The holiday season may have passed, but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you plan to celebrate with your special someone, or you’re having a ladies’ night, or spending time with your family, Celestial Gifts can make a thoughtful valentine. We love the idea of making DIY Valentine’s Day treat bags! Treat bags are easy to make in bulk for you to give to your loved ones. You can make cookies from scratch, or fill your bags with traditional heart shaped candies. The fun really comes with decorating your bag! Here are some of our favorite ideas for how to decorate a Valentine’s Day treat bag for your loved ones.

1. You can stitch a pattern on your bags with a simple needle and thread. This one might be a little difficult to get the hang of, but you will end up with a unique look. Thread for cross stitch and other similar projects would work well for this one. You can stitch hearts, xo’s, or other Valentine’s inspired patterns. If you want to take this one up a notch, use patches (more make your own) and sew those onto your bags.
2. Try a gradient dye job. Gradients are a popular way to incorporate multiple colors, especially from the same color family, onto our muslin bags. The white from the muslin works perfectly for a white to red ombre. This is a stylish decorating idea that’s on-trend, and could be reused more easily than something that is more overtly Valentine’s Day related. To do it at home, buy some red dye. Start by dipping the bag far up, but not all the way to the top. Then, the next time you dip the bag, don’t dip it in as far. Layering up the dye will create a beautiful gradient effect.
3. Break out some acrylic paint to decorate your bags. This one is super easy to do with company, and is especially fun with kids. You’ll end up with a wide variety of painted prints and patterns on your bags if decorates one or two Celestial Gifts.
4. Opt for a stamped bag. If you want to save some time, but still want to incorporate a Valentine’s Day theme on your bags, this is a great option. We can work with you to develop the design you want, and stamp the bags for you, or you can order a design we’ve already come up with. You’ll still end up with a unique, charming valentine, but you’ll have a little more time on your hands to focus on what’s going inside.

Valentine’s treat bags are fun to decorate and fun to fill! For more inspiration or ideas of little gifts you can put in your treat bags, head to our Pinterest. Do you have any other ideas for ways to decorate a DIY Valentine’s Celestial Gift bag?

New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

The end of the year is right around the corner! Just when the Christmas parties start winding down, it’s time to plan for New Year’s Eve. There’s a lot to consider when it comes to party planning, from snacks to drinks to activities. Ring in the New Year with some of our favorite party ideas that use Celestial Gifts.

1. Pass out bags of confetti at the beginning of the evening. When your guests arrive, place muslin bags of confetti at the entry way. You can write a simple sign encouraging guests to pick up a bag and scatter the confetti at the end of the countdown. There may be glitter on the floor after the party to clean up, but this is a great way to get everyone excited and involved in the midnight countdown.
2. Make DIY headache kits as party favors. Let’s face it – your guests may want to let loose with some bubbly at your New Year’s party. Making DIY headache kits is a clever, but still thoughtful party favor for your guests. Pack some ibuprofen and crackers in a muslin bag and wrap it around a water bottle or a single serving sports drink to help them recover on New Year’s Day. Your guests will be sure to thank you in the morning!
3. Make a bag for people to fill with their favorite memories of 2018. You can create cards for people to fill out with their most memorable moments of 2018. Collect them in a muslin bag, and you can either read them aloud as a group, or let people pull out cards to read throughout the evening. We love this idea because you’ll be able to entertain your guests and create mementos from 2018 at the same time.

New Year’s parties are always a great end to the holiday season. If you plan on hosting a gathering this year, be sure to try out some of our New Year’s Eve party ideas. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, head to our Pinterest dedicated to New Year’s Eve. From all of us at Celestial Gifts, we hope you have a wonderful remainder of the holiday season.

Holiday gift shopping is fun, but can sometimes be overwhelming. Gifts can quickly become expensive, and it can be hard to think of unique gifts for everyone. If you’re feeling burnt out from holiday gift giving, it’s all too easy to forget about stocking stuffers. We aren’t just talking about small presents that can literally fit in a stocking. Nowadays, stocking stuffers typically refer to smaller gifts for your loved ones, or even little presents for casual acquaintances or coworkers. Here are our top tips for great last minute stocking stuffer ideas.

