This is a real cheat of a post as I made these bags a whole year ago for Little Scraplet’s last birthday. But I wasn’t blogging then, and I’m ill and out of action now, so needs must.

Little Scraplet’s party was to take a group of friends to a brilliant production of Hansel & Gretel by the wonderfully quirky and inventive Kneehigh Theatre Co at the Bristol Old Vic. I really enjoyed putting the party bags together: homemade gingerbread men, cookie cutters, silicone spatulas and  wooden spoons, gingerbread-themed magnets, and old-fashioned foil-wrapped party cakes. Call me old-fashioned, but I can’t bring myself to buy the instant-junk plastic variety of party-bag gifts. My heart hasn’t shrunken quite so much as to deny balloons, however.

Gingerbread party bags

Last but not least, cellophane bags (satisfyingly shiny, but eco-friendly), finished off with pretty name labels whose edges were scalloped with my trusty pinking machine.

Why not real, functional party-bag gifts?

I’ll post about that pinking machine separately as it really deserves your undivided attention.

This clever production of Hansel & Gretel is currently on at London’s South Bank Centre, running until 2nd January 2011. Do catch it if you can as you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour. I can’t remember enjoying a theatrical production so much, whether for adults or children. It really was spellbinding. And a final seasonal temptation: I notice that there are also gingerbread house-making workshops at the South Bank on 20th and 21st December (see the above link for details). Sound like a lot of fun.

Hansel & Gretel at Bristol Old Vic, December 2009