Guest Post by the Super Amazing One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Mel
Inspired by Mavis’s annual goals, I learned to sew in 2017. In 2018, one of my goals was to build on that goal and sew reusable wrapping paper. I truly love wrapping presents, but it had gotten to the point where doing all the wrapping took a huge amount of time (like, days) and created a huge amount of mess, so I wanted an alternative that preserved the unwrapping element but was faster and a bit more ecofriendly.
So, I settled on sewing small, medium, and large fabric bags with built-in ties—and sewing enough of them that I wouldn’t sweat giving a few away for good each season. After all, it’s a time of good cheer, not grumbling annoyance, right?
Materials:
- Fabric in opaque holiday prints or seasonal colors (I got mine on clearance and eBay. The amount needed depends on how big you want to make your bags.)
- Thread (one edge will show)
- Pins or sewing clips
- Twill Tape or Ribbon, preshrunk and color safe (long enough to wrap around the narrow end of your bag and also tie in a bow)
- Sewing Machine
- Gift tags (I used wooden gift tags)
- Scissors
- Cutting Mat and Rotary Blade (not strictly needed, but handy)
Iron
Making the Bag:
These are my instructions and tips, but more experienced sewers should totally chime in in the comments if there are better ideas. Here’s what I do:
Preparing the Fabric to Sew:
1. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric.
2. I’m not positive on this, but I think the bag needs to be a rectangle with the shorter end being the open end. Otherwise you won’t have enough fabric to gather it over the gift. So, either cut two equal sized rectangles of fabric OR fold over one big piece to create a rectangle. When determining size, the rectangle needs to be big enough to cover your gift, include ¼ inch seam allowance (or more) on three sides, and clearance on the open end of the bag for hemming and gathering). Place fabric with right sides facing.
3. With the twill tape folded in half, fit the fold into the edge of the bag, but put it a few inches down from the top of the bag to leave room to hem the top of the bag. The rest of the twill should be inside the fabric sandwich (see picture with step 4).
4. Pin or clip the sides of the bag that will be seams, but make sure the twill is only pinned in the one spot you want to sew it. You can run it up and out the top of the bag to help keep it out of the way. If you used two pieces of fabric, you’re pinning three sides here (two sides and a bottom). If you folded fabric, you’re only pinning two sides (one side and a bottom OR two sides depending on the fold).
Sewing:
1. Straight stitch the sides (removing the pins or clips as you go) using a ¼ inch seam allowance. Then go back and zigzag stitch so the fabric won’t fray. The color thread doesn’t matter on this step. You won’t see it.
2. Hem the top edge (fold it down, then down again and press with the iron) and then topstitch to hold in place. Again, make sure the twill is out of your way as you sew—tuck it down in the bag. You will see the thread on this step, so pick a coordinating color.
3. Turn the bag right side out and slide a wooden tag on the twill. Gather the twill around the top edge of the bag and tie a bow to close.
4. Laugh at your husband when he asks if you’re also going to finish the tree skirt this year as well. I mean really, don’t they understand about roll-over goals?
Tips and Variations:
- If your kids are tempted to peek, you can ziptie the bags before tying them with the twill. Just cut the zipties on Christmas Eve on your way up to bed.
- For younger kids, you can skip the bow and just tie the twill once loosely to make sure they can get it open without being frustrated.
- Assign everyone in the family their own fabric—consider not telling them which is theirs until Christmas morning.
- Use up scraps by making patchwork bags.
- Make one or two GIANT bags for that year when someone gets a bike. Or a picnic table. Ask me how I know.
- Use your stockings to make templates to sew stocking liner bags. Never wrap stocking gifts again—just tie the top of the liner.
- Buy birthday fabric and make a set of birthday bags, Easter fabric for Easter bags, etc.
- Put breakable gifts in bubble wrap and generic boxes first, then slide the boxes in the fabric bags.
- Use ribbon instead of twill, or make drawstring bags. You could also do snaps, Velcro, zippers, or buttons.
- Sew across the corners to make gusseted bags (I haven’t found this to be worth it).
- If you forget what is in a gift or need to open it for some reason, you can pop it open quickly and rewrap in an instant.
- These should be machine washable, depending on ribbon and fabric care instructions.
