Girly Gift Bags

Gift Bag Measurements

2 pieces 7 ½” x 9 ½” (front and back pieces)

2 pieces 3” x 9 ½” (side pieces)

1 piece 3” x 7 ½” (bottom piece)

Trace a 7 ½” x 9 ½” rectangle onto a piece of fabric paper leaving enough room around the edges to hoop. Hoop the fabric paper and embroider your chosen design. You may wish to personalize the gift bag with a name while it is still in the hoop. Remove the fabric paper from the hoop and trim around the traced rectangle. Cut out the remaining fabric paper pieces according to the measurements listed above.

(NOTE: You can alter the size of the gift bags by making the bag pieces larger or smaller. Just remember that the side pieces must be the same height as the front and back pieces and the bottom piece must be as wide as the side pieces and the front and back pieces.)

Placing wrong sides together, sew the front and back pieces to the side pieces at the long edges. Begin slightly below the top edge and end 3/8” from the bottom edge. The seams will be on the outside of the bag. Sew the bottom piece to the bottom edges. Use a 3/8” seam allowance for all seams.

Trim the seam allowances of the treat bags with pinking shears, or other decorative edged scissors, being careful not to cut too close to the stitching lines.

If you wish, punch holes evenly around the top of a gift bag and thread a fancy fuzzy yarn through it for decoration. Attach other trimmings with hot glue or stitches as desired.

To make the tie closure, thread one end of a long length of metallic elastic cording through the eye of a very large needle. Push the needle through the front of gift bag, knotting the elastic on the back of the fabric paper to hold. Repeat for the back of the gift bag, making two long ties—one on the front center and one on the back center of the bag. Thread large ornamental beads or small pompoms onto the ends of the ties and knot the elastic to hold the beads in place.

Girly Gift Bag with Handles

1. Embroider a 7 x 8 ½” piece of fabric paper with the design of your choice. We used Santa’s Little Helper from the Collectible Girls framed with the plain oval applique frame from the Classic Frame collection. Trim ½” from all sides evenly, using decorative edged scissors. Set aside.

2. Take two 12 x 12” sheets of Michael Miller fabric paper, place right sides together and stitch them along 3 sides using a ½” seam allowance. Clip the corners at an angle.

3. Press the seam allowance open by ironing first one side and then the other of all three seams. Slip your hand inside the bag and work one corner open and flat until you can pinch the corner together aligning the seams. Measure up 1 ¾” from the tip of the corner along the aligned seams and make a mark across the corner in a straight line.

Sew the corner along that line and trim close to the stitching. Repeat for the other corner.

4. Turn the bag right side out. Use steam from an iron or a heat gun to smooth the wrinkles out of the bag. Press a crease on the corner edges of the bag from top to bottom, and then press a crease in the bottom front and back.

5. Attach handles to the bag using fancy ribbon or trim. You can either stitch them to the bag or hot glue them in place. Hot glue decorative trim around the top of the bag to finish.

If you wish to make a lining for the bag, repeat steps 2 through 4. When stitching the two 12 x 12” sheets of fabric paper together for the lining, use a seam allowance that is just a tiny bit deeper than ½”. Finish the bag as per the directions but do not turn it right side out. Slip the lining into the gift bag. You may have to trim a little bit from the lining in order to make it meet evenly with the top of the bag. Attach ribbon handles either with hot glue or by placing them between the lining and the bag and stitching around the top of the bag through all layers. Cover the stitching with decorative trim. Hot glue works great for attaching trim.

Helpful Hint! Fabric Paper becomes soft and pliable when heated, making it easy to hoop. It does not need to be stabilized, however if your are embroidering designs with solid fill stitches, it is helpful to slip a piece of tear-a-way stabilizer under your hoop after it is in the machine. Also, loosen your top tension a little bit when embroidering on fabric paper if you notice bobbin thread showing around the edges of the design. When your project is finished, use a heat gun or blow dryer to smooth out any wrinkles.

These directions may not be reproduced, copied or distributed without prior permission from Evy Hawkins at A Bit of Stitch. Thank you.

For a printable version of these instructions please click here.