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These bags measure about 6 x 9 inches, so they’re ideal for little gifts like candies, tiny stuffed animals, pens and note pads, socks, or craft supplies. You could even make eight bags—one for each night of Hanukkah!
Felt is fun to work with and it doesn’t fray so you can leave the edges of the material showing. It can stretch a bit, so it’s best to avoid filling these bags with anything too heavy.
what you need:
- Two 12 x 18 Sheets of Felt in Two Colors (makes two bags)
- Ruler
- Rotary Cutter and Mat (optional, but helpful!)
- Pen
- Sewing Clips or Pins
- Embroidery Floss
- Needle
- Scissors
how-to:
Cut the first sheet of felt to make two 6 x 18-inch strips. Fold in half. These will be the body of the bags.Cut four 1 x 12-inch strips from one end of the second sheet of felt. These will be the handles.
Next, cut the remaining piece in half to make two 6 x 14-inch strips. Cut each of these into 1 x 6-inch strips. You will weave these and use 14 for each bag.
On the large folded pieces, measure and mark five lines. They should be 1 inch from the top, 1 inch from the bottom, and 1 inch apart. Cut a slit on these lines.A rotary cutter works well for this, but you can cut the lines with scissors. Also, make sure each cut is at least 7 inches long. If it’s smaller, the weaving won’t fit.
Open the folded piece and start weaving the short strips. Start at one side and go over and under the strips on the bag piece. For the next strip start at the other side and go over and under the strips on the bag.
Fold the bag in half again. Match up the edges of the strips with the edges of the bag. Use clips or pins to hold the strips in place.
Stitch the sides of the bag with running stitch and all six strands of embroidery floss. Remove the clips or pins as you go.
Hold one end of a handle inside the bag. Stitch through the bag and handle with running stitch.
Next, go back and fill in the gaps in the running stitch. Secure the end of the thread with a knot.
Repeat this for the other end of the handle, then again for the second handle.
Themed bags with small gifts are fun to give and receive! For the first one, we chose some colorful pencils and pens, then added sticky notes and washi tape. Stickers, glue sticks, or cute paper clips would also be perfect.
For a more crafty bag, we included embroidery floss, fun scissors, and a measuring tape. You could also add a fat quarter of fabric, needles, and a mini embroidery hoop!
Candies and other treats are always a fun addition to any gift bag!
No matter what you include inside, this is a great project to create something cute and reusable together.
