I love giving people Secret Message Bags. Not only is it a cute way to wrap a gift, it’s a great activity for you and the recipient! Kids love this craft, but I’ve also given it to adults, and they get a kick out of scratching away to find their secret message too! Make sure to wrap your gift with a popsicle stick, so that your recipient has something with which they can scratch. You can even decorate your popsicle stick or use it as a “To:” and “From:” tag for your gift. The trick to this project is coloring really hard with your crayons. You want a nice thick coat of crayon with no paper bag showing through. If you leave any gaps in your coloring, the paint will stick to the bag and the bag will rip when the person tries to scratch the paint away. A nice thick coat of crayon lets the paint rest on top without seeping through and sticking to your bag. These bags are perfect for any occasion, but this project is great fun for a rainy afternoon as well. Create secret messages on a piece of paper just for fun. Enjoy!

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time to complete: 25 minutes
Age range: 6+

Things you’ll need:
Crayons
Black acrylic paint
Paint brush
Gift bag
Popsicle stick

Things to do:
1. Draw your design with crayon, making sure you press hard with your crayons and do not leave any gaps where paint could seep through to your bag.
2. Brush away any lumps of crayon left on the surface of your drawing.
3. Cover your design with a medium-thick coat of black paint.
4. Once the paint is dry, you can wrap a gift and give your gift bag to someone and have them scratch away the paint to reveal their secret message!