- You really don’t have to sew super well for these. Seams don’t have to be exactly straight. Call it rustic or charming and move on.
Deborah says
Love these! Great idea. Now to get some fabric and make some of these. Wrapping gifts makes my back hurt horribly. With these, easy peasy! Thank you, Mel and Mavis for this post.
Mel says
You’re welcome! I hope it saves your back and also some time!
Barb says
Love the bags. Especially love the written instructions on the pictures–SO helpful for me–it makes everything make sense! I didn’t even know sewing clips existed, but now I have to get some.
Mavis Butterfield says
Either did I! I think they’d work way better than pins for me.
Mel says
I’m so glad the instructions look useful! And yes, sewing clips have been a great help. They last much longer than pins, and I think they stay put better. They also don’t have sharp edges.
Ingrid says
I completely agree! The written instructions on the pictures are incredibly helpful!
linda collins says
I love these bags and I love this post! I think even I could make them (with my very limited sewing skills!)!
Mel says
I’m glad you liked it! And yes, go for it! Once you get the hang of it, they are pretty easy to turn out. I’ve made about 50 since Thanksgiving.
Emily E says
Perfect! I’m definitely going to make some of these during the winter months for next year! And I was thinking that you could make a larger bag the size of a pillow case so it could be a gift in itself! (minus the ties of course) Thank you for this!
Mel says
Great idea! A pillowcase would be perfect for gifting pajamas, especially. And you are right–just skip sewing the tie and tie it separately at the end or use ribbon. If you happen to be gifting something that has a tie (like a bathrobe) that could also be a nice way to tie a pillowcase bag.
Lauralli says
I love this! I might make some with handles that can be reused as shopping bags….encouraging the recipient to bring their own bags to the store with them! Bringing my own bags was one of my goals this year and I have been quite successful with it….until this week! I keep leaving my bags in the car…..guess I have too much on my mind right now!
Mel says
Another great idea! This might be a situation to go for a gusseted bag so it has that squared bottom of the other reusable bags you see. You might also want to experiment with sturdier fabric, but it really depends on what they’ll be carrying and how often.
Mama Cook says
Beautifully written! Beautiful bags! I love the pictures with instructions as well! So inspired! Thanks Mel!!!
Mel says
You’re so welcome!
Carrie C says
These are great! I just saw another post by a blogger who buys those cheap fleece blankets from Walmart for $5 and “wraps” large gifts in those.
Mel says
Thanks! And that’s a great idea!
Amy says
Love the bags! Great job on the tutorial. The other option for the inside seam would be to create a French seam; with this you would skip the zig-zag stitch and the edge would be hidden. You would first sew your fabric edge scant 1/4″ with wrong sides facing, then turn them wrong side out and sew along the same seam to hide the fabric edgeswith a generous 1/4″. The downside to this method is the drawstring, which could be added to the outside of the bag when finished or hidden inside the rolled hem.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve sewn many bags, but never thought to make gift bags for Christmas.
Mel says
Thanks! And yes, that’s a superb idea! I was wary of anything to do with drawstrings due to the number of bags I planned to make (I didn’t want to thread them on 50-some bags), but that’s a great explanation of the seams and alternative so sewing the ribbon into the side seam.
Chris says
Love this!!! Such a great inspiration! I loved the directions also, especially #4!
Mel says
Thanks! And I assure you #4 was based on real-life events. 🙂
Kristina says
Love it! This is going on my project list, too. We received some wrapped items through Amazon last year, and as I was reusing the bags this year thought how nice it would be to have enough to wrap ALL the presents. Thanks for the instructions.
Mel says
You’re welcome! And yes, I know that feeling—even though I had to sew all the bags this year, wrapping has been so much faster and easier that it has already been well worth the effort. Next year will be even easier!
Carrie says
I have been making these for the last few years. Every year I make a few more depending on what sizes we need. Last year I also made mini bags for our atocking stuff.
I pledged to not buy any wrapping paper or tissue 11 years ago due to all the waste. We collect tissue and gift bags that are given to us and use my cloth bags.
I like to line my bags to make them a bit more substancial and I give my larger bags square bottoms. Here is a tutorial https://www.lazygirldesigns.com/tutorial-box-the-bottom-corners-of-a-bag/. This also helps not having to make the bags so big.
