This weekend I prepped for my workshops and art fair coming up. I was playing around with my vintage sheet stash, serger, and my sewing machine’s new hemmer foot when I had a brainstorm. Reusable gift bags! I’m pretty sure you’ve heard me talk about furoshiki before as an eco-friendly gift wrap. (if not, take a peek here!) I love the idea of furoshiki (the Japanese word for traditional wrapping cloths) but sometimes have trouble making the wraps and knots look as put-together as I would like.
So I made the simplest little bags possible: cut rectangle, hem, fold, serge/seam! When you get to the side seam, pop a folded length of ribbon in there for a tie. It’s easier and faster than a drawcord. You can even skip the hemming step if you’re able to cut the rectangle along the existing hem of a sheet.
Cute! I’m making these as gift bags for my cupcake pincushions I’m selling next weekend. I also whipped up sets of 3 bags for sale: small, medium and large. If I have any left over after the show, I’ll be sure to offer them in my shop next week.
Love pincushions! These are so cute! The bags are lovely!
So sweet!
too cute!
These are so cute. I’m going to give them a try. Thank you for sharing
I love this idea and it’s super simple. I don’t have lovely vintage sheets, but I do have a huge stash of extra fabric swatches lying around…no specific project, don’t match much else…but super for little gift bags.
Brilliant! I just received a load of fabric samples of my designs and some of them will make great gift bags! Thanks for the quick & easy idea!
p.s. I listened to your interview on CraftSanity and really enjoyed it. I know absolutely nothing about felting, but tuned in anyway. I found your professional journey interesting & inspiring – you go, girl!
What a cute idea and those pincushions are too cute. For a fun twist, you should make some ACTUAL cupcakes and try to make them look as close to the pincushion variety as possible. Then eat it!
To make your own Cupcake Pincushions, see my book, Warm Fuzzies!
I made gift bags from fabric samples this past Christmas — I loved them, but I have a nagging feeling the folks I gave the gifts to probably threw them away anyway. I’ll do it again this year (got lots of samples left) but will this time attach a tag to the bags with ideas on how to reuse them (including give them back to me if they don’t want them).
Okay, that is totally genius to sew the ribbon into the side seams!! Tucking that idea away for future use.
Hi Debbie,
Oh that’s a sad thought, but I like your solution! I saw some “green” reusable fabric gift bags at Target and they were uuuu-gly! So special and affordable to make them yourself.
Betz
I would be so annoyed if my friends threw them away! I found some large reusable bags two Christmases ago and I love them. Light weight felt so they won’t last forever but really pretty.
These are addictive! I made two while waiting for my daughter to finish her bath. That’s my 10 minutes of sewing time each day…bath time! Thanks again for the idea.
I love them. What a great idea!
Ohh how I wish I was going to the retreat….I have both books ready to do some 4-H projects with my girls this summer!!!!!!
Have a safe airplane ride and enjoy your weekend…it will be wonderful.
Wow — I can’t believe I missed the giveaway for your book. I am really wanting it. I even went to the store to buy it last week & they were out. I guess I’ll just have to order it. Love these little bags!
Oh, this is a really good idea! I will try it next time.
Thanks for sharing!
Ulrike
I made this for my son’s classmates on Valentine’s. THey were filled with goodies. The kids loved them!
I love the pillow case florals… I can never quite find anything at the fabric store that comes close. The pillowcase makers corner the market on that stuff, lol.
Lovely idea and love the vintage sheets!
Jamie 🙂
Hermoso trabajo!!!!
i love the bags that you make to put them in. i have an old thrifted sheet that i don’t think i’d make into something that i’d actually wear, so i’m glad to see i can do something else w/ it that’s cute.
Cute, Betz! I’ve been making wine bottle bags for several years that sell at a local shop. Sewing the ribbon into the seam is great for the quick wrap at the wine cellar!
I love those cupcake pincushions. They are too adorable!!