I was once brought a gift from a family friend that was staying with us. They were Dutch and from Canada so I don't know where the tradition originates, but the gift they brought was in a fabric gift bag. I thought the idea of a reusable gift wrapping was such a good idea, I stored it away until now. I had made my own version in the post below. I am sharing this post with the Christmas in July Make Along with Underground Crafter. More information about the Make Along and a giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

Materials:

• Flannel fabric
• thread
• scissors
• pins
• sewing machine
• cord (or ribbon)

Directions:

Choose your desired fabric and size. Flannel worked well for this project and reminded me of the bag I was given. You can choose a different material if you desire. I found plaid fabric worked well because it gave me lines to follow in the pattern of the fabric when sewing. This project can be made in a variety of sizes so no measurements are given with this pattern.

Consider cotton for spring, satin or silk for special jewelry or crystal gift. I am sure you will have a variety of ideas when you go fabric shopping.

Lay your fabric out flat and fold towards the middle a 1/4"seam along the line from A to B on all four corners.

Sewing from Diagram 1

Fold each end of the fabric so A and B are together and pin.

Now sew a chamber for the drawstring. Sew from C to E and from D to F on each end.

Here one line is sewn and the other is in progress.
The distance between the two sewn lines just needs to be large enough for your cord to fit.

Here the chamber is sewn, look closely for the black thread. There are two lines.

Fold the fabric in half so that EF and EF are together and CD and CD are together.
Pin the sides.

*Note, the raw edges from EF and CD are on the outside of the fabric. This is the inside of the bag.
Sew a 1/4" seam from G to H on each side.

Turn the bag inside out. At this point, the bag is finished except for threading the cord through its chamber.

Take the end of your cord (or ribbon) and clip it with a safety pin. This will make it easier to thread it through the fabric.

This pattern allows for a finished ruffled edge at the top of the bag.

Sample of PDF

The directions are available as a PDF for you to print and keep. You can access the document here. [PDF directions]

The best thing about these gift bags is that they are reusable. Once you have made a few, you will no longer need to buy gift wrapping. My daughter thought it would be fun to wrap a gift for a friend in a sewn gift bag and tell them that they need to pass the bag along the next time they gift a present. You could include a list of names and/or locations to see how far the bag travels.

Here the bag is finished and folded waiting for its first gift to be given.
I have a bit more fabric and I intend to make a few more bags in different sizes.

Come join the fun! 29 bloggers have teamed up to bring you a month full of free patterns to kick start the handmade holiday season -- including crochet, knitting, and sewing projects. There’s something new to make every day in July. Each week will have a theme. I am participating in week 4 so there are a number of projects already posted for you to see.

Week 1 (July 1-7): Babies, Kids, and Teens                    
Week 2 (July 8-14): Women                
Week 3 (July 15-21): Men                     
Week 4 (July 22-28): Home                    
Week 5 (July 29-31): Pets

We’ve also partnered with some of our favorite companies to get some great prizes for you -- including yarn, pattern books, and more! Find out more information about participating designers, the schedule, and how to enter to win the prizes on Underground Crafter. The deadline for entering the giveaway is Sunday, August 4, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

How To Join the 2019 Christmas in July Make Along

• You can join in by crocheting, knitting, or sewing the projects as you have time.

• Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #CIJMakeAlong2019 on all social media.

• If you’d like to chat with other crocheters, join the Underground Crafters Facebook group

• By the end of the Make Along, you’ll have up to 31 awesome projects. Get ready for the handmade holiday season while having fun with us!

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Visit Underground Crafter to learn more about the prizes, enter the giveaway, and to get links to each Christmas in July Make Along post as it is released.