Make an organza gift bag: free sewing pattern :: Gift wrapping ideas

Organza gift bag to make - Free sewing pattern - Craft - allaboutyou.com

You will need:

● Organza, or other sheer fabric. To find the size, measure the width and length of your gift and add 12cm to both measurements, to allow for seam allowances, neatening the top edge, plus space to insert the gift and to tie the top.
● Matching ribbon or gold/silver cord for the tie – its length should be double the width of the organza

Sewing the side seams

There are two ways of doing this: French seams or zigzag stitching.

French seams
A French seam gives a lovely neat edge where all the raw edges are hidden away.
With wrong sides together, fold your organza rectangle in half so the shortest edges are matching. Pin together along the two side seams.
Carefully stitch with straight stitch a max of 5mm away from the raw edges, backstitching at the top and bottom to secure. If you’r stitching is not perfectly straight, trim the seam so that it’s no more than 5mm.
Now turn your fabric so the right sides are together (and the wrong sides are facing out), and with your fingers roll, pinch and press the seams so they are flat and the gutter of the seam is right on the edge.
Pin into place and stitch this seam again. You want to stitch 1cm from the edge so that all the raw edges of the first seam are tucked nicely inside.

Zigzag stitching

With wrong sides together, fold your organza rectangle in half so the shortest edges are matching. Pin together along the two side seams.
Using a metallic (or matching) thread, stitch with a small very close-together zigzag (almost like a buttonhole stitch) up the two side seams. You may find you need to do it twice in order to achieve the right effect.

Stitching the top hem

With the gift bag turned the wrong way round, fold in the top edge by 5mm to 1cm.
Then fold in again so all the raw edges are tucked inside.
Stitch around the hem so it lies securely in place.

Attaching the tie

Fold your piece of ribbon or cord in half to find the centre.
Pin the centre of the ribbon to the centre back of your back, a quarter of the length mesurement below the top edge.
Stitch into place with a few hand stitches.
Pop in your gift and tie it up in a neat bow.