Handmade Fabric Gift Bags

Mar15

Posted in Gift & Gift Wrapping with 4 Comments.

Welcome back to the May Arts Blog! Today we hope to inspire you to dust off your sewing machine, grab some scrap fabrics and of course, your May Arts Ribbons and make some cute gift packaging that you can tailor to any occasion.

I’ve noticed those cute little muslin and burlap bags becoming popular again for wedding favors and gifting, but why buy them when you can sew your own for just pennies and personalize them with beautiful ribbon to match any occasion?

The best part is that when you make your own bags, you can make them size you can imagine. I’ve made three bags in three different sizes to show you how versatile May Arts Ribbon and a few fabric scraps can be.

This sweet burlap bag measures 8 ½” x 7″. It’s perfect for a bar or two of scented soap or to use a jewelry bag when traveling. I think these would make adorable bridesmaid gifts.

The beautiful houndstooth fabric isn’t fabric at all! It’s the new 1 ½” houndstooth ribbon. I pulled out the plastic wires (love those instead of metal!); seamed two pieces together then treated the ribbon as fabric.

I just sewed two strips of houndstooth ribbon together, then sewed it to my bag and proceeded to finish the bag.

To make the flower, remove the wire from one side of the ribbon, then pull the other wire until you get the desired size. Roll the ribbon and tack it into place. I embellished the center with the frayed flowers and a rolled paper flower and flat backed pearl and leaves.

The tag uses a scrap of the houndstooth ribbon, another frayed flower and a scrap of burlap. A small piece of satin string and it’s ready for gifting.

Even a humble bottle of a favorite foamy soap…

…becomes a sweet scented gift for a friend that won’t break your piggy bank. This linen bag measures 10 ¼” x 5″.

A matching card turns it into a gift you’ll be proud to give. All the embellishments are glued on with Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive making this bag super simple and super durable. I love the black and ivory check with the bright pop of yellow lining.

I found a small scrap of canvas in my sewing stash that yielded this sweet single drawstring bag and tag set.

I used May Arts Double Faced Satin Ribbon to add a subtle touch of elegance to the rustic canvas. The flowers were made from May Arts Single Faced Satin. You can find Royal Ribbonista Jen Shears tutorial for the flowers here.

To attach the ribbon to the bag, I used Stitch Witchery and ironed the ribbon to each side of the bag prior to sewing the side seams. Make sure the ribbons are equal distances from the base so they line up when the seams are sewn.