How to Make Easy Christmas Gift Baggies

Recycle lace for environment-friendly gift giving.

Making easy Christmas gift baggies for all your gift giving will eliminate a large portion of trash generated from your holiday. Sew baggies using recycled lace curtains or tablecloths that are stained, torn or no longer being used. When your gifts are wrapped in pretty colored tissue paper and place in the baggy, the color will peek through the lace. Make several, altering the pattern dimensions, and recycle again by using the baggie year after year.

Things You'll Need

• Recycled lace fabric
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• 24-inch ribbon, 1 inch wide
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Colored Christmas tissue paper

Instructions

1. Measure and cut two rectangles eight inches wide by 10 inches long, from recycled lace fabric. These are the sides of your gift baggie. Cut two 12-inch lengths of one-inch wide ribbon. These will create the handles for the gift baggie.

2. Place the two rectangles together, matching the edges. If there is a wrong side to the lace, place the right sides together. Pin the long edges and one short end. Sew the pinned edges using a one-quarter inch seam allowance. Note: the sewn short end is the bottom of the bag.

3. Line up a side seam of the bag, with the bottom seam. This will create a point to the corner. Pin the seams together two inches from the tip of the point. Sew across the pinned seam, creating the bottom to a triangle. Repeat at the other bottom bag corner. Cut off the excess triangle points, one-quarter inch from the stitched triangle base. This forms a boxed bottom to the Christmas gift baggie. Do not turn the bag right side out.

4. Fold over one-half inch of the bag's top edge. Press with a warm iron. Fold the edge over another one-half inch, press and pin. Sew the pinned hem.

5. Lay the bag flat on your work surface. Center and space the ends of one ribbon length, on the top hemmed edge of the bag side that is facing up. Pin the ends to the bag. Sew the pinned ribbon ends to secure. Flip the bag over and attach the other ribbon handle in the same way.

6. Turn the lace Christmas baggie right side out. Wrap your gift in colored Christmas tissue paper and insert in the bag.