This Paper Bag Party Fans tutorial is courtesy of our contributor Chantelle of Dolled Up Design…I think these Paper Bag Party Fans just might be my favorite party idea yet. They are inexpensive, incredibly easy to make, have big impact, and can be customized to any party theme – all important factors to me when planning a party!
The secret behind these beautiful paper fans is plain paper lunch bags or treat bags, and regular old school glue sticks. I found a wide selection of colored paper treat bags in the party section of my favorite dollar store.
How To Make Paper Bag Party Fans:
To create your own paper fan decorations, just follow these easy steps:
The possibilities with these really are endless. Use a patterned paper bag for more interest or incorporate several colors to create a beautiful rainbow effect like this one I have started working on for my daughter’s upcoming My Little Pony party – just remember that it is actually the sides of the bag that end up making up your paper fans.
For the sports fan, pick your favorite team’s colors and alternate them to create the perfect party decoration. I dressed mine up further by printing out my favorite team logo to glue to the center of the fan.
For more of a rustic or shabby chic look, consider using standard brown paper lunch bags. These came in packs of 40 for just $1.25 at the dollar store, so they are an even more cost effective option then the colored treat bags. I also had smaller sized brown bags left over from a candy buffet so I created two different sized fans and accented them with a simple white paper doily. These would look lovely at a baby or bridal shower, or could even serve as wedding decorations for the bride on a budget.
You may also notice that just by the way I have cut the bags, I have gotten very different shapes. No cutting results in a nice round fan like my brown paper examples, a triangular top gives a starburst style shape like in my sports team example and a semi-circle shape cut off the top with give a rounded flower petal look.
Have fun experimenting with different colors and shapes, or playing with the number of bags you use in each paper fan. Get the kids involved in this fun and easy craft and in no time you’ll have some great budget friendly party decorations.
Happy Crafting!
We’d like to send a big THANK YOU to Chantelle for sharing this creative tutorial with us – I can’t wait to try it! Her parties are always easy to recreate and kids love them! Be sure to follow her on Facebook to stay updated on all her fabulous ideas.