Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Prepared for Sewing for Charity Australia by Katrina Bailey from Madkat
Designs.

This pattern has been designed for use by Sewing for Charity Australia
Volunteers.

You are welcome to use and share amongst other charity sewing groups,
however you may not profit from the sale of this tutorial or items made using
this tutorial.

We would love to see photos of your finished products! Share on our volunteer
Facebook group Sewing for Charity Australia Volunteers or on Instagram using
the #sfca.

This tutorial will work for any size drawstring bag. Simply take the finished size
that you want to be and add the seam allowance. In this tutorial I have used a
seam allowance of 1 cm/ 3/8” inch

Materials
2 pieces of fabric 18cm/7” x 23cm/9” (for a finished bag of approximately 15cm/
6” x 20cm/ 8”)
2 pieces of ribbon/ cord/ cotton tape 35cm/14” long
1. Finished 3 edges of your fabric by either overlocking, using a zig zag stitch
or pinking shears. I have used an overlocker. Repeat this for your second
piece of fabric.

2. Place both pieces of fabric right sides together. Measure down from the
top edge 2 ½”/ 6cm and mark and both sides. Sew from one of these
marks down to the bottom, pivot and sew across the bottom and them
pivot and sew back up to the second mark, joining the 2 pieces of the
fabric together.
3. Fold over the top edge ¼” / 7mm and press. You can stitch this in place to
hold if you like. I have chosen not to.

4. Fold over the seam allowance of the side sides wrong sides together,
stitch in place.
5. Fold the top edge down 2.5cm/ 1” and press and pin in place and then
stitch across the bottom folded edge
6. Next we are going to box the corner. From you line of stitch measure a
2.5cm (1”) x 2.5cm (1”) square and mark. Do this on both sides of the
fabric. Pull both layers of fabric away from one another so that the lines
on both side of the fabric end up forming a straight line. Put a pin along
this line.
7. Sew a line of stitching, along the line that we have just marked with the
pin. Trim the excess from this seam and finish the edge. I have done this
by snipping off he excess fabric with pinking shears.

8. Next its time to thread our drawstring through. Using a safety pin or
bobkin thread your chosen drawstring. Thread the drawstring through
one of the openings out the other end and then continue back through the
other side. Once you have done this, knot the ends of the drawstring.
Repeat this for the second drawstring starting on the opposite side of the
bag.
Your drawstring bag is now complete.