Drawstring bags are available in various sizes, colors and materials. Typically made of fabrics like nylon, canvas, heavy duck, ballistic nylon, coated fabric, & vinyl. Drawstring bags are great for organizing your backpack. Put all the small backpacking gear in drawstring bags and put the drawstring bags inside your backpack.

Free Instructions On How To Sew A Drawstring Bag In Minutes

By Jennifer Thoden

Drawstring bags are one of those sewing projects that can transcend all purposes. You can make them to hold small objects, like those seasonal colored glass rocks that you fill your vases with. You can use them as gift bags to cover wine bottles, hold small jewelry boxes, or any size gift. You can make them for decorative items for your home or bath.

fabric drawstring bag

Pick out your fabric. You’ll need a little more than twice your bag’s dimensions. So, if your bag will be 12″ by 5″, then you want fabric that is at least 24″ plus 1 1/2″ by 5″ plus 1″.

You’re also going to need some cord, ribbon, or whatever you plan on using for a drawstring. You will need the diameter of your bag plus at least 8″. In the example above, I am making a bag that is 5″ wide, so the diameter will be 10″. I will need 10″ plus 8″ of cord.

Once you have your dimensions, cord and your fabric, follow these easy step-by-step instructions below to learn how to sew a drawstring bag.

1. Cut your fabric so that the length is twice the finished length plus 1 1/2″.Example: The finished width of my bag will be 12″. So I will cut my fabric to be 24″ plus 1 1/2″ long… 25 1/2″.
2. Cut your fabric so that the width is the finished width plus 1/2″. Example: The finished width of my bag will be 5″. So I will cut my fabric to be 5″ plus 1/2″ wide… 5 1/2″.
3. Serge or overlock stitch the raw edges. If you don’t have an overlock stitch, you can sew a zig-zag stitch along your raw edges.
4. Fold the fabric in half… right sides together… wrong sides facing out… aligning the raw side edges and the raw top edges. The folded edge will be the bottom of your bag.
5. Press and pin if necessary.
6. On one side, sew all the way up the side edges with a 1/4″ seam. Be sure to back stitch in the beginning and end of the stitching to lock the stitch.
7. Measure down the other raw side edge 3/4″ and mark with a pin.
8. Sew a 1/4″ to sew the other side seam… but this time stop at the pin mark. Be sure to back stitch in the beginning and end of the stitching to lock the stitch.
9. Fold down the top raw edge a 1/4″ and press.
10. Fold down the top edge again 1/2″ and press. The folded edge created in step 9 should align with the mark made in step 7.
11. Starting at the mark made in step 7, stitch around the bag close to the folded edge created in step 9. This will create the pocket for your drawstring.
12. Turn the bag right side out and press well.
13. Slide your drawstring through the pocket. You may want to use some wire and a safety pin to help pull the cord through the pocket.

A drawstring bag is super easy to make. The fun is making the design your own. Spend the time in the details and you’ll be sewing drawstring bags all the time.

Also, check out the other article on Packaging Bag and Messenger Bags.

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