STYLISH SANTA SACKS

No need for wrapping paper with these beautiful bags and you can re-use them year after year

YOU WILL NEED

✽ A set of fabric fat quarters or small pieces of cotton fabric at least 50cm square ✽ 2 x 1m lengths ribbon

✽ Embroidery threads ✽ Sewing machine ✽ Pins ✽ Scissors ✽ Bodkin or safety pin ✽ Embroidery needle

TO MAKE A LARGE BAG

❶ Allow a 5mm seam allowance on all seams and joins. See illustration, left.

❷ First cut a 32 x 44 cm rectangle for the back panel. To make the patchwork front take 5 pieces of fabric, cut one 32 x 13cm (A); one 15 x 23cm (B); one 15 x 11cm (C); one

21 x 20cm (D), and one 18 x 12cm (E).

❸ Sew rectangles B and C together, and then sew D and E together. Sew these two combined rectangles top and bottom to rectangle A. Press all seams flat.

❹ Pin the front and back rectangles together right side facing. Starting 10cm down from the top, sew the two rectangles together around the edge with a 5mm seam allowance. Finish 10cm from the top on the other side.

❺ To make the drawstring channel: turn, pin, hem then press the four raw edges at the sides of the bag, then turn down and press the top of the bag to create a 5cm hem.

Sew two rows of stitches along the front and back of the bag: one 5mm from the top of the fold and one 4.5cm down.

❻ Turn the bag right side out and press.

❼ Thread the ribbon through the channels: To make the ribbon easier to thread through the channel, thread one end on to a large bodkin or safety pin. Thread the ribbon through the channel in one side and all round until it comes out the same side as it entered. Repeat with the second length of ribbon in and out the opposite holes.

❽ Tie the ribbon ends together forming a drawstring. When you pull the ribbons, the bag should automatically close.

❾ Decorate the bag by embroidering on the name or initial of the recipient.