Fabric gift bags are becoming as ubiquitous as fabric grocery bags – reusable, infinitely customisable and brimming with eco-chic. A fabric gift bag can be as simple to make as sewing two sides of a folded rectangle and stiching a ribbon near the top. But spending money on several metres of reindeer-printed quilting cotton makes the whole process less frugal and decidedly less eco-friendly.
Saving Money on Fabric Gift Bags
Buying themed fabric means you have to make more bags or put up with Christmas-themed bags for birthday gifts all year round. Instead, go for classy solids or subtle prints. They can still be red or green, as long as they don’t scream “Christmas!” – that way, they can be used for any occasion.
Thrift stores can be a great place to find cheap fabric – either yardage someone bought and never used or fabric in the form of old duvets and sheets. My local thrift store sells fabric for $2 a piece regardless of size, and I’ve gotten some great deals. Keep an eye on Freecycle, too – I recently scored some dark red chiffon that will make lovely gift bags for non-family members.
For the easiest gift bags of all, cut the bottoms off wide or bootleg jeans (just below the worn-out knees!). Turn the tube of fabric inside out, sew along the raw edge, turn right-side out again and stitch a ribbon to the bag a few inches from the top. Voila – a one-seam, virtually free fabric gift bag! Silky trousers like pajama trousers also make great luxury gift bags, and even toddler trousers can be used – the whole leg of a child’s trouser makes a good skinny gift bag for items like paint brushes or bottles of bubble bath.
Another cute idea I heard recently was to use old tank tops as gift bags. Turn the tank inside out and sew the bottom shut. The straps can be tied shut, just as you’d tie a plastic grocery bag shut. These bags can also be used for totes.
Bags in complementary colours look particularly good under the Christmas tree. That said, don’t disdain good fabric just because it doesn’t match! One-off bags made from old T-shirts, pillowcases and jeans can be used to wrap presents for people outside the family – teachers, children at birthday parties and engaged couples. Use silky or gauzey fabric to wrap wedding presents and fun prints such as old Star Wars bedsheets for kids’ party gifts. These bags can jazz up simple gifts and make the whole present more enticing. Use big pieces of fabric to make a few giant bags for those bulky gifts, and size other bags for commonly-given presents like DVDs and books.
My Fabric Gift Bags
I made a large bunch of fabric gift bags when I was first learning to sew. I used rustic, countryish plaids and checks in forest green and beige. The bags match my homemade Christmas stockings and look perfectly acceptable for other occasions, as well. Best of all, they were a great way to ease me into sewing – they didn’t have to fit anyone, they used straight seams and they were actually useful. I got bolder as I sewed and ended up making some bags with casings for the ribbon and others with squared bottoms. You could also use the opportunity to practice applique, machine embroidery or even simple patchwork.
Now, when I’m running late for a birthday celebration, I don’t have to hunt under the couch for the sticky tape. I can just pop the gift in the bag, tie the ribbon… and untie it a moment later to remove the price tag.
All those ideas you suggested are good. And the est part is that most of the materials can be found in the house itself. So no need to spend money on any new items.