A fabric pouch with drawstrings is the most versatile packaging for almost any gift, from small jewelry to large sets of several items.
When trying to find the perfect bag, many people notice that this task is not an easy one. Either the color doesn’t suit you, or you don’t like the pattern, or you don’t have the right size. Of course, this cannot be classified as a global tragedy, but how nice it is to present a gift designed exactly as it was intended!
To sew or not to sew?
Although the gift bags described below are sewn on a sewing machine, they can be made without such equipment. True, you will have to make very small, neat stitches so that the product does not look untidy.
For those who absolutely cannot imagine themselves with a needle in their hands, there is also a way out. They can simply cut a circle out of fabric (the threads of which do not spill out on the cuts), put a gift in the center, gather the edges into a bun and tie with a beautiful lace. Of course, such packaging will no longer be a bag.
For what purposes can the bag be used?
Handmade fabric bags look attractive. The master performs each item for specific purposes and designs it beautifully.
Textile bags are used:
- As a gift wrap for any occasion. This could be packaging for New Year's sweets, for congratulations on March 8 or February 23.
- Lovers can arrange a gift for Valentine's Day;
- To decorate holiday souvenirs for special occasions - birthdays, weddings, company anniversary;
- Small bags are suitable for making aromatic sachets;
- As organizers for children's small toys, for Lego parts;
- You can store small items for handicrafts, knitting balls and even medicines in bags;
- Bags may not be used for their intended purpose. For example, make a talisman bag for your home.
An original thematic or simply fantasy design will allow you to use the little thing not only as packaging, but also to find practical use for it. You can pack a snack for your child in the bag, collect a set of household items for a trip, or take a bottle of water for a walk.
What you need for sewing
To make gift wrapping you should prepare:
- Textile.
- Threads in color or contrasting (in accordance with the plans of the craftswoman).
- Needle, scissors and measuring tape.
- A beautiful cord or ribbon.
- Decorative elements: appliqués, beads, embroidery threads and other materials.
Any bag pattern is a rectangle. The length of its sides varies depending on the size of the product planned. The selected fabric for the bags is very convenient to cut.
If a craftswoman needs several identical products, she can speed up the process by automating each stage. For example, you should cut out several rectangles at once, then baste them all, sew them, iron them and attach them with laces.
If we are talking about making embroidered bags, then you should take care of the decor even before sewing a bag with ties. Embroidery is done on a cut out rectangle, otherwise it will be very inconvenient to do it later.
Ideas for creativity
Sew cute long ears to your bag and you will get bunny bags.
If the fabric is used with a pronounced print, then the decor should be minimal. Use a simple plain ribbon or twine.
Having mastered the technique of sewing a simple bag, you can turn ordinary pouches into a handbag or backpack.
Sewing a pouch is an easy task. Decorate as you wish. And these examples will help you make original gift packaging that everyone will like.
Having chosen a gift, we often face a dilemma: to pack it or not, and, if to pack it, how. Using handmade packaging is a sign of attention, a piece of our time and a pleasant surprise. A handmade gift bag will add personality and uniqueness to even the most banal gift.
From ancient times to this day, bread, homemade cakes, herbs, dried mushrooms, linden flowers and tea have been stored in linen bags. For their manufacture, only natural breathable fabrics are used: cambric, cotton, linen, double-thread, denim, tarpaulin, burlap. In them, food does not become damp, which means it does not spoil longer.
Material selection
Before sewing a bag with ties, you need to decide on the fabric. The most elegant and most suitable for packaging is organza. However, sewing bags from organza is a little more difficult than from other materials (cotton, linen, wool or synthetics). This fabric “floats” and constantly frays. This means that all seams must first be carefully basted and ironed, and only then stitched on a machine. In addition, organza is transparent, so all edges will have to be carefully processed with an overlock or fine zigzag.
If the craftswoman is intimidated by such difficulties, she can easily get by with beautiful cotton fabric. Nowadays stores sell a variety of materials with amazing colors. The best thing here is that many of them can be bought in pieces of 30 cm. This is quite enough for several bags of the same or different sizes.
How to sew a bag with drawstrings: step-by-step master class
This and the next paragraph will describe the process of sewing a bag. All steps are provided with photographs, so it will be difficult for even a beginner to get confused.
- First of all, you should overlock the rectangle around the entire perimeter.
- Next you need to fold it in half (or combine two identical rectangles if you couldn’t cut out one large one) and sew it on the sides. In the case when two parts are combined, three sides are sewn together: the sides and the bottom.
When performing this stage, you should pay attention that the stitching ends at a distance of 5-6 cm from the edge. - Overlocked but unstitched edges are folded inward and smoothed with an iron. To avoid deforming the fabric, you can first baste the hem.
4. Then the edge is folded in half and attached to one part of the bag. How this is done is shown below.
Attention: many craftswomen inadvertently sew a seam on two parts at once. Then you have to rip it apart, so you need to immediately bend one edge.
At the last stage, the tape is threaded through the holes formed. That's the whole story about how to sew a bag with ties.