I keep a bag if ribbons and the boys have dun finding one to use on each bag. Last year we got wooden gift tags to make them reusable as well.
Mel says
Eleven years is so impressive! And that link is a wonderful resource to square the corners (aka make gusseted bags). I used a different technique on the ones I tried it with, but that one looks a little easier.
ann in E. oregon says
Those are beautiful, Mel!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Mel says
Thanks! You’re very welcome!
G says
I love these! I have received a gift or two in homemade, reusable bags and I love them! Will be fun to look for clearance fabric in a week or two. I have found more reusable bags at the Dollar Store and Walmart this year, and have been buying (small) packs of three. So trying to use LESS throwaway stuff when wrapping any gift!
Mel says
So glad you like them! And good luck fabric shopping!
Rita says
Love this and your instructions are so clear and seem easy enough for even a non-sewer like me! Thanks. Love the idea about the zip ties for those who might peek! Merry Christmas!
Mel says
I’m so happy you liked it and were able to follow! Merry Christmas!
LaToya says
Wow. I pride myself on my gift-wrapping skills, but this is a whole new level Nice!
Mel says
You’re so kind! My gift wrap game deteriorates significantly after the 5th present or so, so that might be why I was so motivated to make these instead. Even the most oddly shaped items look okay in them.
Vy says
What a great idea, thank you for sharing! I am really determined to stop mass consumption of one-use items, and this fits wonderfully. And I think even my sketchy sewing skills could manage these. I hope you submit more projects 🙂
Mel says
I’m sure you can do it! I’ve never written a tutorial before, so that was a first, but I’ve found sewing to be a handy way to cut waste. I sewed reusable Swiffer dusters and sweepers this spring, and I sewed a friend a purse with an insulated middle compartment to hold her reusable Nalgene water bottle as a Christmas gift last year. Good luck!
Mama Cook says
Wait! Purse with insulated pocket for water bottle? I want that tutorial!!!!!!! Maybe you should start a blog! Or Mavis could do a Featuring Mel Series!
Mel says
First, I do not have it in me to blog! This one post taught me how hard Mavis works! And she also had to do a lot of photo editing to make this tutorial possible since my house is very dark.
Second, I only made one water bottle bag, so I have photos, but I don’t know if I could do a tutorial at this point. There are some similar totes on Pinterest, but they are round and typically just hold the bottle, which was not helpful to me. So, I designed a square bag. The bottle goes in the middle in an open but insulated (using insul-brite) compartment (accessible, and it balances the weight), and there is a pocket on each of the four sides. I made custom pockets for the items my friend carries (wallet, sunglasses case, phone, etc.). I made a long, padded adjustable strap that clips to d-rings on the top of two opposite sides and a short carry handle that clips to d-rings on the top of the other two opposite sides. A lip balm holder attaches to the longer strap, and you can clip keys to any of the d-rings
Gloria Hohenadel says
Great idea! I will be on the lookout for clearance fabric after the holidays. I like the wooden gift tag idea, with chalkboard paint they would be reusable too!
Mel says
The chalkboard paint is a wonderful idea! I might go for the chalk pens instead of true chalk so it won’t rub off before Christmas (you know, if your gifts experience the same level of abuse under the tree that ours do), but it would look amazing, and I think the pens still wipe clean. Our wooden tags will still mostly be reusable within our family since we’ll keep reusing them with each other. I may need to restock for gifts that leave our home though.
Jenny Smith says
What a great idea! I will have to do this!!! Saves on waste for sure! Great job!
Mel says
Thanks! So far, I’ve mostly experienced the time savings, but I do look forward to not having to recycle all that paper on Christmas morning. It was so hard finding truly recyclable paper and carting it off to our recycle plant.
Karen says
I love cloth bags! I’m on my sixth year of using only Christmas cloth gift bags. I love Christmas, love finding the exact right gift, and absolutely hate wrapping-to the point where I procrastinate, then get super irritable. Reusable cloth bags have made my holidays so much happier. I have about thirty in different sizes. I am not crafty at all and was able to manage sewing mine with minimal sewing skills. Mine are just tied with ribbon, however they look very festive. I can “wrap” in record time and the family folds them into a neat little pile for next year!
