December is almost over but you still need a few gifts for your friends and co-workers. We've given you some instructions on how to inexpensively make both Tile Coasters and Ceramic Mugs. Our last inexpensive homemade gift item for the 2015 holiday season is Wine Bags. These bags take less than 20 minutes and are very inexpensive to make.
Materials
- (1) fat quarter of fabric (patterned)
- (1) fat quarter of fabric (solid)
- Ruler
- Matching thread
- Pinking Shears (if you have them – not required)
Note: Fat quarters are pre-cut pieces of fabric used for quilting and are available at fabric shops. If you can’t find a fat quarter in the design you like, you can get a ½ yard of fabric cut from a bolt of fabric. If you get a ½ yard of fabric you’ll have more fabric left over, but won’t have enough to make 2 wine bags out of it so save the extra for another project.
Directions
1. Iron your fabric and then cut each fat quarter to measure 12” x 16”. Save the left over from your solid fabric for later.
2. Fold each 12” x 16” piece of fabric with their right sides together so that the printed fabric looks inside out. Some solid fabrics will have a side that is more obviously the right side and some won’t.
3. Sew down the long edge of the folded rectangle of the patterned fabric and along the bottom edge using a ½” seam allowance. Repeat the same thing with your solid fabric.
4. Pinch the corners of one of the sewn pieces of fabric and fold the seam over. Pin in place. Measure 1.5” from the tip of the corner down and mark. Sew horizontally across the corner at your measurement. Repeat in the opposite corner. Do the same for your other piece of fabric.
5. Turn your patterned fabric inside out so that the patterned side of the fabric is now on the outside. Leave your solid fabric inside out. Slip the solid fabric inside the patterned bag – be sure that the seams match up.
You have one of two options at this step. I chose to sew the two fabrics together on the outside of the fabric without folding them and then used pinking shears to trim the top.
If you don’t have pinking shears (which stops the fabric from fraying), you can fold each raw edge of the two fabrics inward and pin together. Then sew the raw edges together using a small seam allowance (about ¼”).
6. Next take your extra piece of solid fabric and cut a piece that is 1.5” x 16”. Fold it in half the long way (right sides together) and then sew along the long edge with a small seam allowance. Sew one short end closed and leave the other short end open. Take an unsharpened pencil or a chopstick, place it on the closed end and begin pushing the fabric back through itself so it turns itself right side out. Sew the open end closed and now you have a tie. Iron the tie flat.
7. Place a bottle of wine (or bubble bath) inside, close with your tie and gift away!
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