Christmas gift bags

Paper waste ought not to be a holiday tradition. So, in an attempt to do a little better in that department, I made some Christmas gift bags to reuse year after year.

I made a couple of different versions. The one above is basically how you'd make a pillowcase, but on a smaller scale and with the fabric doubled over for reinforcement. The handles are sturdy ribbon.

This was a simple one. Just spiffy up a presewn canvas tote using a coordinating strip of fabric or ribbon. I found red and natural canvas totes in various sizes at Hobby Lobby.

Less trash, more style. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

Travel cosmetic roll

I'm finally learning how to sew (gasp!). For one of my first projects, I had success in using Nested's pattern for a crayon pouch. The next step was adapting the pattern into a travel cosmetic roll, which wasn't awfully challenging.

Here's the one I made for my sister's birthday. The overall dimensions are 7.5 in x 13.5 in (floral fabric), with the compartment section (solid pink felt) at 4.5 in x 13.5 in. The width for the individual makeup compartments range from 1–2 inches in width. You can just guesstimate the sizes as you go, or measure the items you're planning on inserting and do some customizing that way.

You can see that my stitching is far from perfect, but it gets the job done. I'm figuring out my sewing machine on my own after a short lesson from my aunt, and it's a process! I think I may have had the tension too tight for this project. See how the whole thing puckers?

Another way I adapted the original Nested pattern was that instead of having the ribbon tie, I opted to sew on some Velcro on the righthand edge of the pouch and about halfway on the opposite side.

This pink ribbon is purely decorative. After all, it's a gift, right?! :) The roll is actually secured by the Velcro. I figured tying and untying the ribbon after each use would get annoying.

Happy crafting, everyone!