bag that has so much potential.