Creating local encrypted data bags

create_data_bag.rb

require 'rubygems'
require 'chef/encrypted_data_bag_item'

secret = Chef::EncryptedDataBagItem.load_secret('data_bag_key')
data = {"id" => "mysql", "root" => "some secret password"}
encrypted_data = Chef::EncryptedDataBagItem.encrypt_data_bag_item(data, secret)

FileUtils.mkpath('data_bags/passwords')
File.open('data_bags/passwords/mysql.json', 'w') do |f|
  f.print encrypted_data.to_json
end

Very nice. Here is a generic script for taking a databag file and encrypting it https://gist.github.com/kcd83/6227767

knife can now do this using the "from file" argument and the --local-mode (-z) flag. see https://docs.chef.io/knife_data_bag.html#from-file

Adding to @burnettk -- this is the specific command

$ knife data bag from file my_data_bag /path/to/data_bag_item.json -z --secret-file /path/to/encrypted_data_bag_secret