Solid option
To make such a sachet, take paraffin, yellow or white wax. Below we will look at a master class on making wax sachets.
Materials:
- yellow beeswax - 50 g;
- rose buds - 5 pcs.;
- dried calendula flowers - 2 g;
- dried heather flowers - 3 g;
- flavored foundation 6x6 cm.
Popular articles Letter in the old style
Grind the wax and melt it in a water bath. We make 1 large sachet and several small ones. Place foundation cut to the shape of the bottom into a large sachet mold. Insert a cocktail stick or straw in the place where the ribbon for hanging the sachet will go.
Pour the melted wax into molds. When the wax has set a little from below, decorate the sachets with flowers on top so that they do not drown and are fixed on the surface.
If white beeswax is used, then add a little soy wax to it in a ratio of 40:5. If you make a sachet from paraffin, then you need to add 10 g of stearic acid per 45 g of paraffin. You can also work with essential oils and dyes. A hole for a thread or ribbon can be made in a ready-made sachet using a knitting needle or a nail.
The same principle is used to make a soap sachet. In addition, a piece of fragrant soap can be beautifully decorated with paper and flowers, making a whole composition. Or grate the soap and add it to the mixture as a flavoring.
Making ties
In the event that the craftswoman was unable to find ribbons that match the color or structure, she will have to sew the ties herself.
To do this, cut out a ribbon three centimeters wide (the length depends on the size of the bag). Sequence of further work:
- Fold and hem the edges. The fold should be at least one centimeter, and the stitching should be laid very close to the edge.
- Next, the strip of fabric is folded in half and ironed.
- When you unfold it, you can see a clear fold line. Both edges are folded towards the center and smoothed in this state. If this is difficult to do and the tape constantly unrolls, you can baste the seams and remove the basting after ironing.
- The workpiece is folded along the ironed fold and stitched. Here you also need to try to get the seam as close to the edge as possible.
Now the plot is ready. It is threaded into gift bags and knots are made at the ends.
This is optional, but helps prevent tape loss. It should be noted that sewing organza ties is an extremely difficult and thankless task. It is better to decorate organza bags with purchased ribbons.
Making bags for aromatic herbs
The described method of sewing bags is excellent for making herbal compositions. Despite the fact that specialized stores offer a huge amount of synthetic desiccant agents that repel moths and other insects, many housewives prefer to use environmentally friendly products.
They sew bags for herbs with their own hands and put a special mixture of several types of herbs into them. The most commonly used combinations are lavender, mint, thyme, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon and cedar shavings. In this case, it is not crushed materials that work better, but seeds, stems and leaves. To the delight of many girls and women, bags for home use require much less attention than gift wrapping. Here you can use leftover fabric, from which it is no longer possible to sew any large product. Ordinary strong threads can serve as ties. Considering that no one will look inside, the seams do not need to be overlocked.
Decor ideas
Making a gift bag with your own hands is a fun and creative process.
Fantasy in this case knows no bounds:
- You can choose textiles with thematic patterns and decorate the ties in the form of a lush bow, make cords with balls or tassels;
- Make an applique from pieces of fabric;
- Do embroidery by hand or machine;
- Create a pattern or ornament from beads, buttons, beads and sparkles;
- Make a drawing or inscription on the fabric with special paint;
- You can decorate the product with floral arrangements made of satin and lace;
- The outline of the bag can be decorated with a contrasting thread or trimmed with braid.
Gifts in such packaging are especially interesting for children. For the holidays they expect something unusual and magical. A gift is always a surprise for them.
Therefore, you should always decorate a children’s gift taking into account the child’s personality and interests.
How to decorate herb boxes
Here everything depends only on the imagination and abilities of the craftswoman. Most likely, only she and her family will see these items, so they should like the decor.
Of course, you don’t have to decorate these products in any way, leaving them as natural as possible.
For those who are interested in satin stitch embroidery, the miniature samples below will be useful.
Striving for beauty, do not forget about practicality: seams and ties must be strong. Otherwise, you will have to spend a very long time picking out scattered dry leaves from your clothes.
Herbal pillows for sound sleep
Many herbs will help make your sleep sound and restful. To use them to your advantage, you need to make decorative items for sleeping.
In our age of rapid progress, an abundance of different information, a person is forced to overstrain his brain so much that at night it is difficult for him to relax and sleep peacefully. Relaxation can be achieved if you choose the right aromatic gifts of nature.
Our ancestors knew how to benefit from dry herbs by sewing them into small bags and hanging them in the hut. The aromas of plants have a healing effect on the nervous system. In addition, the benefit of aromatic plants is their antibacterial effect. Their aroma saturates the room and is absorbed into the hair overnight, cleansing the entire space of harmful microorganisms.
Herbal pillows are a forgotten but very effective way to improve sleep and cleanse space. What fabric can they be made from? Linen, cotton, and canvas are suitable.
You can also choose any shape of this product. This could be a cushion that is placed under the neck. Or square, circle, rectangle. These products are good to take with you on the road. On a plane or train, they will help you have a good rest.