1. Go for a DIY project. We recently wrote a blog post all about DIY gifts you can make in big batches. These ideas are perfect if you’re feeling crafty and want to knock out stocking stuffers for several people at one time. DIY projects work really well as stocking stuffers because they are thoughtful, but can still be low cost and easy, especially if you make a large batch.

2. It’s all about the wrapping. Sometimes, even the simplest gift can be more personal and thoughtful if it’s uniquely wrapped. Celestial Gifts make for a great gift wrap. The possibilities are endless for how you can personalize a muslin bag for each recipient. When you use Celestial gifts as present packaging, your gift is sure to stand out from traditionally wrapped boxes and bags. As a bonus, this is a great way to use up any extra Celestial Gifts bags from holiday crafts.

3. Buy several items in bulk and bundle them together. You can save a lot of money by purchasing a variety of items in bulk and creating holiday gift bundles. A DIY spa kit could easily be less than 15 dollars, packed with a nice lip balm, body scrub and lotion. You could also make a gift bundle of office supplies, mini cocktail or mocktail kits, or anything else your loved ones would enjoy. Place everything together in a decorated bag for cute wrapping your friends will love!

We hope these suggestions for easy last minute stocking stuffer ideas are helpful. These are just a few ideas we came up with – to see more, head over to our Pinterest. What kind of goodies are you gifting as stocking stuffers?

Christmas will be here in a little over a month! This is one of our favorite times of the year because we love seeing how our customers use Celestial Gifts. Our bags are perfect for crafts this time of the year, especially DIY Christmas gifts. One of our favorite ideas is to use Celestial Gifts as a wrapping paper alternative. When you give your presents in a muslin bag, the recipient could keep the bag and reuse it.

We wrote a post last year that was all about how to transform your muslin bags into holiday gift wrap. This year, we wanted to give you some ideas of what to put inside your decorated bag. These DIY Christmas gifts can all be made in large batches so you can split up the finished product. You can take the gift bags in to work as a little surprise for each of your coworkers, or you can gift a Celestial Gift goodie bag as an add-on to a larger gift.

1. Make an extra big batch of cookies and split it up. Chocolate chip cookies or decorated sugar cookies are both holiday classics. If you’re looking to branch out, try your hand at making chocolate snowflake cookies, or oatmeal butterscotch.
2. Create your own custom tea blend. When you make your own tea, the possibilities are endless. It can be affordable and easy to buy herbs in bulk either online or at a local store. You create a spicy orange blend, or a refreshing peppermint mix. Once you’ve perfected your recipe, fill your Celestial Gifts bags with the tea blend.
3. Mix up a batch of homemade soap. The craze for natural bath and body products is still going strong. Once your soap is finished setting, you can cut the soap into individual bars and place each chunk into a Celestial Gifts bag. To check out a few of our favorite holiday soap recipes, head over to our

We hope you’ll try some of these ideas out. Using Celestial Gifts instead of wrapping paper is a fun, eco-friendly choice. We even have some bag options that are already stamped and holiday themed. If you try any of these ideas, leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Looking for more holiday related content? Check out our post about how to make your own advent calendar with muslin bags. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list for more holiday craft inspiration!

Many of our Celestial Gifts customers are proud Etsy shop owners. Our muslin bags are a wonderful packaging option, and we like to keep an eye on what’s trending on Etsy so you can wow your customers. We know this is a big time of the year as many customers start their Etsy holiday shopping. Today, we’re summarizing some of the top trends Etsy discussed in a recent blog post and how to incorporate the trends by using Celestial Gifts.

