How to Make Bag Holder Dolls

Bag holder dolls can be a whimsical and charming way to store your extra plastic bags. Hung from a knob or a hook, bags are stuffed through an elasticized opening for storage, and pulled out one at a time when needed. No more clutter caused by disorderly grocery store bags.

Things You'll Need

• Needle/thread
• Sewing machine
• Ruler
• Paper
• 10-inch ribbon
• Three print fat quarters [18 inches by 22 inches]
• One solid fat quarter [18 inches by 22 inches] (skin tones)
• Stuffing [polyfil]
• 8-inch long elastic
• Yarn, fabric paints, embroidery floss (optional)
• Glue gun and glue (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure a 5 ½ inch wide circle on paper. Cut out. Fold the paper circle in half.

   Fold the solid fat quarter in half, forming an 11-inch rectangle. Fold the 11-inch rectangle in half to form a 5 ½ inch wide rectangle. Pin the paper half circle flat edge to the center flat edge of the fabric rectangle.

   Cut around the pattern, cutting straight across to the half circle. Remove pattern and unfold. Pin the wrong sides of the 11-inch rectangle together.

2. Sew all edges closed except for the bottom opening. Sew a 1-inch hem along the bottom to form the casing for the elastic, leaving a 2-inch opening unsewn. Turn right side out through the rectangular bottom opening.

   Thread elastic through the casing (use a safety pin to secure one end of the elastic to the casing opening and a safety pin through the end of the elastic that is being fed through the casing). Sew the ends of the elastic together to finish. You now have a tube with a rounded "head" at the top and an elasticized opening at the bottom.

3. Sew two print fat quarters together at the sides, leaving the top and bottom open. Hem the top and bottom ends. You may sew lace to the bottom end. Gather the top hemmed end and slip it over the "head" of the bag doll. Tighten the gather and sew to secure.

   Cut four 7-inch long by 4-inch wide strips from the remaining print fat quarter. These will be the bag doll's arms. Wrong sides together, sew all edges closed except one end. Turn right side out. Stuff both tubes. Turn raw ends inside the tube, and sew to close. Sew the ends to the neckline of the dress. You may add lace to the ends of the arms for cuffs.

4. Add yarn hair or braids by sewing on or with a glue gun. Paint or sew face. Insert bags through the elasticized opening. Sew a 10-inch ribbon in a loop from the back of doll's neck for hanging.