If you’ve seen many of my other tutorials, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I love animals and I love creative gift bags and boxes, and sometimes these two just happen to collide. Today I’m going to show you how to make these woodland creature brown paper bags: a hedgehog, a raccoon, and a fox.
My inspiration: these owl gift bags and this woodland creature roundup.
I’m to show you a detailed tutorial for the fox, and then brief tutorials for the hedgehog and raccoon, which generally follow the same steps as each other. For this project, I was able to try out some products from Elmer’s and X-ACTO, including the new X-ACTO Z-series knife. The blade is coated with zirconium nitride, making it the sharpest blade in the industry.
Step 1 – Gather your supplies.
Brown paper bags, Assorted scrapbook paper and card stock
Elmer’s products: Elmer’s Dot Runner, Elmer’s Painters Pens, Elmer’s Glue
X-ACTO products: Scissors, Self-healing Cutting Mat, Z-Series Knife
Step 2 – Make the face and ears
Fold over the top of your bag. Cut the edges off so that you have a triangle at the top. You can now use these pieces to make the ears. Simply cut smaller triangles out of scrapbook paper and glue them to the brown bag ear pieces.
Step 3 – Make your tail
Cut out a bushy fox tail shape from a piece of kraft paper card stock. Glue a piece of white card stock to the end of the tail. Flip this upside down (as seen in picture 3). Now use your X-ACTO precision knife to cut along the edges of the tail.
Step 4 – Elmer’s dot runner
I LOVE this product. Basically, there are a lot of very small glue dots attached to a roll of paper. It works like double sided tape but it is so much easier to use. It’s perfect for paper crafts because it is an instant adhesive and it doesn’t crinkle as it dries.
Step 5 – Attach the ears
Flip your bag over. Apply a row of dot runner along the top, and attach your fox ears. You may need to bend back the ears a little bit to keep them from pointing forward too much.
Step 6 – Attach the tail
Attach the tail to the back of the bag with dot runner. You may also need to bend the tail back to keep it from pointing forward.
Step 7 – Add embellishments
Trace a long rectangle, rounded at the top onto some interesting scrapbook paper. Cut out the shape and attach it to the front of the bag, underneath the face. Cut out a mustache shape from white card stock for the fox’s fluffy face and cut out a nose shape from black craft foam. You could also use a button.
Step 8 – Draw on eyes
Use Elmer’s Painters Pens to draw on eyes. I gave this fox sleepy eyes with a silver pen. At first the area around the paint looks wet, but it dries and disappears as the paint dries.
And you’re done!
I didn’t tape or close the top of the bag, because I wanted the face to stick out a little bit from the rest of the bag. You could easily put a little roll of tape under the nose to close the bag.
How to Make the Hedgehog Brown Paper Bag
Follow the same steps as the fox. Make the face more rounded. Instead of cutting out a tail, cut strips of pointy triangles. Attach the long strips to the front of the bag, underneath the face, and attach the short strip to the back of the bag behind the ears.
How to Make the Raccoon Brown Paper Bag
Follow the same steps as the fox. Make the face very rounded instead of a pointy triangle. I used black craft foam instead of card stock and I love how it turned out. Also follow the instructions to make the fox’s tail to make the raccoon’s tail.
X-ACTO is generously giving away a $25 Walmart gift card to 2 lucky Lines Across readers, so that you too can try out the Z-series knife, or some of these other cool products. Enter through rafflecopter below. Thank X-ACTO for hosting this giveaway by leaving a comment on their Facebook page.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
X-ACTO provided me with X-ACTO and Elmer’s products to help promote the Z-Series knife. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
such cute creations – I can't believe I don't own an exacto knife – I need one so badly!
I'd like to try the Z-Series Knife.
Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy
glue dots may save my world. and that hedgehog is about the cutest wrapping job i've ever seen. stick a grren bowtie on it and voila! christmas wrap!
A toss up between the Self-healing Cutting Mat and the Z-Series Knife, which looks very precise!
haha, these little guys are so cute! I just want to squeeze them hehe. I hope you and the fam are having a great Monday.
Nikki
http://www.thecraftysideofsarcasm.com
ADORABLE Rachel!!
These are so stinkin' adorable! I love them!
Oops, and I meant to add that I totally need a new cutting mat. The Xacto one looks great! 🙂
I just love little paper sack puppets…and yours are REALLY, REALLY cute!!
I need a new Xacto knife and mat! Thanks so much for the giveaway. 🙂
I would love to try the Elmer's Dot Runner glue.
I would like to try the Elmer's dot runner.
That fox is my very favorite! He´s so cute!!!
I'd like to use the Painter's pens.
the X-ACTO Z-series knife because most of the knives and scissors we use here aren't all that sharp
i wanna try Z-Series Knife.
freebiel0ve@yahoo.com
http://www.xacto.com/products/office-solutions/paper-cutters/paper-cutters/Commercial-Grade-Square-Guillotine-Trimmers.aspx
misaacmom at gmail dot com
been wanting one of these so bad!
I already use Elmers glue and self healing maat. I would love to try the painters pens
I want to try the Z-Series Knife
I would love to try the X-ACTO Z-series knife!
There is some jobs that only the X-ACTO can do. I would love to try the new Z-series one, I have an oldie one and still works like a charm so I can imagine what I could do with the new one
Seriously ADORABLE. Wish I had kiddos to craft these up with 🙂
This looks like a fun Thanksgiving morning activity
z-series knife
thanks
aunteegem@yahoo.com
seriously howwwww cute!!! and thank you for the giveaway!!! I agree with Kelly, I WISH I had kids to make these with!
:o)
Jaime
Could you post a link to the templates you used to create these absolutely adorable creatures? I’m planning on making them at a Library Activity Night, and I need a template to use!
Kelsey, I didn’t actually use a template, but I wish I had! The shapes you need for these animals are really basic – you might be able to sketch a few yourself. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.