Homemade Fabric Gift Bags with Ties

Save yourself some wrapping paper by making your very own fabric gift bags. They are so very easy and really fun to make and they're reusable to boot! You can make them for any occasion as well. I made mine out of Christmas fabric because I just bought some really cheap at a yard sale (Bonus!!).

This bag will have a built-in ribbon tie sewn into the side seam. No searching for something to tie your bag with!

Begin your bag by cutting your fabric to the size you want. I didn't measure one thing in this project because I like to live dangerously like that, but this one is about 10 x 7 inches. You can also cut one large panel (in this case, 20 x 7 inches) and fold it in half with the right-sides together. The fold will be the bottom of your finished bag. Either method is fine.

I cut the top of my bag with pinking shears (the kind that give it a zig-zag edge) for decorative effect. This will prevent the bag from unravelling as well.

To add the tie, cut a piece of ribbon about 15 inches in length making sure to cut the ends at an angle so the ribbon won't unravel. Fold the ribbon in half and lay it across the printed side of one panel of your bag about 1/4 of the way from the top.

Lay the other panel of fabric on top of that piece matching up the edges as best as you can. You can pin the edges together, but you already know I'm dangerous, so I just pinned where the folded end of the ribbon is.

Sew in a straight line down the edge with the ribbon fold in it first, removing pins just before they go under the presser foot. This is how the folded end of the ribbon should look after being sewn in:

If you are sewing two panels and you come to the corner, sink the needle into the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn the fabric so you'll be sewing along the bottom edge. Repeat that step at the next turn. For the folded method, just sew a straight line down each side of the bag. Make sure you move the loose ends of the ribbon tie out of the last edge before you sew down that side.

When you are finished, I find it nice to trim the corners to remove a bit of the bulk before you turn the bag right-side out. If you folded your fabric, you won't need to do this.

Now, just turn your bag right-side out, fill and tie! Remember that you can make your bags any size. I am making several in different sizes for Christmas and birthdays. The possibilities are endless!