I’d really like about a week off–so I can obsess and brood and just be a hermit. I want to watch chick flicks and read awesome YA lit. That’s all I want. Just a week with no demands, no calls, no…anything.
Sorry to be a drag. Just the truth.
How to Sew a Cloth Gift Bag
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Cloth gift bags are easy to make and last longer than paper gift bags.
The recipient will not only be flattered by the effort you put into it, but they’ll also have a bag they can reuse, either for gift-giving or for storage or carrying.
With a sewing machine that can sew straight seams and make buttonholes, and your choice of fabric, you can start making these thoughtful bags whenever you want.
Steps
- Decide what size bag you want to make. You can do this two ways.
- The easy way is to wrap the cloth around the object you want to wrap and mark its dimensions on the back of the fabric you want to use.
- A more complex way is to measure your object’s dimensions (length, width, height) and add an inch or two in each direction for seam allowances. Bear in mind that these instructions are for two dimensional, rectangular bags, and that you will have to allow for all three dimensions of your gift to fit.In this example, the width of the rectangle equals the circumference of the object plus two inches (diameter times pi plus two) and the height of the rectangle is equal to diameter plus height plus two (you could add 3 or more inches instead of two for a roomier fit).
- Cut the fabric. You can do this all in one piece or in two pieces, just remember to double the seam allowance if using two rectangles instead of one. The following pictures are for a small gift bag made from a single rectangle. If your gift is larger, it may require that you cut two rectangles and sew an additional side seam to make a bag large enough. Otherwise, the same principles apply.
- Press a fold about 0.5″ (1cm) of fabric along the top edge.
- Fold and press again, this time a 1″ flap (twice the previous fold). This will be the casing for the tie closure.
- Press a vertical fold halfway across the fabric; this will be the side without a seam.
- Unfold and mark the placement of buttonholes on the wrong side of the fabric as shown, positioned below the lower horizontal fold. These are to run the drawstrings through.
- Make four buttonholes where they were marked. Make them about .75″ (2 cm) long.
- Open the buttonholes with a seam ripper.
- Sew the side seam(s) and bottom seam of the bag. It’s a good idea to clip the corner before sewing to prevent it from bunching up later. Zigzag the seam edges to prevent fraying. You can also pink the edges or sew a French seam to obtain the same effect.
- Turn the bag right side out and turn the casing to the inside.
- Stitch down the casing to the inside of the bag. Allow for clearance of the buttonholes.
- Cut two pieces of ribbon, or cordage to use as drawstrings.
- Tie your ribbon to a small safety pin for ease of threading through the casing.
- Pull the ribbon through the casing.
- Note: The photo shows only one ribbon, but if four button holes were made, you should use two ribbons as shown in the drawing… one “U” shape from each direction so that you’re pulling two ribbon ends from each side of the bag to snug down the opening.
- Drop your gift in the bag.
- Snug up the drawstring.
- Tie a bow and add a tag if you like.
Tips
- Suggested (finished) dimensions:
- 15″ x 24″ will hold a typical shirt box or game
- 13″ x 18.5″ will hold a large book or medium-size game or toy
- 7″ x 12″ will hold single DVD or a paperback book
- 4.5″ x 8.5″ will hold small items such as hot chocolate pouches or jewelry
- Scraps can be used to test your buttonholes.
- You could use metal eyelets instead of buttonholes. You might need to reinforce your fabric with interfacing in the eyelet area.
- An extra large bag makes a great laundry bag to send to camp with kids.
- To prevent fraying, you can use pinking shears, a serged seam, or a French seam.
- Instead of a ribbon you can also use a shoe lace in matching color. A shoelace may be easier to insert into the button hole than a ribbon.
Warnings
- Scissors and needles are sharp. Handle with appropriate care.
Things You’ll Need
- Lightweight fabric to suit the gift-giving occasion. (e.g., a snowman print for Christmas)
- Tool for marking fabric: could be a sewing chalk or even a pen or pencil
- Scissors and/or pinking shears
- Iron and ironing board
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Ribbon, yarn, or lightweight cordage for drawstrings
- A bodkin, yarn needle, or similar tool (a safety pin will work in a pinch) to thread the drawstring through the bag’s casing
Related wikiHows
- How to Sew a Button
- How to Machine Sew on a Button
- How to Use a Sewing Machine and Adjust the Stitches
- How to Make a Birthday Goodie Bag for Adults
- How to Wrap a Present
- How to Open a Package or Wrapper Without Damaging It
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Sew a Cloth Gift Bag. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
I’m so glad this is my last semester.
Me: My account says I owe you more than $350.00 in program fees…for two classes.
Cashier Office Lady (COL): Well, it appears that the undergrad class you’re taking has program fees that are twice as much as your 600-level, final grad class.
Me: Huh. Superb. But $350.00 seems a little steep, even for an expensive undergrad class. My fees were never that much when I was taking three 500-level grad classes in a semester.
COL: It says on my screen that you owe $250.
Me: Why $250? You just said that the grad class would be around $77 and the undergrad class would be $144. If my calculations are correct, that comes out to around $220.00.
COL: Well, there is a $30-some-odd-dollar fee because you didn’t pay your bill on time.
Me: What?! I just got this bill late last week. It’s not due until the end of the month.
COL: Let me check. *click, click, click on computer behind bullet-proof glass (not even kidding)* You were supposed to pay the program fees for the undergrad class last December because you registered early in December (a.k.a. when I was supposed to).
Me: I never got that bill. Never. I was waiting for a bill to be posted.
COL: *in a somewhat threatening, condescending, I-don’t-think-you-have-$220-right-now voice* Well, I’m willing to waive the fee if you pay the fees.
Me: *pulling out my checkbook* How much did you say?
I’m officially a freelance editor/proofreader/indexer. I received my first ever payment for work I’ve done freelancing. It was for an index for a prof on campus. I guess her editor was really impressed with it–I’ve been dubbed the “goddess of indexing.”
And as good as that is for the ego (sorry, had to brag a little), it’s also confirming for me that I’m actually pretty good at this. I don’t know if it’s the creative writer in me, but I always have self-doubt when I first start something new, or take on a big project, like this one was. And when she told me she was so happy with it, it took a load off of my shoulders.
Maybe I’m cut out for this work after all. I hope so because I love it.
As some of you already know, I’m a FirstLook reader for HarperTeen books. Since I enjoy reading YA fiction (and edit it extensively–it’s actually one of my specialties–if I’m allowed to have those yet), this is a great way to keep up with the books being published by HarperCollins, one of the largest book publishers in the U.S.
I sign up each month for books I think will be interesting, and then I wait until the beginning of the next month to see if I’ve been picked to read and write a review for them. The readers are randomly picked via computer, so it’s always a crap shoot whether or not I’ll have something to read for the month.
Even though I know full well that it’s chosen randomly, I still feel rejected somehow when I get the e-mail stating that I haven’t been chosen this month to read (fill in name of book[s] I signed up for). I’ve reviewed three books for them so far, and I do really enjoy lending my voice and opinion to an up-and-coming book.
Sometimes I’m unexpectedly too busy that month to really fit in time to read another book, even for review, and really should feel grateful to unnamed computer in New York for not picking me, but I still feel rejected.
Rejected by randomness.
