sewn paper giftbags

For my first Christmas in Seattle, Christmas 2008, I made some nut mixes / snack mixes to give as gifts. I was missing my friends and family and I wanted to send everyone a gift to let them know I was thinking of them. I made spicy nut mix, sweet nut mix, soy-wasabi nut mix...everything. I soon realized I needed a way to package these snacks. My mom always keeps cellophane bags on hand for quick gifting. Anything, be it baked, candied, sewn, glued, or re-gifted looks great in one of those cellophane bags. But I didn't have any and I was SNOWED IN!
Sometimes, when I want to buy something I, I try to think "what would people have used before that was invented and sold at the store...."
I thought of cloth bags, like bank robber gold bags but I didn't want fuzz sticking to these snacks...
I thought of paper containers, like old fashioned popcorn and street vendor snack containers.
I ended up using parchment paper (baking paper) and my sewing machine. I sewed folder parchment a few inches apart for the side seams and trimmed the paper about 1/4 inch from the seam. I sewed corners so the bags could stand on their own. Then, I filled them with snack mix - could be anything, though - and sewed the top closed. Before I sealed the bags, I stamped a shape on paper to make a note and sewed it in while sewing the top seam.
I think they are so adorable and have funny personality.

I have resorted to these sewn bags frequently since that Christmas that I like to think of them as a trademark of a Tess gift :)

Need a quick Christmas gift for the Boss? Sew a few slices of dried porcini into a little paper pack, and voila, Christmas present.

Need to make a few quick bucks? Sew stinging nettles into paper packs and sell at farmer's markets (or the punk rock flea market).

And yet again: Going visiting and need a gift? Sew ginger snaps into a paper pack and head on over.

And good news about the visit: we will be welcoming a new member into our ward this Saturday when she is baptized!