With the release of my new crochet dancer dolls, I wanted to ensure they had a protective bag to keep them safe while shipping, but also give them that certain feeling of THIS DOLL IS SPECIAL.
So I whipped up these cloth drawstring bags! Obviously, you can use them to guard handmade dolls, but they have so many other uses: gift bags, spare clothing bags to keep in the car for kids, project bag for yarnie stuff, favorite treasures, etc. The world is your oyster, and you could totally make this simple bag to hoard your oyster shells and pearls inside.
(Pssssst… I mostly made this tutorial for myself so I could remember how I made these bags, so please forgive the cellphone pictures and quick instructions!)
SIMPLE CLOTH DRAWSTRING BAG
Materials
- Cotton Fabric (1 yard = 5 or 6 bags)
- Matching Thread
- Sewing Machine
- Sewing Scissors
- Pinking Sheers
- Seam Ripper
- Nylon Cord or Ribbon (20 inches per bag)
- Large Beads (2 per bag)
- Personalized Fabric Label – Optional
Stitch Guide & Seams
- This is meant to be a quick and simple bag, so for nearly every seam I used the right side of the pressure foot as my guide.
- I mainly had my needle in the center position, except when creating the casing at the top of the bag where the drawstring will slide through and I had the needle positioned to the side to make the casing as wide as possible.
- All stitch size was at 2.5mm which is the default setting on my machine; I found this to be a solid stitch size to ensure durability, but easy to seam rip out as needed.
Preparing your Project
How many bags do you want to make? If purchasing fabric that is 44” wide on the bolt, you will be able to make five bags per yard. If your fabric is 54” wide, you can make six bags per yard.
Do you want to add a fabric label to the front of your bag? Make sure to have them on hand before sewing, as it is much easier to sew them on the beginning, rather than adding them after the fact. I purchase my custom labels from MayDayLabels on Etsy.
Always wash and dry your fabric before sewing! This will ensure your fabric is shrunk to its final size. You are welcome to iron the fabric before cutting, or pull it quickly from the dryer while it’s still fresh and smooth.
Directions
ONE. Wash and dry your fabric. Iron as needed.
TWO. Cut your fabric into rectangles sized 8” by 32”.
THREE. Sew your label to the right side of the fabric by placing it in the center about 10 inches from the top edge.
FOUR. Fold the fabric in half so the label is on the inside, and the wrong side of the fabric is facing out. Sew each long side of the bag together.
FIVE. Using pinking sheers, trim the excess fabric near the two seams you just sewed.
SIX. To pucker out the corners of the bag, press the bottom corners flat so that the seam runs down the center, creating a kind of triangle so you can sew across it. (Look at the photo for this one, it will make SO much more sense than any words I can use).
SEVEN. Sew across the corner you just made.
EIGHT. Using pinking sheers, trim the excess fabric near the seam you just made across the corners.
NINE. At the top of the bag with wrong sides out, fold the top edge down ½”, and then fold again. Pin this well or press with an iron. This is to create the casing where your drawstring or ribbon will slide through.
TEN. Changing your needle to the side position, sew along the bottom edge of the hem you just folded.
ELEVEN. Flipping the bag to be right side out, use a seam ripper to open up the top right side seam above the hem you just created.
TWELVE. By tearing out those few stitches, you have just created a simple opening to slide your drawstring or ribbon through. I like to use a small safety pin, clip it to one side of the drawstring, and use the safety pin to slide through the casing all the way around, and out the same opening.
THIRTEEN. To ensure your drawstring doesn’t get pulled out, place a large bead on either end of the drawstring or ribbon, and make a knot after it.
FOURTEEN. If you have a nylon cord, you can use a lighter to melt the end and knot to ensure it doesn’t unravel or come unknotted.
FOURTEEN. Stuff that bag full of treasures, because you are DONE!
Permission to Use this Tutorial
You may use this tutorial for personal or commercial use, but please reference this website as its creator and link back to this tutorial page. The tutorial (including any photos associated with it) may not be reproduced or posted elsewhere in any capacity. Thank you!
If you happen to make some of these bags, I’d love to hear how you use them!
~Maggie