The holiday gift-giving season is upon us. Last year, hoping to decrease the wasteful use of Christmas wrapping paper, I learned how to wrap presents with fabric using the Japanese-inspired furoshiki method. I wrote two blogs showing this technique: Furoshiki Fun and Furoshiki Follow-Up.

This year, I was excited to find a way to make reusable fabric gift bags. Following instructions in the Bag It! No-Sew Gift Bags book, I gathered some fun Connecting Threads holiday-themed fabrics, heavy-duty fusible adhesive, trims, and my iron and set forth to make a gift bag – without sewing. The book has instructions for three sizes of bags. A fat quarter of two fabrics makes a medium bag and a 1/2 yard of each is needed for the large bag. Leftover fabric can be made into matching gift cards.

In the Bag It!  book by Teri Henderson Tope, the author recommends using Heat n Bond® Ultra Hold, a double-sided fusible adhesive stronger than regular fusible web. I bought it cut off a bolt; one medium-size bag uses 1/2 yard.

The extra will be used to make gift cards and the small pieces used to adhere the folds in the side and bottom of the bag.

The Heat n Bond® is fused to the front fabric first. I added a strip on the side to make gift cards.

The the lining/cuff fabric is fused to the other side of the fusible to make a double-sided fabric piece. I realized later the author recommends trimming the front fabric before adding the lining/cuff fabric. This would have been easier since I want to put a white fabric on the other side for the gift tags.

Once the two side are fused, a narrow strip of fusible is ironed to one edge.

The fused fabric is rolled into a cylinder or tube so the side can be fused. I used my Clover Iron Safe to protect my iron from the fusible. Clover Wonder Clips helped stabilize the fabric while pressing.

The bag is starting to take shape.

The Hot Hemmer helped me measure down 2″ as I pressed the cuff. The new Clover Hot Ruler would work well also.

The Bag It! book describes how to fold, press, and adhere the sides and bottom of the bag–similar to the way a brown paper bag folds.

Ready for the handles and some trim!

The handles are made from ribbon. The instructions recommend buying a yard of ribbon–about 1″ wide, and cutting two 15″ pieces. I found it better to cut the yard in half and trim later if needed. Adding the eyelets/grommets was very easy with the help of my new favorite tool, the Crop-a Dile Eyelet and Snap Punch by We R Memory Keepers. Also in the scrapbooking section of the craft store, I found a couple of no-iron strong adhesive products for adhering the trim.

The bag folds flat for storage so I can use the gift bags I make year after year. I am eager to make more bags for the holidays. They are so cute they are a gift in themselves!