Sew this Christmas Gift Bag in less than an hour

This adorable Santa gift bag will not only add an extra layer of excitement to your gift-giving but also serve as a beautiful keepsake for years to come. Whether you’re a seasoned seamstress or a sewing novice, this project is perfect for all skill levels incorporating all straight stitching and simple applique.

JUMP TO THE VIDEO TUTORIAL | GET THE FREE TAGS & BUCKLE TEMPLATE | GET AN AD-FREE PRINTABLE PATTERN ON ETSY WITH 3 BAG SIZES

I had so much fun with the Santa Pants designs that I got a bit carried away and made a Santa Pants Gift Bag in 3 different sizes between 25″ x 32″ and 8″ x 6″.

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make the medium size Santa Bag which is 16″ x 20″ flat or 15″ h x 11″ w x 6″ deep with a box bottom (I show you how to do both ways.)  They are fully lined Christmas Gift Bags you can use for gift giving or they can become a yearly tradition that holds a special gift from Santa under the tree.

If you want an ad-free, printer friendly PDF of this tutorial AND the other 2 sizes, you can find them in my Etsy Shop.

• Finished Size: 16” x 20” flat or 15” h x 11” w x 6” d
• Use ¼” seam allowance unless otherwise stated
• Read all instructions before beginning

Disclaimer: Some of the links this post may be affiliate and Amazon Associate links where I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

🎯 SHORTCUTS TO SPECIFIC TOPICS:
00:00 introduction
01:00 Supplies
02:05 Sew strips of fabric together
03:33 Place buckle on fabric
04:48 Appliqué the buckle
06:38 Appliqué on the inside of the buckle
08:19 Sewing outside & lining pieces together
08:40 How to make a flat bag
09:09 How to make a box bottom
10:40 Sew front and lining
11:42 Sew box bottoms
12:44 Make drawstring channel
13:57 Hem the lining
14:48 Pin front and lining together
17:28 Add drawstring

STEP 1: MAKE THE OUTSIDE OF THE BAG

SEW STRIPS A – D TOGETHER

The front and back of the outside of the bag are made the same way.

Sew strips A, B, C and D together using ¼” seams in the order shown in fig. 1.

Press towards the darker color.

figure 1

APPLIQUÉ THE BUCKLE

Use the free template to make a buckle from yellow fabric or the fabric of your choice.

Prepare the buckle using a paper backed fusible web product.

• Trace the design onto the PAPER SIDE of the fusible web (not the sticky side).
• Cut around the drawing, leaving a few millimeters around it.
• Apply the fusible side of the fusible web to the BACK of the buckle fabric, following manufacturer’s instructions.

Fold one of the outside pieces in half matching the long sides. Finger-press so you know where the center of the black band is.

Center the buckle over the fold and the black band and adhere following the manufacturer’s instructions. (fig. 2)

Appliqué the buckle to the bag in whatever way you’d like. You can sew by hand or use your machine to do a decorative stitch, raw edge appliqué, a zig zag stitch and more.

For zig zag appliqué directions, watch the video starting at 4 mins 48 seconds.

OPTIONAL EMBELLISHMENTS

If you want to add any additional embellishment like trim, decorative stitching or adding a name with machine embroidery (fig. 3) or using heat transfer vinyl, do that now.

figure 3

STEP 2: DECIDE IF YOU WANT A FLAT OR BOX BOTTOM BAG

FLAT BAG

Making a flat drawstring bag basically means there is no sewn or box bottom. Whatever you put in the bag creates the shape. Most Santa bags for sale are flat and they are definitely easier and faster to sew.

BOX BOTTOM

A box bottom bag isn’t hard, it just has a few more steps. This type of bag has more structure built into the bag and there won’t be bottom corners sticking out, like you might have with a flat bag, when you stand the bag by the Christmas tree.

NOTE: the outside fabrics are slightly taller than the lining, that is on purpose because of how the drawstring channel will be assembled.

HOW TO MAKE A FLAT BAG

Right sides together, pin the front and back of the bag together and the front and back of the lining together, leaving the top open.

Outside fabrics: Sew around the two long sides and the bottom with ¼” seams. (fig. 4)

Lining fabrics: Sew around the two long sides and the bottom with ¼” seams, leaving a few inches open on the bottom to turn. (fig. 5)

figure 5

HOW TO MAKE A BOX BOTTOM BAG

To make a box bottom you are going to cut a square out of the bottoms of both the outside and the lining of the Santa Pants bag.

Cut a 3″ square out of the bottom corners of all 4 fabrics. If you want a larger or smaller bottom, simply cut out a square that is half the size of the final box bottom desired.

Right sides together, pin the front and back of the bag together and the front and back of the lining together, leaving the top open.

Outside fabrics: Sew the two long sides and the bottom with ¼” seams. (fig. 6) Do not sew the cut square areas.

Lining fabrics: Sew around the two long sides and the bottom with ¼” seams, leaving a few inches open on the bottom to turn. (fig. 7) Do not sew the cut square areas.

CREATE THE BOX BOTTOM
On each corner, match the seams and cut edges – the inner corner of the square you cut out (see * in fig. 6) will become the ends of the box bottom.

Pin raw edges together and sew with ¼” seam. (fig. 8) Repeat for all 4 bottoms. (2 on outside & 2 for lining)

Watch the video starting at 9 mins 9 seconds to see how it’s done.

figure 7

STEP 3: MAKE THE DRAWSTRING CHANNEL

BAG LINING

Fold the top, raw edge of the lining fabric down ¼”, towards the inside, and press. (fig. 9) Sew in place to form a hem.

BAG OUTSIDE

Fold the top, raw edge of the lining fabric down ½”, towards the inside, and press. Fold down again, 1”, and press, to form the drawstring channel. (fig. 10)

figure 10

PIN THE BAG OUTSIDE AND LINING TOGETHER

Turn the lining right side out. Put the outside fabric inside the lining, wrong sides together. (fig. 11)

Line up the side seams and box bottom seams. (fig. 12)

Tuck the hemmed edge of the lining under the drawstring channel and pin together. (fig. 13)

Sew all the way around, leaving 1” open for the drawstring. (fig. 14)

figure 12

figure 14

STEP 4: INSERT DRAWSTRING

Cut a 44” piece of cord, rope, ribbon or whatever you want to use for your drawstring.

Attach a safety pin and thread it through the drawstring channel. (fig. 15)

Tie both ends together when you get all the way through. (fig. 16)

Print the free tags and attach your favorite. (fig. 17)

figure 17

LOVE THIS IDEA?

If you post on Instagram be sure to tag me (@artisttarareed). Follow my YouTube channel for new sewing projects and tips every week.

🎅🏻 Merry Christmas!  Tara Reed

P.S. Is there a sewing tutorial you’d love to see? Leave me a comment and I’ll add it to my idea list!

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