Reusable Gift Bags

It is Waste Reduction Week here in Canada where all the schools and the workplace are encouraged to reduce the number of items that are thrown in the garbage.

I thought this project would be fitting for this week.

This post will give you instructions on how to make reusable gift bags. Depending on the fabric you choose for the outside of the bag will dictate what celebration for which you would use the bags. If you leave the fabric neutral then they can be used for all gift giving events.

Let's start sewing - shall we?

I will show you how I made my reusable gift bag but this project can be adapted with whatever supplies you have on hand or for whatever your preference may be. At the end of the post I have shared the reasons why I made the bag this way and you can choose to include it in your bag or skip this step.

Supplies you will need are:

• Fleece - 1 yard
• Cotton fabric - 1 yard
• Small piece of clear vinyl - 4.25 inches by 2.25 inches
• Ribbon or binding
• Rope, string or more ribbon
• Cord lock or plastic toggle spring stop
• Your sewing supplies - thread, scissors, sewing machine, etc.

Instructions:

I take a yard of fabric and try to make as many bags from the one yard that I can. I start with the biggest bag that I want and with the leftovers I make a medium sized bag and then a small bag. From one yard I will usually get 3 to 4 bags.

For this bag, (finished size 12 3/8 inches wide by 26 3/8 tall)

• Cut the cotton fabric to 26 inches wide by 28.25 inches tall. 
• Cut the fleece fabric to 26 inches wide by 26 inches tall.

No matter what size bag you are making, you want the cotton fabric to be 2.25 inches taller than the fleece fabric. You don't want the bulk of the fleece in your drawstring casing.

I used to attach name tags to the drawstring but this year I created these name tag inserts. We will see how they work.

To do the inserts:

• Fold the cotton fabric wrong sides together so that it measures 13 by 28.25 inches.
• Measure 5 inches from the bottom (depending on the size of your bag, you may want to measure less if it's a smaller bag) and draw a line.
• Measure 4 inches from the left side and draw a line.
• This will be the area that you will sew on the vinyl.
• Open up the fabric (you only want to sew the vinyl pocket to one side of the bag), place the vinyl in the marked area (above the 5 inch line and to the right of the 4 inch line).
• Fold the top part of the ribbon to make the edge neat and place the ribbon onto the vinyl - half on the vinyl edge and half on the fabric.
• Sew the inner portion of the ribbon until you get to about a quarter inch from the bottom.
• Leave the needle down, lift your pressure foot and rotate the fabric so that you are ready to sew the bottom of the vinyl.
• Flip the ribbon over so the back side is facing up. Place the ribbon along the bottom portion of the vinyl. Put your pressure foot down and sew the inner portion of the ribbon until you get to about a quarter inch from the side.
• Leave the needle down, lift your pressure foot and rotate the fabric so that you are ready to sew the side of the vinyl pocket.
• Flip the ribbon over so the good side is facing up. Place the ribbon along the side portion of the vinyl pocket. Put your pressure foot down and sew the inner portion of the ribbon to about a half inch from the edge.
• Leave the needle down, lift your pressure foot and cut the excess ribbon away. Leave the ribbon a quarter inch longer than the pocket so that you can tuck it under to create a finished edge.
• Tuck the ribbon under, put your pressure foot down and continue sewing the inner edge to the end.
• Finish off the name tag pocket by sewing the ribbon's outer edges.

• Place the fleece wrong side up on your work surface.
• Place the cotton fabric right side up on top of the fleece, matching the side and bottom edges.
• Ensure that the opening of name card pocket is facing towards the top of the bag.
• Fold both fleece and cotton together as one unit in half so that it is 13 inches wide.
• Starting at the fleece at the top of the bag sew the side seam with a 5/8 seam allowance (do not include in the side seam the cotton extending past fleece at the top). 
• Sew the bottom of the bag with a 5/8 seam allowance.
• With pinking shears trim the seam allowance by half - about 1/4 inch.

• Turn the side edge of the cotton at the top towards the wrong side a 1/4 inch and press.
• Turn the top edge of the cotton towards the wrong side a 1/4 inch and press.

• Turn down the top edge so that the turned in 1/4 inch edge is laying on the fleece and pin, then press.

You are not supposed to pin in the direction that you sew but it was the best way to make sure that my 1/4 turned under fabric stayed on the fleece.

• Top stitch along the edge of the cotton fabric sewing through the cotton and the fleece. 
• Turn the bag inside out.
• Pass the rope, string or ribbon through the casing.
• With the bag wide open cut the rope to an acceptable length both ends extending about 3 inches past the bag.
• Feed the rope through the cord lock or toggle spring stop.
• With the cord lock or spring stop positioned about 2 inches away from the bag, make a knot in the rope ends. 
• Cut off any excess rope if needed. 
• To prevent the rope from unraveling, you can melt the ends with heat or fire. You may want to test this on a scrap piece first. Nylon rope will melt and seal the ends.

Reasons

I have made reusable bags in the past and the instructions above are based on the evolution of this bag. 

1. I put the fleece layer for two reasons - to protect the present and also to give the bag structure so that it's harder to guess what is inside the bag.
2. I started putting the name cards because I found tying the name tags onto the rope cumbersome and for the young ones it was making it hard for them to open the bag - the tags got in the way.
3. I use the cord locks or the spring stops because sometimes tying the bag close with a knot was almost impossible to open. We don't have anyone in our family that will sneak and look in their gifts, therefore the toggles just makes it easier to wrap and unwrap the gift. 

Re-purposing items

The great thing is, you may not have to buy these spring stops or cord locks. Before I throw out a knapsack or a hoodie ripped with holes, I remove the hardware and save them for projects like this. The string for the bag could be reused shoe laces from old runners. Take a look at your items before throwing them out and see what parts could have a second life.

I am always looking for ways to minimize waste, especially if they are easy ways to make a change. Let me know what you do in your home to reduce waste.