How to Design a Drawstring Bag

A drawstring bag is one of the most basic, yet ingenious, designs among the many types of cloth pouches. Requiring little or no sewing, drawstring bags make for an excellent child's or beginner's cloth craft, whether they're designed for everyday use or as an old-fashioned costume accessory. A drawstring bag suited to your needs in terms of both size and function can be created simply with a round piece of cloth and a length of cord.

Things You'll Need

• String
• Pencil or tailor's chalk
• Thumbtack
• Fabric or thin leather
• Needle
• Thread
• Cording
• Scissors
• Grommets (optional)

Instructions

1. Choose a fabric for the bag. Select a sturdy but thin and supple material, such as soft leather, linen or muslin. The smaller the bag is, the thinner your material should be, since the bunching and folding of the material around the drawstring can restrict the ease of use.

2. Calculate how deep you want your bag to be. Use a piece of string to help you visualize and measure the depth: tie a pencil or a piece of tailor's chalk to one end of the string and tie a knot in the other. Pin the knot to the cloth near the center using a thumbtack, stretch the string until it's taut, and rotate the pencil end around the knot like you would with a compass, drawing a circle. If you are not using leather for your bag, add 1/2 inch to the outside edge of the circle to compensate for a hem.

3. Make indications on the cloth where holes should be placed for the drawstring to pass through. Place holes at least 1/4 inch in from the edge of the circle (farther for larger bags) and 1/2 inch apart. Use grommets to reinforce the holes if you are not using leather and you intend to use the bag on a regular basis. Create an even number of hole markings--this will ensure that both ends of the drawstring will emerge on the same side of the bag.

4. Cut out the fabric and create the holes for the drawstring with the tip of your scissors. If you are using fabric, hem it by folding the raw edge of the fabric 1/4 inch toward the inside of the bag and securing it in place with a needle and thread.

5. Calculate the length of your drawstring. Multiply your depth measurement from Step 2 by 3. Cut a cord to this length, plus 2 inches for knot-tying. Err on the side of too much length since you can always trim excess cord.

6. Feed the drawstring through the holes, and tie the ends in a secure knot.

References

• "The Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of Techniques and Projects"; Valerie Michael; 2006