Everyone knows eliminating single-use items is better for the environment and paper gift wrap is no exception. There’s no shortage of online advice on how to wrap gifts in fabric instead of paper. One option is to wrap gifts in flat, squares of fabric knotting the corners in the style of Japanese furoshiki. Another option is to use gift bags made of fabric. It seems to me, most people would find fabric gift bags more convenient and easier to use so I decided to focus on this option.
Ideally, a fabric gift bag would be fast and easy to make. The simplest design I could find was a basic, rectangular bag with a drawstring closing. To dress up the bag, I chose a festive fabric in a deep blue, snowflake pattern. It turns out, the drawstring gift bag was indeed easy to make and it looks quite nice. But, to my eye, it’s a little lackluster—it’s no match for those gorgeous paper-wrapped presents traditionally pictured under the Christmas tree!
So, I went back to the internet rabbit hole in search of a gift bag that’s made of fabric, easy to make AND beautiful. I searched for hours and came up short. In the end, I decided to design my own—a six-sided, elliptical-shaped bag topped with fabric petals—which I made in a simple, red and white floral print. I’m quite pleased with the results!
I’ve included step-by-step instructions for both fabric gift bags in today’s blog post. First up, is the basic drawstring bag which I’ve dubbed a Fast Fabric Gift Bag. Second is the Fancy Fabric Gift Bag with my one-of-a-kind design.
How To Make a Fast Fabric Gift Bag
Supplies Needed
The following supplies are needed to make ONE drawstring bag measuring 12” x 8 ½”.
. Fabric: ONE fat quarter of cotton fabric. This fabric is typically 42-45” wide so a fat quarter measures 21-22½” wide x 18” long.
. Thread: In a color matching the fabric.
. Cord: TWO 32” pieces.
Tools and Equipment Needed
. Ruler or Measuring Tape
. Scissors
. Straight Pins
. Sewing Machine
. Iron
. Large Safety Pin or Bodkin
Step 1 Cut Fabric Cut TWO rectangles 13½” x 9” from the fabric.
Step 2 Finish Top Edges Select one of the 9-inch edges as the top for each rectangle. Select an overcast stitch on the sewing machine. Sew across the top edge and down each side for about 3”. Repeat on second rectangle.
Fold back 1” along the top edge and press. Repeat on second rectangle.
TIP: Use a straight strip of light cardboard, such as a manila file folder, with a line drawn 1” from the edge. My template is 11½” long by 1¼” wide and has lines at ¼”, ½”, ¾” and 1” from the top edge. Simply fold the top edge of the fabric over the template and down to the 1” line. Press fabric directly over the template.
With top edge folded over, stitch close to the overcast edge to form a casing for the drawstring. Repeat on second rectangle.
Step 3 Sew Side Seams Lay one rectangle on work surface with right side facing up. Lay second rectangle on top, with right side facing down, aligning all edges. Pin. Stitch along both sides and bottom.
Turn right side out. Smooth the seam and push out the corners. Press.
Step 4 Insert Drawstring Use TWO pieces of cord about 32” long. Attach the large safety pin (or bodkin) to one end of one piece of cord. Insert the safety pin into the opening on the left side of the bag, gently pull all the way around the casing and pull out the same opening. Tie the ends of the cord together with a small knot. Repeat on the right side with the other piece of cord.
Step 5 Complete Your Fast Fabric Gift Bag is ready to use. Simply pull the two cords in opposite directions to tighten the drawstring.
How to Make a Fancy Fabric Gift Bag
Supplies Needed
The following supplies are needed to make ONE fancy drawstring bag measuring about 8½” high (to top of casing) x 9” wide x 5” deep.
. Template: Download Fancy Fabric Gift Bag – Complimentary Download to print the template.
. Paper: A few sheets of white paper for printing template.
. Fabric: Approximately TWO ½ yards of cotton fabric—ONE for main body and ONE for lining.
. Thin Cardboard: SIX 7¼” x 3½” pieces of thin cardboard such as manila file folders or cereal boxes.
. Foam Core Board: 9” x 5”
. Thread: In a color(s) matching the fabric.
. Fabric Glue
. Ribbon – 5/8” wide TWO pieces 54” long
. Adhesive Tape: Short pieces to temporarily reinforce ends of ribbon.