Mel says
Six years is amazing! I didn’t necessarily hate wrapping when I started each year, but I usually hated it by the time I finished just due to the sheer amount. You’re right about the record time of fabric wrapping though–it’s incredible!
carol says
I have been making gift bags this year too. I challenged myself to only use fabric from my stash or thrift store purchases. I scored a red satin ball gown for a $1, this allowed me to make some gorgeous bags without having to buy any new fabric.
Mel says
That’s astounding! The satin sounds so pretty. I bet it’d be a lovely way to use up kids’ outgrown Christmas outfits as well.
Rebekah U says
I love this post! As soon as I use up my paper stash, I’m going to do this. I am so tired of the waste!! Thanks Mavis and Mel!
Mel says
Yes, I still have a sizable paper stash, and I’m wondering what to do with it. I didn’t want to use it up since it was wearing me out, so I might donate it or pass it off to a friend who can’t make use of reusable wrap (her family dynamic is such that she’d have to sew new bags each year).
Robin S says
I have used colorful shoelaces for ties on gift bags, and I generally sew the center of the tie to the center of one
side of the bag, a couple of inches down from the top (on the outside). Easier than drawstrings, and there’s no way to lose the tie. Flat bags are great for flatter things, but sometimes boxing the corners helps on a bulkier gift — think about a quart jar and how it fits in a bag. I have a box of bags that we pull out over and over, plus I make a few new ones each year. And one of the best gifts I sent my college kid this year was a new pillowcase in a fabric she loves, filled with nice warm socks.
Mel says
I love the shoelace idea! I’m tempted to buy some of the curly kind to try.
Torry says
Mel, I want to comment on the need for large bags for bikes, etc. Our children knew that Santa only brought one toy per child and it was the unwrapped gift. Since Santa’s gift was usually the big gift, it being unwrapped made sense.
(My neighbor told her children that every gift was from Santa, even those her parents bought for them. I was a little horrified that her children never knew that they should thank their grandparents for at least some of the gifts. Anyway, in our house, we never had to worry about wrapping the big gifts.)
And I have gift bags that I made over 20 years ago. You can see the changes in colors and designs over the years. I kind of wish I had put the year that I made them at the bottom of each one!
Mel says
Oh, I wish you could hear how I laughed at this. The idea for large bags was actually inspired by by my husband’s gifts! I usually get him things like wheel barrows or other items that are large and difficult to wrap. I totally agree though that not everything needs to be wrapped. And the idea for marking the years is neat–I might just take a quick picture of all the bags I make each season.
You had quite the list of sewing projects going this year, didn’t you? I thought I saw that in a comment on a different post. I hope they are going well!
martine says
I read this with interest as I had prepared a gift hamper for the female members of my family this year. I had initially planned to wrap each gift in the hamper individualy but when it came time to do it (last night) it overwhelmed me and I couldn’t face it so remembering about the fabric bags, and knowing I’ve had a stash of festive fabric for about a million years, I dug out the sewing machine and half an hour later I had 4 drawstring bags made. My hampers look lovely and I wasn’t all Christmas’d out when I popped them in the bags!! Thank you. You saved my sanity. x
Mel says
That’s so lovely to hear! I’m so glad I could help, and I bet they look amazing! By gifting the bags, you may have saved the gift recipients’ sanity on one future night as well—they’ll have a little extra easy gift wrap on hand.
Carol says
I love the idea of putting the year the gift bags were made on each one. This way they will hopefully be passed around & the receiver will remember a little about the year they were made.
Kris says
Mel – Thank you for this. I have been very down with no “Christmas in July” for 2020. This is something I can do that will give me the same feeling.
Mel says
I’m so glad it helps! It’s definitely a good way to have a bit of Christmas cheer throughout the year.
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
I bought fabric (WAY TOO MUCH FABRIC, it turns out) for this project a year or 2 ago, probably when you posted it! I FINALLY got around to making about 5 on-demand bags this year, and they are SO FUN! I’m not sure how many more I’ll make during this year, but I’ll definitely make more on-demand next year!! [I also bought myself a cutting mat and rotary cutter with some holiday gift money 🙂 ]
I’m also thinking of making some chalkboard-painted wooden gift tags to go with them!
Thanks for being an inspiration.