Drawstring Gift Bags: A Free Sewing Pattern by Tara Schreyer
There is something deeply satisfying about giving a gift that comes wrapped in something handmade. Before the recipient even knows what is inside, the fabric bag itself becomes part of the gift — a little piece of care and creativity that says you thought about every detail. Drawstring gift bags are one of those projects that seem almost too simple to bother writing a pattern for, and yet getting them right — the right dimensions, the right seam allowances, the right way to thread that cord so it actually glides smoothly — makes all the difference between a bag that feels polished and professional and one that feels like a rushed afterthought.
This pattern by Tara Schreyer walks you through the whole process from start to finish, and it works for every skill level. Whether you have been sewing for decades or you just bought your first machine last month, you will find this project approachable, fast, and endlessly useful. Make one for a birthday, a baby shower, a holiday, or just because you have beautiful fabric and want to do something lovely with it.
Why Fabric Gift Bags Are Worth Making
Before we get into the pattern itself, it is worth talking about why fabric gift bags have become such a popular alternative to paper wrapping. The most obvious reason is sustainability. A handmade fabric bag can be used again and again. The person who receives it does not throw it away — they put their hair ties in it, use it as a travel bag for jewelry, tuck small treasures inside, or turn around and give it to someone else filled with something new.
There is also a cost argument to be made. If you sew regularly, you likely have fabric scraps sitting in a bin somewhere, cut from larger projects and too small for much else. Drawstring gift bags are one of the best uses for those scraps. A fat quarter — that lovely standard cut of fabric measuring roughly 18 by 22 inches — is enough to make one generously sized bag or two smaller ones. A scrap bin can yield a whole collection of bags in an afternoon.
And then there is the purely aesthetic argument. A gift tucked inside a beautiful linen bag tied with a velvet ribbon simply looks more intentional than even the most elaborate paper wrapping. It photographs beautifully, it holds its shape under a tree, and it does not crinkle or tear before the recipient even gets to open it.
About This Pattern
Tara Schreyer’s drawstring gift bag pattern is designed to be clean and simple, with just enough structure to give the bag a proper shape without overcomplicating the construction. The pattern includes guidance for three sizes — small, medium, and large — so you can scale up or down depending on what you are wrapping.
The small bag works beautifully for jewelry, a rolled-up scarf, a small candle, or a set of lip balms. The medium bag handles books, kitchen gadgets, folded clothing, and most standard gift items with ease. The large bag is generous enough for a wine bottle, a bundle of rolled towels, a stuffed animal, or a set of nested items wrapped together.
The construction method creates a bag that is fully lined, which means the inside looks as beautiful as the outside and all the raw edges are enclosed. There are no serged seams showing, no fraying over time, and no scratchy edges against whatever you have placed inside.
Materials You Will Need
Gathering your materials before you begin will make the whole process much smoother. Here is what you need for one bag in any size.
For fabric, you will need two coordinating fabrics — one for the exterior and one for the lining. Cotton quilting fabric is the most popular choice because it is easy to work with, comes in an enormous variety of prints and solids, and presses crisply. That said, linen gives a more sophisticated, textural look. A lightweight home decor fabric adds structure. A cotton canvas makes a sturdier bag suitable for heavier gifts. For the lining, a simple coordinating cotton print or a solid in a complementary color works well. You do not need to match the exterior perfectly; sometimes a contrast lining is even more charming than a match.
For the drawstring, you have several options. A fabric-covered cord looks polished and coordinates easily with your fabrics. A velvet ribbon adds a luxurious touch and is especially lovely for holiday gifts. A cotton twill tape is practical and unpretentious. A satin ribbon works for delicate or romantic gifts. Whatever you choose, you will need approximately twice the width of your bag plus several extra inches for tying.
Additional materials include coordinating thread, a safety pin or bodkin for threading the cord, an iron and ironing board, and your basic sewing supplies — scissors or a rotary cutter, a cutting mat, a quilting ruler, and pins or clips.
