Cut the top of a cereal box off & create this darling project

It’s a terrible feeling to realize your gift bag supply has run out when it’s time to head out the door to the next party. Fortunately, there’s no need to make a last-minute stop at the store if you happen to have a spare cereal box at home. This DIY project takes only a few minutes and transforms a traditional breakfast cereal box into a unique gift bag that’s customized to fit the present you're delivering.

Once the empty cereal box is cut to size, it can quickly be covered in decorative contact paper to fit any occasion. A floral covering is ideal for a spring party, but you can mix and match other patterns and colors for the covering according to your preference. Knotting burlap ribbon at the top creates easy-to-carry handles that are charming and sturdy. This gift bag is the optimal solution for those gifts that come in odd dimensions and looks every bit as good as the store-bought version.

-Cereal box
-Ruler
-Sharpie
-Scissors
-Decorative contact paper
-Painter’s tape
-Pencil
-Single hole punch
-Burlap ribbon, 1 1/2 inches wide

1. Position a ruler across an empty cereal box at the preferred height of the final gift bag, and mark the line in Sharpie. We’ve marked a line approximately one-third of the way down from the box opening.

2. Continue the Sharpie mark around the box at the same height using the ruler for accuracy on all four sides.

3. Cut the top of the cereal box off using the Sharpie lines as guides.

4. Measure the length and width of the bottom of the box.

5. Unroll a length of decorative contact paper on the table with the patterned side facing down.

6. Pin the corners of the contact paper to the work surface using painter’s tape.

7. Mark the dimensions of the bottom of the cereal box on the contact paper in pencil.

8. Cut the rectangle out using the pencil marks as guides.

9. Peel off the back of the contact paper, and press the paper to the bottom of the cereal box making sure to smooth down the edges.

10. Unroll the contact paper once more, and tape the edges to the table.

11. Position the cereal box, so it’s lying down flat on the right edge of the contact paper.

12. Roll the box toward the left side of the contact paper. Flip the box over until it’s standing on its opposite short end to make sure you've unrolled enough contact paper to fit the entire surface area of the box.

13. Mark the place where the box lands on the contact paper in pencil using a ruler as a straight edge before cutting the contact paper from top to bottom.

14. Secure the remaining edges of the contact paper with painter’s tape before cutting the paper in half horizontally.

15. Peel the backing off the contact paper, and carefully wrap it around the cereal box.

16. Punch two evenly spaced holes on both sides of the box near the top edge using a single hole punch.

17. Unravel a length of 1 1/2-inch burlap ribbon, and thread the end through one of the holes before knotting it inside the box. Trim away excess fabric at the knot.

18. Thread and knot the opposite end of the burlap ribbon through the second hole on the same side to create a handle for the gift bag.

19. Repeat steps 17 and 18 with a second length of burlap ribbon on the opposite side of the box to create the second handle for your new gift bag.