How to sew reusable fabric gift bags (any size)

To make a reusable fabric gift bag, fold a rectangle of cotton, sew the two sides, fold a casing at the top and thread a cord to cinch it. The free Drawstring Bag does exactly this in three sizes, so one afternoon gives you gift bags that replace wrapping paper and come out again next year. For bottles and boxed gifts, the Wine and Gift Bags pattern adds matching shapes.

Download the free Drawstring Bag PDF: every size, letter and A0 files and the step-by-step guide.

TL;DR

• A fabric gift bag is a folded rectangle with two side seams, a casing at the top and a drawstring.
• The Drawstring Bag is free in the Sewzy app in Small, Medium and Large: 8 x 10 in, 12 x 15 in and 16 x 20 in.
• It is a beginner sew of about 30 minutes, with a ⅜ in (1 cm) seam allowance built in.
• For bottles and wrapped boxes, the Wine and Gift Bags pattern is in the app: a wine bag of 4½ x 16 in, plus a small and a large box shape.
• Cotton presses crisply and reuses for years, so one set covers many holidays.

Why sew gift bags instead of using paper?

A drawstring bag wraps a present in seconds with no tape, no torn corners and nothing to throw away. The person opens it, hands the bag back, and it goes around the family for birthdays and holidays. Quilting cotton, linen and lightweight canvas all work, and a set sewn from one fabric looks tidy under a tree. Because the Drawstring Bag is cut on a fold, there is no bottom seam to line up, which is why it suits a first-time sewist.

What size gift bag do I need?

Pick the size by what you are wrapping. The table below is the finished flat size of each Drawstring Bag, plus the fabric it takes.

For a wine bottle or a tall box, the Wine and Gift Bags pattern has a wine shape of 4½ x 16 in and two box shapes, 6 x 8 in and 10 x 12 in. If you only want the bottle version on its own, the lined wine bottle gift bag guide walks through it step by step.

How to sew a drawstring gift bag, step by step

1. Cut. Pick your size and cut one bag on the fold, so the fold becomes the bottom. Mark the two side notches that show where the casing and the cord opening sit.
2. Side seams. Fold right sides together and stitch both sides ⅜ in from the bottom fold up to the lower notch, backstitching at each end. Above the notch, press the raw edges ⅜ in to the wrong side and topstitch them flat. That makes the two cord openings.
3. Casing. Fold the top edge ½ in to the wrong side, then 2 in again along the casing line. Press, then stitch close to the inner fold all the way around.
4. Cords. Thread one cord in through the left opening, all the way around and back out the same side, and knot the ends. Thread the second cord from the right. Pulling both closes the bag evenly.
5. Finish. Turn it right side out, poke out the corners and press. For a flat base that stands up, box the bottom corners 1½ in.

Cut three at once and vary the casing fabric for a matching set. Make the Large in canvas with paracord and it doubles as a laundry or toy bag.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the pressed edges at the openings. If you do not fold and topstitch the raw edges above the notch, the cord openings fray. Press them before you make the casing.
• A casing too narrow for the cord. The 2 in casing fold fits a ¼ in cord or ribbon with room to gather. A thicker rope needs a wider fold.
• Not prewashing. Wash and dry the fabric before you cut so a gift bag can be washed later without shrinking out of shape.
• One long cord instead of two. Two cords, one from each side, let the bag pull closed from both ends. A single cord bunches to one side.

More quick gifts and bags to sew

Gift bags pair well with the other fast makes in stocking stuffers to sew and easy Christmas gifts to sew. If you want more bag shapes, the Boxed Tote Bag and the Zipper Pouch are both free in the app, and the free sewing patterns page lists the rest. For the full holiday list, see Christmas sewing projects.

Free printable: add our free Christmas gift tags to your handmade gifts.