Christmas Bubble Mailers (recycled)

I have tons of old bubble mailers. Every time I receive a bubble mailer, I save it so I can reuse it. Here is how I made my festive:

I took some red and green duct tape and covered the used bubble mailers.

Find some old used bubble mailers and get some duct tape…

Start by laying strips of duct tape parallel to the opening.  You don’t need to go all the way to the bottom.  You can go slightly past the top.  Don’t worry, later we will cut the top off and make it nice and even.

The red duct tape doesn’t cover as good as the green duct tape.  So either cover the label with a white self adhesive label or take some more red duct tape and go over the label again.

See how you can see the label under the red duct tape.

Once the first side is covered in duct tape, flip the mailer over and cover the other side.

Once both sides are covered in duct tape, we can trim away the excess.

Trim away the sides and the top.

Now you are ready for the sides.  You can do the sides with the same color as the rest of your mailer, or change it up and use contrasting colors.  Take a piece of duct tape longer than the side and lay it along one of the long sides.  Then fold the remaining half over to the back side.  Do the same to the other long side.

Trim away the excess.  And now you are ready for the bottom.

 

Lay a piece of duct tape across the bottom and fold over to the back side.  Trim the excess.

Now, before we close off the top, put the contents to be mailed inside.

Now to close of the top: get a piece of duct tape and lay it across the top. Flip the mailer over, but do NOT fold over the duct tape. Grab a piece of cotton string or something similar that will be strong enough to tear the duct tape.

Lay it across the duct tape.  See the orange line?  You want the left end of the string to start about ½” inside the edge of the mailer and leave a tail on the right side past the tape.

Before you fold the tape over and seal the mailer shut cut a small square away from the tape on the side with the tail.  Cut along the string parallel to the open to about 1/4'” inside the edge of the mailer.

Fold over the tape.  Move the string tail out of the way and trim the excess.

Almost done


Now, to help the string tear the duct tape, take your scissors and make a tiny snip in the duct tape where the tail is.

Can you see the little snip in the picture?

 

Now print a label that says “remove this label to open!”  I used white address labels.  Fold up the string tail (or trim it) so that it hides under the white label and stick the label over the string.  Add a mailing label to the front and then you will be ready to mail your festive Christmas package.

Happy Crafting!