How to Make Reusable Gift Bags

This step by step tutorial will teach you how to make DIY Reusable Gift Bags. This eco-friendly Christmas and holiday wrap is so easy, the only challenge will be picking fabrics!

My husband, Troy’s family takes Christmas to a whole new level.  Picture an insanity-filled present orgy.  Now multiply that by 1,480, and that is Troy’s family’s Christmas.  I can’t keep up with all of those presents, so I don’t even try. The ones who really get into it, enjoy it, and we don’t dare try to tell them otherwise.

Every year they fill multiple huge garbage bags with wrapping paper, and then in-between the present opening (it takes about 4 hours) and eating, the boys head out and burn all the wrapping paper.

I decided I would try my best to not contribute to that burn pile.  Except for very few presents, everything under our tree is wrapped in cloth gift wrap.  I collect a yard of fabric here and a yard there over the year, and this is a great project for all those random scraps of fabric most of us crafters have hanging around.

People adore receiving cloth gift wrap, and it truly makes a statement. You can personalize the fabric for the person, the occasion, or the special gift inside. The only drawback is many people love the reusable gift bags so much, they try to keep it. That isn’t happening on my watch.

Here is how things will go:

Giftee: “Oh Sarah, thank you so much, I love this xyz!”
Me: “You’re so welcome!  You can keep the bag if you want to.”  That statement will be made in a way that it is very clear that I’ll cut a bitch if they try to keep the bag. Merry Christmas!

I know it seems like a big undertaking to make all the wrapping, it is much less painful than watching me wrap with paper.  My old roommate once watched me try to wrap Christmas presents. After about 5 minutes, she said: “do you want me to show you how to do that”? I’m helpless with wrapping. Reusable gift bags are stupidly easy.

1) Double your cloth, and lay your present over it. You’re gauging how much fabric you need.

3) Find the part that will be the top of the bag.

4) Then fold a seam over where you’ve identified the top.  Pin.

5) Sew a simple hem.

6) Fold the bag in half so that the right side (pretty side) of the fabric is facing itself, and sew so that only the “top” of the bag isn’t sewn together.  You’re essentially making a pocket.

7) Fold it right-side out, and voila, a gift bag.

Tie a pretty bow, and decorate with a homemade gift tag.  We used a cut-up grocery bag to make gift tags.  I made these snowmen, but only had the patience to make 8 of them.

I am so happy to have pretty wrapping that can be used year after year. Also, I’m happy that wrapping takes about seven minutes now.  Seriously, me wrapping with paper is straight up ugly.  Watching me wrap a present would make you want to kick a small bunny.

Save the bunnies.  Make reusable gift bags.