Cutting Instructions
The cutting dimensions below include a half-inch seam allowance on all sides. Cut your exterior fabric and lining fabric to the same dimensions.
For the small bag, cut two rectangles measuring 7 inches wide by 9 inches tall from both the exterior fabric and the lining fabric. This gives you a finished bag approximately 6 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall — roomy enough for small gifts but compact enough to feel deliberate rather than oversized.
For the medium bag, cut two rectangles measuring 11 inches wide by 13 inches tall from both fabrics. The finished bag will be approximately 10 inches wide by 11.5 inches tall, which accommodates most standard gift items comfortably.
For the large bag, cut two rectangles measuring 14 inches wide by 18 inches tall from both fabrics. The finished bag measures approximately 13 inches wide by 16.5 inches tall. This size handles wine bottles, tall candles, and other elongated gifts especially well, and it also works for bundling multiple smaller items together.
If you are using a directional print — meaning the fabric has an obvious up and down, like a floral with stems pointing in one direction — be sure to cut both rectangles with the print oriented in the same direction.
Sewing the Exterior
Place your two exterior fabric rectangles together with the right sides facing each other. Pin or clip along the sides and bottom edge, leaving the top edge open. Using a half-inch seam allowance, sew along both side edges and across the bottom edge, backstitching at the beginning and end of your seam for durability.
At this point, press the seams open with your iron. Pressing seams open rather than to one side gives the finished bag a cleaner, less bulky appearance, and it also helps the bag maintain its shape over time.
If you would like your bag to have a flat bottom — meaning it can stand upright on its own rather than collapsing into a flat pouch shape — you will box the corners at this stage. To box a corner, fold the exterior bag so that the bottom seam and the side seam align, creating a triangular point at the corner. Measure and mark a line perpendicular to the seams at the desired depth. For a small bag, a one-inch box works well. For a medium or large bag, try a one-and-a-half-inch or two-inch box. Sew along your marked line, then trim the excess fabric a quarter-inch beyond the seam. Repeat for the other corner.
Do not turn the exterior right side out yet. Set it aside.
Sewing the Lining
The lining is constructed in almost exactly the same way as the exterior, with one important difference. When you sew the lining pieces together along the sides and bottom, leave a gap of approximately four inches in the center of one side seam. This gap is your turning opening — you will use it at the end to turn the whole bag right side out, and you will close it with a quick line of stitching once you are done.
If you are boxing the corners of your exterior, go ahead and box the lining corners as well, using the same measurements.
Leave the lining inside out and set it aside.
Creating the Drawstring Channel
The drawstring channel — sometimes called a casing — is the tunnel through which your cord or ribbon runs. On this pattern, the channel is built into the bag’s construction rather than added afterward, which makes it both sturdy and tidy.
At the top edge of both the exterior bag pieces and both lining bag pieces, fold down one inch toward the wrong side and press. This fold will eventually become part of the channel. Set these pieces back into their assembled positions.
Now, place the exterior bag inside the lining bag with right sides together. The exterior’s right side should be facing the lining’s right side. Tuck the exterior down into the lining so that the top edges are aligned. You will notice that the pressed folds you made are now tucked inside between the two layers — this is correct.
Pin or clip carefully around the top edge, matching the side seams of the exterior to the side seams of the lining. Sew around the entire top edge with a half-inch seam allowance.
Turning and Finishing
Reach through the gap in the lining seam and pull the exterior bag through, turning the whole construction right side out. This is always a satisfying moment — the bag suddenly snaps into its proper shape, and you can see the exterior fabric on the outside and the lining on the inside, connected cleanly at the top edge.
Push the lining down into the exterior bag and press the top edge carefully with your iron so that the seam sits right at the top without rolling in either direction.
Close the gap in the lining seam by folding the raw edges in to match and sewing close to the folded edge, either by hand with a slip stitch or by machine with a straight stitch close to the edge.
