Sunday, December 16, 2018

Waste Free Gift Wrap #2 - Gift Bags

With the holidays approaching, let's talk gift wrap: Each year, billions of dollars are spent on wrapping paper in the US alone, with millions of pounds of wrapping paper usually used once. Holy cow!

In February, I showed one alternate way to wrap presents, by wrapping the gift with another, such as a tea towel or scarf.

In this post, I'll share another: fabric gift bags. Gift bags are pretty easy to make. They are essentially tote bags, made in a variety of sizes. Last year, I got a bunch of holiday fabric by the yard at Seattle Recreative. You could also work with curtains, tablecloths, etc, from a thrift store near you. Not only are you up-cycling the fabric, but you are also creating wrapping that can be used over and over again for years to come. By using thrifted fabric, the cost comes to about $3/bag, about the same cost as a new paper gift bag.

1. Cut out the 4 sides of your bag, slightly larger than your gift. Add a few inches of length, which will be used to create the bottom of the bag. If your fabric is thinner, might fray, or you just want a contrast lining, cut out 8 sides (you'll be making two bags, outer and lining).


2. Sew the four panels together, with the pattern on the inside. 


3. Sew the bottom shut. Note: For this bag, all my sides are equal width. Check the placement of my seams when I go to sew the bottom. Two of the sides are folded in half; this is important for making the flat bottom of the bag. If your bag is rectangular instead of square, make the shorter sides the halved sides. 


4. Sew perpendicular across the bottom seam on the two corners, resulting in two isosceles triangle points. This triangle should happen naturally when you flatten the sides of the bag. 


5. When you flip the bag right side out, those triangles formed the squared base of the bag.


6. To make handles, sew strips of complimentary fabric into a tube, and then flip right side out. These can be any width you like, but keep in mind if you can't fit your finger inside, you will have a very difficult time flipping them right side out. 


7. Put your lining bag inside your outer bag. Fold the rough top edges inside, place your handles, and pin together to hold everything in place which you sew this top seam.


8. Once you've trimmed any long threads, you are now ready to fill your bag with gifts! Want reusable tissue too? Use complimentary fabric squares.




Not crafty, or running out of time? You can purchase reusable gift bags from many places:
From TheRubySwan on Etsy - ribbon closure means no tissue needed!
From Cohasset Party Supply on Etsy
From Appleby Lane on Amazon
From Illumen on Amazon
From The Container Store

The example bags above average $6, meaning payback after just a few uses.

Happy Holidays!

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