DIY reusable gift bags tutorial |Keeping it Real

Monday, October 12, 2015

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. 

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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).

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial
 
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!

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial
 
DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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. 

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

...or an elastic. 

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial
...or this:

DIY reusable gift bags tutorial

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,

keeping it real, craft blog





http://www.stonecottageadventures.com/2015/10/party-time-tuesdays-with-twist.html



26 comments:

  1. This is such a neat idea!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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  2. Hello! Found this on the Chicken Chick today. Smart idea considering I tend to throw gifts into bags anyway...grocery sacks, that is. :)

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    Replies
    1. You need to try these gift bags then! Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. You have made the pretties gift bags!
    Thanks for sharing the tutorial with us at Cooking and Crafting with J&J.
    We love having you.
    Julie xo

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  4. Yes and Yes!!! Great idea!!! Thank you for sharing this post! I'll make sew some Christmas bags this year!!!

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  5. These are lovely - I wish I could sew! #toddlerapprovedtuesday

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    1. You need to try them, they are so easy! Bottom line, I think you can even use fabric glue instead of sewing and get a similar effect!

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  6. PRETTY! I am definitely going to give this a try. <3 sewing. Pinning to save it for later!

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  7. I love this idea- I bought a some scrap material at garage sales this past year. This would be great to use them for. thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty

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  8. What a great idea! I've thought myself lots of times what a waste of wrapping paper after Christmas. Thanks for sharing with us at #OMHGWW, hope to see you there next week!

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  9. What a wonderful idea! I would like to feature this post tomorrow at Tuesdays with a Twist! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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    1. Thank you! I already left a comment on the link party!

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  10. I love this idea!! Now I know what I can do with all my leftover material. Thanks for linking up on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday. Hope to see you again! Pinned!

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    1. Thank you Elaine! Off to check this week's party!

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  11. Great idea! Thanks for sharing it over at Let's Get Real. I love the custom look of the bag. I'm going to show this to my cousin. She loves to sew projects from scraps and this will be perfect for her.

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  12. Thank you so much for sharing your about paper bags. It creates more awareness to use paper bags and also this post is very much helpful to create their own bags. If you need professional advice or a professional touch in your design you can try Printstop's paper gift bags.

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  13. I love this idea🥰😊🤩..... They are so pretty 😍

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