Most Christmas gift bags come in small, medium and large. In our mixed set, small bags are about 5 to 6 inches tall and hold pocket toys. Medium bags are about 9 inches tall and hold one boxed toy. Large bags are about 13 inches tall and hold games and bulky gifts. Count your gifts by size before you buy, and one sheet of tissue per bag is plenty.
The sizes below come from our glow in the dark Christmas gift bags: 11 bags in assorted sizes, with 11 tissue sheets and 10 gift tags.
Christmas Gift Bag Sizes in Inches
Most gift bags fall into small, medium and large. The exact inches vary by brand, so read the label, not the word "medium." Here are the three sizes in our set, measured height by width by depth:
| Size | Inches (H x W x D) | Bags in the set |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 5-5/8 x 4-3/8 x 2-1/2 | 4 |
| Medium | 8-7/8 x 7 x 3-7/8 | 3 |
| Large | 12-7/8 x 10-3/8 x 5-3/8 | 4 |
Depth is the number that's easy to miss. A bag can be tall enough and still too thin for a toy in a chunky box. Measure the gift's thickest side and compare it to the depth first.
What Fits in Each Gift Bag Size?
A size chart only helps if you can picture what goes in it. Here's how real toys line up with the three bags. The toy sizes come from each product page and describe the toy, so if it comes in a box, measure the box.
Small Christmas gift bags: pocket toys
The small bag is 5-5/8 inches tall and 2-1/2 inches deep. One egg squishy ball is 2.5 inches, a snug fit in that depth, but it squishes. Foam finger rockets are about 5 inches long. Stand a few upright and they fit under the top, with the tissue poking out above. This is the bag for small extras: a cousin's gift, or one toy split off a multi-pack.
Medium gift bags: one toy, standing up
The medium bag is 8-7/8 inches tall, 7 wide and 3-7/8 deep. The swirl light up spinning wand is 7.5 inches long, which leaves about 1-3/8 inches of height. Our set has only 3 medium bags, the fewest of the three sizes, so they run out first. Assign them before the others.
Large Christmas gift bags: games and the "big" gift
The large bag is 12-7/8 inches tall, 10-3/8 wide and 5-3/8 deep, which suits boxed games up to about 10 inches wide. Our fishing game for kids measures 10 x 11 x 1.8 inches, so it slides in with the 11-inch side standing up. That leaves less than half an inch of width, a close fit. Large bags also work for bundles: two or three small toys for one child.
Check each toy's age before it goes to a toddler. Egg squishies and finger rockets are small, and rockets fly, so they're gifts for kids old enough to aim away from faces.
How Many Christmas Gift Bags Do You Need?
Count gifts, not people. One child can get three gifts in three different sizes. Make a list with three columns: small, medium, large. Put each gift in one column. Then add one spare bag per column for the gift you forgot.
A set of 11 bags in assorted sizes covers a family doing small gifts for siblings, cousins and a teacher or two. If you're wrapping for a whole class, use one size for every child so no bag looks bigger than the next. A mixed set is built for a family, not for 25 identical gifts.
Plan the tags too. Our set has 10 gift tags for 11 bags. Give the untagged bag to the gift that's clearly for everyone, like a family game.
How to Use Gift Bags and Tissue Paper
One sheet of tissue covers one bag. Each sheet in our set is 26 x 20 inches. How you use it depends on the bag:
- Large bags: skip wrapping the gift. Use the full sheet on top.
- Medium bags: tear the sheet in half. One half goes around the gift, the other half on top.
- Small bags: tear the sheet into quarters. One quarter goes around the gift, one on top, and the other two are spares.
- Wrap the gift loosely if the bag size calls for it. This hides the shape and stops it from rattling.
- Put the gift in the bag, heaviest side down. Set boxes in on a flat side, not corner first.
- Pinch the top piece in the middle, pull it up into a point and push the pinched end into the bag, so the corners fan out above the top.
- Put the tag on the bag itself, not the tissue. Tissue gets pulled out first, and a tag on it goes with it.
Do Glow-in-the-Dark Gift Bags Really Glow?
Yes, if you charge them first. Glow paint works by phosphorescence: it soaks up light, then gives it back slowly in the dark. Put the bags under a bright light for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the lights off, and the Santa, snowman, reindeer and Christmas tree designs glow.
The glow slowly fades once the lights are off, so charge the bags just before the kids see them. It works best after dark: on Christmas Eve, or at an evening family party. Charge the bags under a lamp, set them under the tree, turn off the room lights and the tree lights, and call the kids. Leave the hall and stair lights on. Nobody needs a race down dark stairs.
Are Christmas Gift Bags Reusable?
Yes. Any gift bag that comes out of Christmas morning in one piece can join next year's reusable Christmas gift bags, and it's an easy way to cut holiday paper waste. The EPA's holiday tips suggest wrapping gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper and saving your used wrapping. A gift bag makes that easy. Empty the tissue, fold the bag flat along its side creases, and store the bags inside one large bag with any leftover tissue. Before you use glow bags again, give them another 10 to 15 minutes under a light.
Leftover small bags do double duty as party favor bags. If you're filling them for a birthday, here are some kids party favors that don't end up in the trash. For small toys to put in them, start with our squishy toys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you wrap gifts in a gift bag?
No, you don't need wrapping paper inside a gift bag. Tissue on top hides the gift, and a loose layer around smaller gifts stops them from sliding.
How do you store Christmas gift bags?
Take out the tissue, fold each bag flat along its creases, and keep them together inside the largest bag. Store them somewhere dry and flat so they don't crease through the design.
How many gift bags should I keep?
Keep one bag for every gift you expect to give next year, sorted by size, plus a spare in each size. Bags that are torn or creased through the design can go.
Is the tissue paper big enough for the large bags?
Yes. Each of the 11 sheets is 26 x 20 inches, large enough for every bag in the set, including the large size.
Count your gifts by size, then pick up a set of Christmas gift bags that covers all three.