. Decorative Beads (Optional): Beads, with holes big enough to accommodate ribbon, to decorate ends of ribbon. I used inexpensive, small plastic beads—2 round beads and 1 disc-shaped bead—on each ribbon end.
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Computer and Printer: To print templates.
. Scissors: For paper and for fabric.
. Ruler
. Straight Pins
. Clips (Optional)
. Fabric Pen: I recommend the Pilot FriXion marker because markings can be removed with the heat of an iron.
. Sewing Machine
. Iron
. Large Safety Pin or Bodkin
Step 1 Prepare Templates Download the Fancy Fabric Gift Bag – Complimentary Download and print the templates. Take care to ensure the scale is accurate on your printed version. See specifics in the download document.
Step 2 Cut Fabric Use the Petal Section template to cut SIX petals from the decorative outside fabric and SIX petals from the lining fabric. Use the Ellipse template to cut ONE ellipse from the decorative fabric and ONE ellipse from the lining fabric. Cut TWO strips of fabric measuring 1½” x 13” from the lining fabric for the casing.
Step 3 Cut Supports Use the Petal Support template to cut SIX petal supports from thin cardboard. Use the Ellipse template to cut ONE ellipse from foam core board.
Step 4 Sew Outside Petals Together Prepare to sew the fabric petals into a long, flat row. Lay one of the decorative fabric petals on the work surface with right side up. Position a second one, with right side facing down, on top and align the edges. Clip or pin along one long side. Use the template and the fabric pen to mark the stop point (shown as x on the template). Select the setting to stitch and overcast woven fabric on the sewing machine. Stitch from the bottom edge up to the top edge taking care to stop precisely at the stop point and lock in the final stitch. Repeat with two more pairs of petals.
Lay one of the pairs of stitched petals on the work surface with right sides up. Position a second pair, with right side facing down, on top and align the edges. Sew the side seam in the same way as before. Repeat with the final pair of petals. This will result in a row of six petals stitched together. Press seams.
Step 5 Sew Lining Petals Together Follow the process described in Step 4 to sew the six lining fabric petals together.
Step 6 Attach Lining Lay the decorative fabric petals on the work surface with right side facing up. Position the lining fabric petals on top, with right side facing down, and align the edges and seams. Clip or pin together along the top edges of the petals aka the peaks and valleys of the petals. Use template, aligned with the bottom edges, and fabric pen to re-mark the stop points (shown as x on the template).
Select straight stitch on sewing machine. The photos show an overcast straight stitch but, in hindsight, I recommend using a straight stitch instead. It’s easier to sew the tips of the peaks and the dips of the valleys accurately with a straight stitch. The trick is to sew from the tip of the peak down to the stop point in the valley. Stop precisely at the stop point, lock in the final stitch and cut off. Then repeat for all the peak-to-valley sections.
Turn the assembled piece right side out. Take care to open the seams, push out the peaks and smooth open the valleys. If the peaks or valleys pucker and don’t turn smoothly, it may be necessary to go back and adjust the stitching. Press. The assembled piece should look like this.
Step 7 Attach Casing Overcast all four edges of the two casing strips. Fold back and press under ¼” along all edges. Stitch casing edges in place with a straight stitch.
Lay the assembled piece, with lining facing up, flat on work surface. Use template, fabric pen and ruler to mark stitching lines across the petal sections.
Prepare sewing machine with matching thread—lining fabric will be on top and decorative fabric will be on bottom. There will be two openings left in the casing—one opening will be between the third and fourth stitched petals and the other opening will be at the side seam which remains unstitched at this time.
Place the casings on top of the assembled piece, aligning the long edges with the markings. Pin. Stitch close to edge from center to about 3” from the unfinished side edge. Leaving the end of the casing free at this point will make it easier to sew the side seam later. Attach the second casing in the same way.
Step 8 Attach Lining at Vertical Seams Lay assembled piece on work surface with decorative fabric facing up. Carefully position each petal so the seam in the decorative fabric lines up with the matching seam in the lining. Pin. Prepare sewing machine with matching thread— decorative fabric will be on top and lining fabric will be on bottom.
Stitch with the decorative fabric facing up. Start sewing at the top just below the casing. Take care to sew along the same path as the previously sewn seam.