1. This is the perfect time to utilize bold typography. Many shoppers turn to Etsy for personal, unique gifts. Your packaging is the first thing your customers will see, and you want to impress them with that first glance. It’s important to showcase your brand, and a great way to do that is by using a bold typeface that aligns with your overall product style. Don’t be afraid to write or stamp Happy Holidays in a trendy font as long as it makes sense with your product.
2. Reusable wrapping paper is on the rise. While our bags aren’t wrapping paper, they are certainly reusable. Many Etsy shoppers are concerned about the environment. Not only do these customers prioritize quality in a product, they also want those products to be ethically sourced. This can apply even to product packaging and wrapping. Instead of boxing your product and wrapping it, you can place your goods in a Celestial Gift before sealing it for shipment.
3. Vintage is trending again. Etsy’s trend writer, Dayna, describes this trend as “nostalgic Christmas.” Essentially, this trend is all about Christmas items that remind the receiver of simpler times. Anything that has a 50s or 60s holiday twist is sure to please – and believe it or not, the cheesier the better! Go for a not-so-subtle print of Santa Claus or a Christmas tree on your Celestial Gifts to fit with this trend. If you don’t have time to handstamp, we offer some pre-printed bags that capitalize on this trend.

These are some of the top trends to keep an eye on when it comes to product packaging. The trend writer also reported that statement jewelry and natural beauty products will likely be popular gift ideas for Etsy holiday shopping. Both of those product categories would work well with Celestial Gift packaging. Do you see any ideas that catch your eye?

Create a one-of-a-kind DIY advent calendar using muslin bags to count the days before Christmas.

Advent calendars are a great way to create excitement for the Christmas season and are also a fun DIY craft project. Celestial Gifts bags lend themselves nicely to creative Advent calendars because they are the perfect size for stashing small treats or toys, they hang nicely, and they’re easy to decorate.

To make a DIY Advent calendar with Celestial Gifts bags, first, decide how you plan to hang your bags. The most common format we see is to have all the bags strung in order on the mantel or on a wall. However, you can get creative and hang your bags on a board, a ladder, a branch, or another decorative backdrop.

Next, decide how you want to decorate your bags. You can use these bags over and over each year, so don’t be afraid to go all out when it comes with decorating them. Often crafters will stencil the numbers 1-25 onto the bags, or even sew decorative elements onto them. We’ve also seen great printables on Pinterest you can use to print out artistic numbers and clip them to each bag with a clothespin. This makes for a charming look.

Now comes the best part. Fill each bag with one or more treats, stickers, small toys or a love note. Get creative! This is where you have the opportunity to surprise and delight your loved ones.

When it’s time to use the calendar, you can turn the number around each day (or remove it) and enjoy the treat in the bag!

If you want to look at examples or get inspiration and ideas, head to our Pinterest board.

The holiday season will soon be upon us: a time marked by festivities, entertaining and celebrations with family and friends. This is also a season of giving thanks and finding ways to show you care for others. As you’re making your holiday plans this year, don’t overlook the opportunity to give hostess gifts to those who host you for holiday meals or other celebrations. Hostess gifts don’t need to be elaborate or expensive to show that you care. At Celestial Gifts, we are all about putting thoughtful ideas into small, reusable packaging that delights just as much as the gift itself. Here are a few hostess gift ideas you can turn to during this holiday season:

Bath Salts in a Celestial Gift Bag:

Bath salts are a thoughtful idea for a hostess, who may be looking for an opportunity to relax and recharge after all the preparation and planning that goes into hosting a party or a Thanksgiving meal. This DIY beaty product is easy to make and fills out a Celestial Gift bag nicely for a single use size.

• Mix together 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 T baking soda, and three drops of an essential oil such as Jasmine essential oil.
• Optional—add one to two drops of food coloring to give the bath salts a slight tint.
• Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
• Transfer to a Celestial Gifts bag, and tie off with a decorative ribbon or twine. This is so easy to put together and is sure to delight.

Stovetop Potpourri:

Stovetop potpourri is a great hostess gift that is easy to put together and easy to enjoy. The ingredients in this bag will transform any home with the scent of a crisp fall day.

• Add to your bag 1 apple, 1 orange, 2-3 cinnamon sticks, 1 T cloves, 2 whole nutmegs cut in half, and a vanilla bean.
• Include instructions with your gift to slice the apple and orange into thin slices, and then simmer all the ingredients on the stove in enough water to cover them.

