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Drawstring bags are easy to make, but this drawstring bag was incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel to make. Yous won't believe how fast information technology came together. Perfect for toting a craft projection, separating your shoes from your clothes in a suitcase or for property smaller items together in a larger tote. Yous can customize the size without doing math and employ upward scraps from your stash.

This drawstring bag is based on one I saw and was going to sew to give abroad as gifts. However, it had to be modified afterwards I read that the bag was lined. Information technology'due south not that I mind a little lining information technology's that I already spent far too long picking out the fabrics for the outside of the numberless. There was no way was I going to make whatever more than decisions on what fabric to use.

So I figured out how to eliminate the lining and in doing then made information technology simpler and faster to sew and use less fabric.

This tutorial uses a serger (having merely recently got one I'grand all about using information technology) but you tin can sew together this entirely with a conventional sewing machine. If you exercise at that place will exist one extra step but I hope this will yet be a super fast and easy project.

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Yous will need:

  • A dorsum and a forepart cut the aforementioned size for the handbag. (Mine is x″ wide by 12 1/two″ tall)
  • Two strips cut the same width equally your handbag and 2″ / 50mm alpine for the casing.
  • Two pieces of cording or ribbon (1/ii″ / 10mm wide) for the drawstrings each as long every bit 3x the width of your bag. (a ten″ wide handbag needs two pieces each 30″ long). After cut to length use some Fray Check on the ends to prevent them from unraveling.
  • Miscellaneous Tools: bodkin

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Fold the short ends of the casing pieces in 1/ii″ / 10mm and press.

Fold the raw edge back in, under itself and printing. Do this to both pieces.

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Sew the folded edge down communicable all of the layers on the ends. Press.

Fold the casing strips in one-half lengthwise and press.

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Discover the centre of the casing strips and the bag pieces by folding them in half. Finger press the fold hard enough to leave a crease.

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Place a casing strip on the right side of one bag piece lining up the raw edge of the strip with the top edge of the bag. Lining up the creases you just made volition centre the strip onto the bag. Pivot to hold in identify. Do the aforementioned with the remaining casing strip and bag piece.

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Serge the bag and the strip together using 1/4″ / 6mm seam allowance.

If you are not using a serger and then sew this seam with a ane/4″ / 6mm seam allowance AND (the 1 actress footstep) after sewing the seam run a wide zig-zag stitch over the edge of the seam allowances to encase the raw edge.

Printing the casing strip upwards and the seam allowances down.

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Topstitch on the front through the handbag catching the seam allowance on the underside.

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Pivot the two handbag pieces together, right sides together. Sew around the sides and bottom using a one/4″ / 6mm seam allowance. I serged this seam but you practice not demand to nor do you need to zig-zag over the seam assart if you do non employ a serger.

Plough correct side out and press.

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Your cording or ribbon (grosgrain ribbon pictured above) will be feed into the casings in this way.

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Place your cord or ribbon into your bodkin (mine is customized, or some would say, bent). First at either the right or left side of the bag and insert the bodkin into the casing which is laying on the top.

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When you get to the gap on the other side, spring it, and insert the bodkin into the side by side casing.

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Bring the bodkin out at the finish of the bottom casing. The ribbon enters into the correct side, top casing and exits out the right side, lesser casing (or left side only top and lesser stay the same).

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Tie the ends of the ribbon together. Make the knot at the cease of the ribbon.

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Feed the 2nd ribbon into the casings the aforementioned way as the first but start on the reverse side than the first ribbon. Since I am right handed I started on the right both times but I flipped the bag over then I would be starting on the contrary side the second time.

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The 2nd ribbon inbound and exiting the casings.

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Necktie the ends of the 2nd ribbon. If you lot oasis't already, employ Fray Check to the cutting ends of the ribbon or cord to stop them from unraveling.

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To shut this bag, pull on the ribbons on both sides.

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This i is done.

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And so are these. To make it go even faster I made these at the aforementioned time, assembly line mode. If you make more than than i at the same fourth dimension choose a thread for the auto and serger that coordinates with all of your fabric to avoid any rethreading.

How could you make this project suit your style?

  • The casing and the bag can be the same fabric
  • You could box the bottom corners
  • Brand the casing wider to really exist seen
  • Add a patch pocket to the outside to hold peanut Chiliad&Ms
  • Really apply your scraps and make the handbag patchwork or bands of unlike fabrics
  • Make it in tulle or mesh for belongings gym apparel within your bigger tote
  • Line information technology 😉

Hope you institute this just every bit quick and like shooting fish in a barrel as I did. Any questions please let me know, I'm here to aid.