Step 9 Sew Final Side Seam Prepare to sew the assembled piece into a tube. Fold under and press ¼” along the side edges of the lining fabric. With right sides together, align the two side edges of the decorative fabric only. Take care to pull the lining fabric and casings out of the way. Pin. Use template, aligned with the bottom edges, and fabric pen to re-mark the stop points, if needed. Stitch side seam from stop point down to bottom edge. As noted above, accuracy is important—stop precisely at the stop point, lock in the final stitch and cut off.
Press seam open. Prepare to sew lining fabric in place. Carefully align the previously pressed edges of the lining side edges with the side seam in the decorative fabric. Pin. Prepare sewing machine with matching thread—lining fabric will be on top and decorative fabric will be on bottom. Take care to pull other fabric and casings out of the way. Stitch as close as possible to the folded edge of the lining fabric. Repeat with second lining edge.
Step 10 Finish Casing Prepare to stitch the loose ends of the casings into place. Pull end of casing over the closed side seam and mark ¼” beyond the side seam. Cut at marking. Repeat on other casing. Fold under ⅜” and press. Pin casing into place. Sew final section of casings into place leaving the short, folded ends unsewn.
Step 11 Insert Supports Prepare to insert the thin cardboard petal supports. Slide a support into each petal. They should lay flat and fit snuggly. Trim the support, if needed. Push the petal supports as far to the top as possible to clear space for the next step.
Step 12 Attach Bottom Prepare to attach the elliptical piece to the bottom by marking center points. Use the template and the fabric pen to mark the four center points on the decorative fabric ellipse. Fold assembled piece at side seams to lay flat. Take care to ensure the ends of the casings are positioned at the folds. Mark the side seams at the bottom edge. Use a ruler to find and mark the center of the front and the back.
At this point, there should be 4 markings along the bottom edge of the assembled piece (2 at the side seams, 1 at center front and 1 at center back). These markings will align with the 4 markings on the fabric ellipse. The long, thin ends of the ellipse will be positioned at the side seams to align with the ends of the casings.
Turn assembled piece inside out so the lining is on the outside. Position on work surface with bottom edges standing up. Insert fabric ellipse on top of the opening with the right side facing down. Align a pair of markings at one side seam—aligning the side seam of the assembled piece with one of the long, thin ends of the fabric ellipse. Ensure the right sides of the fabrics are facing each other and the outside raw edges are even. Pin in place. Align and pin the remaining 3 center point markings. Work around the entire opening, aligning edges and pinning fabric into place.
Prepare to sew the bottom seam with a straight stitch. Working slowly around the entire opening, carefully feed fabric into the sewing machine while keeping the edges aligned and wrinkle-free. Check for any puckers along the stitched seam. Adjust, if necessary. Select an overcast setting on the sewing machine. Overcast edges to finish the seam.
Turn the assembled piece right side out taking care to gently bend, not fold or crease, the petal supports. Smooth and push out seam with fingers. Slide the petal supports as far down to the bottom edge as possible.
Insert the foam core board ellipse into the bottom of the assembled piece to test fit. Trim support, if needed. Use fabric glue to attach the lining fabric ellipse to the top of the foam core board ellipse. Allow to dry. Trim fabric edges, if needed. Slip finished bottom support into place. The bottom support can be removed later so the gift bag can be stored flat.
Step 13 Insert Ribbon Ties Prepare to insert ribbon ties into the casings. Use TWO pieces of ribbon about 54” long. Attach the large safety pin (or bodkin) to one end of one piece of ribbon. Insert the safety pin into the opening on the left side of the bag, gently pull all the way around the casing and pull out the same opening. Repeat on the right side with the other piece of ribbon. If decorating the ends of the ribbons with beads, wrap a small piece of adhesive tape around the end of the ribbon and roll tightly. This makes it easier to insert the end of the ribbon into the beads. Tie a small knot at the end of each ribbon.
Step 14 Complete Your Fancy Fabric Gift Bag is ready to use. Simply pull the two sets of ribbons in opposite directions to tighten and close.
Tie ribbon into a pretty double bow.
More Info
You can download the project template here: Fancy Fabric Gift Bag – Complimentary Download.
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Today’s Takeaways
1. Eliminating single-use items is better for the environment and paper gift wrap is no exception.
2. Fabric gift bags are convenient and easy to use.
3. Consider making your own fabric gift bags.
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