All Purpose Goodie Bag: 

If you’re not feeling crafty, we suggest another hostess gift using a Celestial Gifts bag that is sure to delight. Just fill your bag with chocolates or candies, tie with a decorative ribbon, and you’ll have a gift you can be confident your host will enjoy!

Be sure to keep up with our blog for more holiday posts coming soon. Missed our Halloween blog? Get caught up on our top spooky crafts using Celestial Gifts!

Now that fall has arrived, we wanted to share some of our favorite fall recipes that use spice sachets. Nothing is cozier than a warm bowl of soup, or a mug of hot cider. With Celestial Gift muslin bags, it’s easy to add more flavor to your food with minimal clean-up, especially with simmered dishes perfect for autumn. Just remember that for these recipes, you’ll want to use our bags without colored strings for food safety purposes.

1. Use fresh or dried herbs in a sachet for flavorful, savory soups and stews. Bay leaves, rosemary, thyme… No matter what kind of spice you’re looking to add to your pots this season, Celestial Gifts make it easy to infuse potent flavor to your food. Try a mix of peppercorn and rosemary bunches in beef stew, or go dried bay leaves and sage bunches for a classic chicken noodle.
2. Take hot apple cider to the next level with a sweet blend. Nutmeg seeds and cinnamon sticks steep beautifully in apple juice for a traditional cider. If you’re looking to experiment with some more exotic flavors, try adding some cardamom pods or clove buds.
3. Our bags work wonderfully for mulled wine. Many people love to make mulled wine in fall and winter. You can make your own blend of mulling spices with dried fruits, like oranges and apples, and spices, like cinnamon and ginger. By putting all of the spices in a bag, you can ensure a consistent texture and easy cleanup. Please note that this process will likely color your bag if you use red wine.

If you’re interested in seeing some of our favorite fall recipes, head over to our Pinterest board. Whatever recipe you want to work with, simply bundle bulkier herbs and spices in a Celestial Gift muslin bag before simmering in the pot. That way the flavor will infuse with your food or drink as it cooks and you can easily remove the bundle when it’s serving time. Remember to be creative in the kitchen. If the recipe doesn’t call for a certain spice or herb you think would be delicious, add them to your muslin bag.

Halloween is approaching quickly, and so is the rest of the holiday season. Have you started planning yet? We have a few creative ideas for Halloween crafts that trick-or-treaters and party guests will love. These crafts are all easy and are a great way to use our 100% US grown cotton muslin bags.

1. Friendly ghost lollipops. This is a classic Halloween hack. Typically, people will use coffee filters or tissues and wrap them around the top of a lollipop. Once you’ve wrapped up the lollipop, you can draw a face on the tissue with classic ghost features. We recommend using a Celestial Gift bag for a similar effect. The bags are reusable, so anyone who unwraps your ghost lollipops will have a muslin bag they can keep. You can hand these out on Halloween night, or fill a bowl with them for a Halloween party.
2. Takeaway treat bags. This idea is perfect for trick-or-treaters and would also work well as a party favor. Decorate the outside of a muslin bag with Jack-o-Lantern faces, skeletons, bats, or other Halloween staples. You can fill your newly decorated takeaway bag with candy or homemade treats. Don’t feel like decorating all the bags? Look into our custom stamping options, or purchase ones like this.
3. Recycle Celestial Gift bags into mummy wrapping. If it’s time to get new Celestial Gift bags, don’t throw away your old ones! Cut them up into long strips to make “mummy wrapping.” You can wind the strips of cloth around mason jars and draw some eyes on them to make mummy mason jars. What other uses can you think of for these mummy wrappings?

These are just a few of our favorite ways to incorporate Celestial gift bags into your Halloween setup. If you try any of these Halloween crafts, let us know in the comments. For more Halloween and other seasonal inspiration, follow us on Pinterest! We pin a variety of décor and DIY ideas.