Do brown paper bags inspire you?

I love the message on the paper bag at Chop Chop, my favorite “new” restaurant to get a chopped salad [They only sell salads, so don’t go there looking for chops]. 😉

In short, simple sentences, the bag offers “feel good” advice for living the good life.

There’s too much positivity on the bag to toss or use till it falls apart, so I decided to upcycle it into something that would last “just a little longer.”  With paper and glue, I transformed the bag into art for my inspiration wall.

This was simple to make–I used two pieces of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper, trimmed one to about 11 x 11 and then recycled the chipboard from a package of pocket pages. The bottom layer is a about 12.5 x 13.  After trimming the excess from the bag, I layered everything and applied three coats of Sparkle Mod Podge. I, then, added some embellishments from my stash. All done! [Eventually, I’ll get it framed].

Just in case you have difficulty seeing all the words, it reads:

Smile.You are unique. Discover and pursue your passions. Support your community. Listen and be heard. Be the change you desire. Your time is now. Take a moment and just breathe. Enjoy simplicity. Learn and practice every day. Question the status quo. Climb higher. Leave a gentle footprint. Live free. Eat well. Make amazing friends. Challenge yourself. Live in the moment. Dance when everyone is watching. Be strong. Be loud. Be unafraid. Be relentless. Share your passions. Elevate your tastes. Keep it real. Keep it fresh.

As you can see from the first picture, I have another bag ready to go. I plan to take a completely different approach with that one. For now, I’m eyeing a Chipotle bag for my next “craftsterpiece.”

Have you created anything with a paper bag lately?