Aloha, Sunshine!

I love traveling with my sister Gina. She always comes prepared for the flight with snacks and travel size goodies packed in her carry-on. I, on the other hand, forget just about every essential item and am always borrowing everything from her. I thought it would be fun to make a little travel pack gift for a friend or honeymooning-couple with the hula Sophie, being released this week at Hanna Stamps! This little gift set began with a package of tropical trail mix from my favorite store...ahem... Dollar Tree.

I decided to do a matchbook-type trail mix goodie bag with a larger bag of trail mix. The concept is the same as the small matchbook treat bags, only on a large scale. I started with 12 x 12 paper, which wasn't large enough, length-wise. So I sewed on an extension to the end of the 12 x 6 paper sheet, to make it longer.

I eyeballed it so that the paper fit around the bag of trail mix. Since every bag is a different size, you'll have to do some measuring on your own to achieve this same effect.

I stapled the trail mix inside of the packaging as so. Because the paper was flimsy, I added a piece of cardboard to the reverse side of this pouch, and then covered it with the red Kaleidoscope patterned paper, to cover up the cardboard.

The goodie bag opens up from the front, like an upside down match-book. The stapled part of the bag is at the top. I also found these fun little Hawaiian punch to-go sugar free drink mixes at Dollar Tree. Since you can't take liquids through security, you have to buy bottled water from the gift shop or get it on the plane. So once you're on your way, mix up a little Hawaiian punch and get the party started!

Sophie has a real-life 3-d grass skirt on! Well, miniature, of course. I took white crepe paper, covered it in mistletoe colored glimmer mist, and then glued a little skirt onto her body. I took a scissors and cut slits in it for the grass. I drew the little sun border by hand. I'm sure you couldn't tell...my drawing skills are...well.... limited. The Hawaiian-looking flowers are on sale from Eclectic Paperie, and are called Prima Pop-ups, Flower 1.

I had these beach patterned tissues in my papercrafting stash...I had gotten them on clearance at Michael's ages ago. They fit perfectly with the theme and colors here! I just cut a piece of cardstock for a belly-band, and attached Sophie to the front.

Wouldn't this be cute for a girls trip, to give to each of your friends? (Trail mix $1.00, Tissues $1.00, Hawaiian Punch, $1.00 for 9 packets) Or how about a couple going on their honeymoon? Although I don't advocate giving someone gifts who is already going on vacation. Unless they're taking you with them, of course. (Insert jealous face here).