How to Make Reusable Fabric Gift Bags

These reusable fabric gift bags are an easy, low-waste alternative to disposable wrapping paper. Fill them with gifts, tie the tops with ribbon or twine, and bring them out again for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions year after year.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has wrapped our gifts in fabric bags. I have such fond memories of seeing all the colorful bags under the tree on Christmas morning. When I had my first child, I decided to continue the tradition by sewing a collection of my own. A few years later I made more—and then a few more after that!

Besides being sentimental, fabric gift bags are especially useful for large or awkwardly shaped gifts that are difficult to wrap. You can make them in nearly any size, from small bags for books and DVDs to oversized bags for toys.

You do not need advanced sewing skills for this project. If you can operate a sewing machine and sew a straight line, you can make these simple reusable gift bags.

How to Make Reusable Fabric Gift Bags

Project Details

• Skill level: Beginner
• Finished size: Approximately 17 × 17½ in. (43.2 × 44.5 cm)
• Fabric: Quilting cotton or another lightweight woven fabric
• Construction: Made from one rectangular piece of fabric with a folded bottom and two side seams
• Seam allowance: ½ in. (1.3 cm)
• Yield: Approximately two large gift bags from 1 yd (0.91 m) of standard-width fabric

Supplies

• Approximately 1 yd (0.91 m) of 44- or 45-in.-wide cotton fabric
• Coordinating all-purpose sewing thread
• Sewing machine
• Fabric scissors or a rotary cutter
• Ruler and cutting mat, if using a rotary cutter
• Straight pins or sewing clips
• Iron and ironing board
• Ribbon or twine for closing the finished bag
• Pinking shears or a zigzag stitch for finishing the seams, optional

Before You Begin

• Prewash, dry, and press the fabric before cutting, especially if you plan to wash the bags in the future.
• This folded construction works best with fabric that has a nondirectional print.
• If your fabric has a one-way design, the print will appear upside down on one side of the bag. To avoid this, use two separate fabric panels and add a bottom seam.
• Exact measurements are not essential. Adjust the rectangle to make a smaller or larger gift bag.
• The finished size may vary slightly depending on your hem and seam allowances.

Cutting the Fabric

Cut the 1 yd (0.91 m) piece of fabric into two rectangles measuring approximately 36 × 18 in. (91.4 × 45.7 cm) each.

Set one rectangle aside and follow the instructions below to make the first bag. Repeat the same steps with the second rectangle.

Sewing the Fabric Gift Bag

Hem the Opening

Place one fabric rectangle on your work surface with the wrong side facing up and the short edges positioned at the top and bottom.

Along each short edge, fold the raw edge ¼ in. (6 mm) toward the wrong side and press. Fold it over another ¼ in. (6 mm) to enclose the raw edge, then press again.

Sew close to the inner folded edge of each hem.

These two finished edges will meet to form the opening of the bag.

Fold and Sew the Bag

Fold the fabric in half crosswise with the right sides facing each other. Bring the two hemmed edges together and align the unfinished side edges.

Pin or clip both sides in place.

Using a ½-in. (1.3-cm) seam allowance, sew from the folded bottom to the hemmed opening along each side. Backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to secure the stitches.

If desired, finish the raw side seams with a zigzag stitch or trim them with pinking shears to help prevent fraying.

Turn and Finish

Trim any loose threads, then turn the bag right side out. Gently push out the bottom corners and press the bag if needed.

Place a gift inside, gather the fabric at the top, and tie it closed with ribbon or twine.

Repeat the instructions with the remaining fabric rectangle to make the second bag.

Making Fabric Gift Bags in Other Sizes

You can use the same basic method to make reusable gift bags in nearly any size.

For the width, cut the fabric approximately 1 in. (2.5 cm) wider than your desired finished bag to allow for the two side seams.

For the length, cut the fabric approximately twice your desired bag height, plus 1 in. (2.5 cm) for the two top hems.

Make small fabric gift bags for books, jewelry, or party favors, or increase the measurements to accommodate large toys and other awkwardly shaped presents.

Here are some of the fun ones I made a few years ago …

And here are two my mom made for my son’s birthday this year …

Reusable Gift Tags

To make your wrapping even more reusable, turn old Christmas cards, birthday cards, or greeting cards into gift tags.

Cut out a favorite image from the front of a card, punch a hole near the top, and add a ribbon or string. Write the recipient’s name on the back and save the tag with your fabric gift bags to use again next year.

Between the reusable bags and upcycled tags, wrapping gifts becomes quicker, less wasteful, and part of a special family tradition.

More Easy Christmas and Gift Projects

• Browse Free Christmas Crochet Patterns
• Free Printable Gift Tags for Handmade Gifts
• Tips for Gifting Handmade Items
• Yarn Ball Ornaments
• Loop Yarn Pillow: Easy Finger-Knitting Project
• Easy DIY Loop Scarf