My favorite part about giving gifts is choosing the perfect wrapping paper and accessories to make the package 100% complete.  The only problem is that I always spend so much time wrapping and decorating, and then the lucky receiver typically takes no time at all to shred the outer layer and toss it to the side.  It’s kinda like getting a cake from the Cake Boss.

They’re so pretty, I would never want to eat it!

So instead of creating all of the paper waste that goes along with wrapping gifts, why not package them in something that your friends and family can use over and over again?  I found two great tutorials for two very different bags perfect for gift giving!

First up: the Wine Tote from Sewing Republic.

As some of you may have noticed, this is the same wine tote that I made for Christmas gifts, and a birthday gift for my good friend, Alyssa.

You can reuse them over and over again, and they are perfect gifts to bring for the host or hostess of a party!

What makes them even more great, is that you only need two fabric quarters, and at Joann’s you can typically get those for $0.99 each!  Eco-friendly, and great on my wallet!  For these, however, I just used some scraps.

These are super simple to make too, it took me about an hour to whip up both.

To give them a little more pizazz you could consider using a patchwork scheme.

Or, you could add some fabric flowers!

Or, you could add ruffles to the handle – that would be super cute!

Next up we have a similar bag that’s just a bit larger, and instead of having a handle it incorporates a drawstring!  From one of my favorite sewing sites, Sew4Home, this is the Reversible (and Reusable!) Gift Bag.

The finished bag ends up being about 13″ x 11″, but the tutorial is so simple, that you could adjust the measurements to fit whatever size you need easily!

I love that it’s fully reversible – it adds a bit of flair to the bag!

It uses a bit more fabric then the wine bags do, but if you’re a crazy crafter like I am, I’m sure you have some leftover fabrics laying around that you could use!

One change I made to the tutorial was instead of using cord for the draw string, I used leftover fabric from the interior print to make Patchwork String, a great use for scraps from Mairuru.

This project only took me about a half hour.  Great for last minute wrappers!

Well, that’s all for today!  But before I go, I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to another GREEN crafter, the Green Bag Lady!

Since 2008, she has been making reusable fabric shopping bags, and giving them away FREE at events in return for a promise that you will not use paper or plastic bags.  To date, she has given away 8,577 bags!

She also provides great tutorials, for recyclable bags.  On her site you can find a tutorial for Reusable Christmas Bags as well as a download-able pattern.

Time to wrap things up!  But stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll be posting a tutorial on to make headbands out of scraps!

And be sure to check back on Sunday when I announce my first GIVEAWAY!

Annnnd for those following along, make sure you grab a GREEN button, and leave links to your green projects in the comments section!

See you tomorrow!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 7:59 pm and is filed under Bags/Totes/Purses, gifts, Green Crafts, Sewing, Simple Craft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.