DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

Let me start this post by asking you two questions: 

One: have you ever noticed how, the morning after Christmas, the trash bins are overflowing with discarded wrapping paper, gift bags, etc?

Two: do you have fabric scraps at home? The kind of scraps that are too big to throw away but too small for regular sized projects and just end up taking space, though you don't have the heart to get rid of them?

If your answer is yes to at least one of these questions, then you've come to the right place. Today I'm going to show you how you can easily use all those fabric scraps to create cute gift bags, which will not only reduce the waste of paper on birthdays and holidays but can also be reused by the recipients for a variety of other purposes. 

I may never buy another roll of wrapping paper as long as I have fabric scraps at home!

And they are so easy to make, there's really no excuse not to use them!

The story of this post started late last Friday when I discovered that I was out of paper to wrap the gift for a party my daughter was supposed to attend on Saturday afternoon. By then the kids were asleep (hence the poor quality of some of the pictures, since they were taken at night - I seriously need to do something about the lighting in my craft room...) and, on top of that, we also had other plans for Saturday morning, so even a quick trip to the store was out of the question. 

The solution? Make a fabric gift bag. It really involved minimum planning and it took me longer to choose the fabric than to actually sew the bag.

 

When I saw it had turned out so cute and was so easy, I knew I had hit jackpot. This is the ideal project for Christmas. It will save time and money and will help me get rid of fabric scraps. Totally win-win! 

To make one of these gift bags all you need is a piece of fabric large enough for the gift to fit in once you sew the bag, and some matching ribbon (two pieces or one long piece folded in half). I didn't take exact measures (I was on a deadline) but the photos below should give you and idea of proportions (note that the fabric is folded in half).

 

Join the fabric right sides together, pinning the folded ribbon in between. 

 

Before sewing, use pinking shears to cut a bit off what will be the top of the bag. This will avoid fraying and will also give the bag a cute finishing. 

Sew around the sides (if you're folding the fabric) or the sides and the bottom (if you're using two separate pieces of fabric). 

Turn inside out and it's ready to be used!

Add a cute tag, place the gift inside and tie the ribbon with a knot or a bow. 

 

After making the bag above (and deliver it to its new owner), I then decided to make a whole batch of bags. I will not be caught without a way to wrap a gift again. 

You can make these bags any size you want. Instead of ribbon you may also want to add a cord...

...or an elastic. 

Not enough fabric for a bag? No problem, just mix and match fabrics, like this...

...or this:

Christmas is still a couple of months away, but I always start my shopping early, so I will definitely start piling up on these gift bags!

Have a wonderful week,