How to make washable fabric gift bags

Who's tired of re-using old crumpled paper gift bags for gifting?

We sure are!

This wonderful Peppermint Please holiday bag panel inspired us to make some washable and reusable fabric bags, and then to keep going!

Here are our directions for a simple and quick side-tie fabric gift bag:

(these photos are showing a smaller bag being made)

1. Cut two pieces of fabric 14" x 18 1/2". This is the size of the Peppermint Please bag panel rectangles. If you're not using the bag panel, you can choose any bag size you'd like. Cut two pieces of ribbon at 27" long each.

2. On the top edge of each piece, fold over 1/4", wrong sides together, and press using a steam iron.

3. Fold that same side over again, wrong sides together, ironing another fold 2" down. 

4. At the sewing machine, sew a straight stitch about 1/8" from the lower folded edge, backstitching at each side.

5. Using your ribbon width as a guide, sew another straight stitch between 1/2" and 1" away from the top folded edge, backstitching at each side.

6. Use a safety pin to thread your ribbon through one of the lower channels made by your two stitching lines.

7. Place your two bag pieces right sides together, with the ribbons lined up. Choose which side you'd like the ribbon ties to tie on. Slide both ribbons so that the bulk of the ribbon is on the side where you'd like the ties to be, and about 1-2" of ribbon is sticking out of the other side.

8. Sew around the sides and bottom of the bag using a 1/4" stitch with backstitching. Sew OVER the short ends of the ribbon, and do not sew over the channel where the long ends of ribbon are coming out. Backstitch above and below this opening.

9. Turn the bag right sides out and fish the ribbon ends out through the unsewn part of the side of the bag to the outside of the bag. Hand press the raw edges of the bag fabric at the ribbon channel opening back inside the ribbon channel.

10. Press the bag to finish, and fill with gifts!

Enjoy!