DIY Drawstring Gift Bags
I now only use reusable gift wrap for giving because I hate the waste of disposable wrapping paper. And in any case, aren't gifts wrapped like this so much prettier?!
These festive gift bags look beautiful under the Christmas tree and make a gift worth even more!
There are different ways to sew this type of bag than what I'm showing here. If you want more styles and details, check out my full sewing tutorial for reusable gift bags and produce bags here.
(These pictures show the steps on sheet fabric that I used for sewing produce bags, but the process is the same.)
Cut a rectangle of fabric about 14 x 26″. Fold it in half so that the short ends are matched up and the right sides are out. Pin and sew each side with a 1 cm seam allowance, then trim it down.
Flip the sack wrong side out, flatten the sides you just trimmed, and sew down again with a 1 cm seam allowance. The raw edges are now enclosed.
Turn the rack right side out again and sew a buttonhole ( click here to find out how to sew a buttonhole) 4 cm down from the raw open edge.
Fold the top edge down inwards by 1 cm, press flat, then fold it down again by 2 cm and press and pin in place. Then sew all the way around with a seam allowance of a little less than 2 cm.
Use a safety pin to insert a piece of satin ribbon. Singe the ends of the ribbon if you want to keep it from fraying.
If you want a little pretty ruffle at the top, just consider the extra fabric folded over at the top when cutting the original rectangle, and calculate where to sew the buttonhole before sewing the casing lower down.
Happy gifting!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Do you ask for the wrapping back to read-use or hope that the recipient doesn’t throw it away and uses it again?