Now topstitch around the top of the bag approximately an eighth of an inch from the edge. Then add a second line of topstitching three-quarters of an inch below the first. The channel between these two lines of topstitching is where your drawstring will run. The channel should be wide enough to accommodate your cord or ribbon with a little ease — if you are using a thick cord, you may want to increase the distance between your two topstitching lines.
Threading the Drawstring
Use a safety pin attached to one end of your cord or ribbon to guide it through the channel. Insert the safety pin into the channel opening on one side seam, work it all the way around through the channel, and bring it back out through the same opening. Both ends of the cord should emerge from the same side.
Tie a knot at each end of the cord so it cannot be pulled back through the channel when the bag is opened and closed. If you are using a ribbon, you can instead leave longer tails and tie them into a bow rather than knotting.
Pull both cord ends gently to test the drawstring action. The bag should cinch smoothly without bunching. If the cord feels stiff going through the channel, run a small piece of beeswax along it — this old sewer’s trick reduces friction and makes the cord glide beautifully.
Fabric and Color Pairing Ideas
One of the great pleasures of making drawstring gift bags is choosing the fabric combinations. A few pairings that work especially well include a classic navy stripe exterior with a cheerful red lining and natural cotton cord, which suits almost any occasion. A soft botanical print in sage and cream with a plain warm white lining and velvet ribbon reads as elegant and modern. For holiday giving, a deep jewel-toned solid — emerald, burgundy, sapphire — lined in a small geometric print and tied with a gold satin ribbon is timelessly beautiful.
For children’s gifts, bold graphic prints in primary colors with a bright stripe lining and colored twill tape make a bag that children themselves will want to repurpose as a toy bag or treasure pouch. For wedding or anniversary gifts, a subtle tone-on-tone texture in ivory or blush with a silk ribbon handle is understated and lovely.
Do not be afraid to go unexpected. A wild, maximalist print on the exterior becomes entirely sophisticated when the lining is a restrained solid, and the combination gives the recipient something to delight in both inside and out.
Tips for Batch Sewing
If you are making bags for a holiday gift exchange, a craft fair, or a party favor situation, batch sewing will save you significant time. Cut all your exterior and lining pieces first, organized by size. Then run all the exterior pieces through the machine for their side and bottom seams, then all the lining pieces, and so on through each step. Moving through one operation at a time rather than completing one bag before starting the next is dramatically faster because you are not constantly rethreading, repositioning, or resetting your machine between tasks.
Keep a consistent pressing routine as you go. Bags that are pressed at every step look noticeably better than those where pressing was skipped to save time, and the actual time spent at the iron is small relative to the improvement in the finished product.
Personalizing and Embellishing
A plain bag can become something even more special with a little embellishment. Iron-on letters from a craft store let you add a monogram or name in minutes. A small fabric patch sewn to the exterior adds personality. A hand-embroidered motif — just a simple running stitch border or a little flower — makes a bag feel genuinely handcrafted in the most intentional sense.
You can also add a small hanging tag. Cut a rectangle of card stock, write a message, punch a hole in the corner, and thread it onto the drawstring cord before knotting the ends. It becomes part of the bag’s design rather than an afterthought.
A Gift That Keeps Giving
There is a lovely circularity to a fabric gift bag. You make it from fabric you love, you fill it with something meaningful, and you give it to someone who will likely use it again for years. It carries the gift out into the world and then keeps going — holding things, traveling to new homes, possibly being passed along again. In a small way, it is a more lasting form of giving than wrapping paper that gets torn off and recycled in minutes.
Tara Schreyer’s drawstring gift bag pattern makes that kind of giving easy and enjoyable, no matter what your experience level is. Set aside an afternoon, pull out your favorite fabrics, and make a stack of them. You will be glad you did every time a birthday or holiday comes around and you already have something beautiful ready to hold your gift.
