Sew Cute: Ribbon Goodie Bags

It’s finally, officially spring! The snow has melted, flowers are beginning to bloom and it seems like just about everyone is having a party for something. I always think of spring as the “party season”: there are graduation parties, bridal showers, birthdays and just those “It’s warm so I want people to come over” type of get-togethers. Parties are (obviously) awesome for any number of reasons, but I’m especially a fan of the party favors hosts sometimes share. A little collection of candies and other treats, just for me? It’s like happiness in a bag!

I thought I’d make my own version of the classic goodie bag, using pretty patterned fabric and satin ribbon. The construction itself is nice and simple, so it’d be easy to make a bunch of these for a special occasion. Imagine how fun these would be to hand out at your BFF’s bridal shower, or what a great touch they would add to a graduation party if you made them in your school colors!

 Materials:

• Patterned fabric
• Thread in a corresponding color to the fabric
• Ribbon
• Basic sewing needle
• Straight pins
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Fray check (optional—you can skip this step if you’re making a bunch of goodie bags and want to save some time)
• Ballpoint pen
• Iron and ironing board
• Optional: sewing machine

Craft away:

Draw a 10-inch wide circle onto the fabric, and cut it out. Pro tip: I find a dinner plate does nicely as a template in a pinch!

Fold the edges of the fabric in 1/4 inch, towards the wrong side of the fabric. Iron the fold to set it in place, and finish setting the fold with pins.

Stitch the fold in place, using either the needle and thread or a sewing machine. Use a basic straight stitch.

Draw a series of vertical lines on the inside of the fabric, just inside the seam you just stitched. Space them 1 inch apart, and make the lines just slightly longer than your ribbon is wide – these will make the holes for your drawstring.

Snip the marked lines to make little slits. Be careful not to cut through your stitches!

If you’re using fray check, dab a couple of drops of fray check on the edges of each slit, and let the fabric dry completely. Make sure you do this step on a piece of wax paper or another surface you can get a bit messy, so you don’t get drops on your work space. I highly recommend testing the fray check on a scrap piece of your fabric first – sometimes the solution can discolor it.

While you’re waiting for the fabric to dry, cut a 30-inch piece of ribbon.

Once your fabric is dry, thread the ribbon through the slits, weaving in and out like you would with a needle and thread.

Pull the ribbon tight so that the fabric gathers up and becomes a little bag.

Trim the ends of the ribbons into little points.

When your bag is filled and ready to be closed, simply pull the ribbons tight and tie them into a pretty bow.

Ta da! You have your own darling treat bags, ready to be handed out at your next get-together.