DIY Drawstring Gift Bags and Coloring Books

Let's talk gift bags. Clare takes bags very seriously. At all times, she has  30 tiny bags filled with odds and ends from around our house and there are negotiations regarding how many bags she can take in the car, every time we go in the car. Bags are important. And right up there with bags is Miss Spider and right up there with Miss Spider is coloring. 

So here is where we landed on gift bags for Clare's Buggie Birthday. Simple fabric drawstring bags (and by "simple" I mean that I cut every possible corner to make these quickly) a handmade coloring book using downloadable Miss Spider coloring pages from Nick Jr, a box of crayons, a sweet treat and these adorable 49¢ buggie finger puppets from Party City. And the leftover bugs?... they are sitting here at my foot, peeking out from one of Clare's random bags as I write this. Soooo many bags.

Get the DIY scoop on Drawstring Gift Bags and Coloring Books after the jump.



First for the coloring book:
• One piece of decorative paper cut to 8 1/2" x 11" for front
• One piece of decorative paper cut to 10 1/4" x 11" for back
• A small selection of 8 1/2" x 11" coloring sheets (thickness depends on the power of your sewing machine) I used 5 sheets per book.
• A Bone Folder
• A sewing machine (or stapler)
• A ruler

1. Lay your back paper down wrong-side-up and mark in 3/4" and 1 3/4" from the left side, top and bottom.


2. Line up you ruler with your first set of marks, top and bottom, and run the tip of your bone folder along the length, make an indent but be careful not to tear your paper. Before moving the ruler, fold the paper up along the side of the ruler and make a nice straight crease along the line you just boned (what?!?) Moving on. Repeat at the 1 3/4" lines.




3. Tuck your stack of coloring sheets into the fold and then lay your front sheet on top, inside the fold.


4. Hold the whole thing in place and sew a straight edge down the entire length of the book 3/4" from the spine.

5. You can trim your strings but I liked them long, as if to shout... I made these!


Ok, so moving on to the oh-so-corner-cutting-est drawstring bags.

1. Cut one piece of fabric approx 10" wide by 9 1/2" tall with pinking shears. I used some old school Sandi Henderson - Vintage Cherries in Fall from Farmers Market, Echino - Pink Ni-co Glasses and some old Ikea fabric that I had in the stash.


2. Fold the top over 1", iron and sew across top, 3/4" from fold.


3. Fold piece in half (right sides facing) and begin sewing down side (at the stitch line you just made) leaving the top pocket open for your drawstring. Start with a few forward and back stitches to reinforce about 3/8" from the side edge.


4. Sew down side, turn at the corner and continue across bottom.


5. Trim the bottom corners at an angle.


6. Attach a safty pin to the end of a (24"?) length of 3/8" ribbon and pull it through the casing at the top.

7. Turn your bag inside-out and you're done! Rejoice 3 year old bag lovers everywhere!