Gift Bag Secrets Revealed!
Instructions for the confused, bewildered, and flummoxed. You know who you are…
1.Select two coordinating fabrics, one for the bag and one for the lining. The floral is my bag fabric and the floral stripe is my lining fabric.
2.Cut two rectangles from the bag fabric and two rectangles from the lining fabric. These should all be the same size. The size of each rectangle will be ½ inch longer and ½ inch wider than the finished bag. (Note: If you square off the bottom of the bag, as in steps 6, 7, and 8, the bag will seem narrower than your measurements. Make adjustments accordingly.) You can vary the size to fit the gift you want to bag. I am working with a rectangle about 14 inches high and 12 inches wide.
3.Right sides together, stitch the two bag fabric rectangles together along the sides and the bottom. You can stitch in a squared off U shape. A ¼ inch seam is sufficient for quilting weight cottons.
4.Place the bag lining fabric rectangles right sides together. Stitch one side and the bottom. On the second side, you will leave part of the seam open for turning. Stitch up from the bottom a few inches and backstitch. Leave an opening of 2-3 inches. Then backstitch again and stitch up to the top edge.
5.Press seams open.
6.With the bag and the lining still inside out, fold the bag so that one side seam is up against the bottom seam and you have a point where the seams meet.
7.Stitch across the point to form the flat bottom of the bag. The size of the flat bottom will be determined by how far from the point you stitch. See your local paper grocery bag for more information. Do this for both corners on the bag and both corners on the lining, keeping the distance from the point the same on each corner.
8.Trim the points off, leaving a ¼ inch seam.
9.Turn the bag right side out, but leave the lining inside out.
10.Put the right side out bag into the inside out lining, having tops together and matching side seams. Pin. Stitch the tops together all the way around with a ¼ inch seam.
11.This is the confusing, bewildering, and flummoxing part: Reach in through the turning hole in the side seam of the lining and pull the bag through.
12.This is the secret part: Slipstitch the opening closed. (Look for it on your bag.) Or hire aliens to do it. Or if you are making 24 very small bags for baby shower favors, pin the seam closed, raw edges inside, and topstitch the opening closed just on the lining side of the seam allowance. This will be visible on the inside.
13.Push the lining back into the bag and press the top edge.
14.Add a tie by stitching a ribbon through all layers along one seamline. For a reversible bag, put a tie on the inside, too.
15.Fill with fabric, chocolate or a combination of both and celebrate!
Aha!!! Clever you are, Marty! I’m eager to try making a few gift bags myself. They look quick, easy, and fun. What a great way to make a dent in my stash, especially the box labeled “Novelty Fabrics.” I can see myself browsing through it, finding something cool, digging out another fabric that works well with it, and voila!(as Andrew would say) Or even better, what a great excuse to buy cool fabric. (-:
If one produces such a bag for one’s nephew’s birthday present, and then discovers that one either (a) does not have any ribbon or (b) any ribbon one owns is well stashed in a Very Safe Place that will take a long time to find, an unused ponytail holder makes an excellent non-attached ribbon stand-in.