Sew Mini Gift Pouches from Napkins

AllPouches.jpgOh the quandary of what to get my boy’s teachers, the sitter, and all those other important people in our lives. Usually I take the easy way out and buy gift cards. Well – okay – I’m still going to give the gift cards, but this year I wanted to present them in something a little nicer. Something handmade with love. Cute mini gift pouches!

These little handmade pouches are perfect for holding a gift card and some holiday treats. And then after the holiday season has ended, the recipient can use the pouch to protect and store valuables!

My pouches started like this:

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Discounted cloth napkins! 90 cents for each napkin. And here is how they became cute little mini gift pouches:

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Open the napkin up and cut it into quarters.

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Fold the napkin in half.

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Allow 1/4 inch seam allowance on the open edge of your pouch, then layout your design and sketch with a disappearing marker where your stitch lines will appear.

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Sew along the lines you drew. (My machine has a few decorative stitches, but I could have done them by hand instead.)

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Then hand sew the buttons on where you want them.

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Once your design has been completely stitched You will need to hem the raw edge on your napkin.

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Next, fold over the top of your pouch approximately 1/2″ to accommodate your ribbon drawstring.

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Stitch the ribbon drawstring pocket closed. If your sewing machine has decorative stitches you may choose to use one of them, but be sure to sew on the right side.

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Fold your napkin back in half with the right sides together, and stitch along the bottom and open sides of your pouch. (I stitched this pouch a little higher on the bottom edge to make the flower stems end in the seam.) Be careful to stop stitching up the side before the drawstring opening.

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Snip off the corners of your pouch.

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Turn your pouch right side out.

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Cut a length of ribbon long enough to thread through the top of your pouch and to tie a bow. Then attach a safety pin to one end of the ribbon. (I added some scotch tape so the pin wouldn’t fray the ribbon.)

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Gently feed the ribbon through the bag using the safety pin to push its way through.

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Add some goodies to your pouches and tie the ribbon to close it up.

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For the Rudolf and tree bag, I simply cut out the shapes using felt and stitched around the edges.

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One more trick for you. The snowman’s eyes were added after I stitched the button on using white thread. Then I re-threaded my needle and sewed in and out a few times on each hole to give him little black eyes.

I will be the first to admit that I need to center my designs a little better, but for now I’m happy with them. And, hey, isn’t it the imperfections that make them look handmade?

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Update: I made a few more pouches last night, and altered my snowmen to a four hole button which gave me the option to add a mouth. I’m also perfecting my technique and getting better (not perfect) at centering the designs.

 

 

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DIY Christmas gift pouches made from napkins

Our preschool silent auction is today. Every year I donate a one-of-a-kind birdhouse to be auctioned off. I never spend more than $3 on the birdhouse and usually buy the unpainted versions at Michael’s or ACMoore. Then I get creative by hand-painting a scene and add unexpected touches to the house – thus creating birdhouses with style.
2008 – Jardin da Girasoli de Vendere “Vendor of Sunflowers”

Painting sunny sunflowers and some green grass gave this birdhouse a sunny garden look. I added a gold spigot for the new perch. Using a spade bit in my drill, I cut a hole slightly smaller than the spigot, then simply screwed the spigot in place. For added stength I coated the threads with some E-6000. Can anyone guess what the roof tiles are made from? They are canvas shims! Those are the freebie scraps if wood that come with a painter’s canvas! Painting them bright red took the little birdhouse from cute to bidding war worthy!

2009 – Red & White Bird Silhouette Round House

I apologize right now for the condition of this picture! Obviously this is the only picture I took of this cute little abode. The birdhouse was a $2 find at my local Goodwill. The roof was detaching and it was painted an ugly 90’s hunter green and burgundy. I gave the house a good cleaning, then glued and nailed the roof back on. After a fresh coat of primer and white paint, I hand-painted the bird motif and the roof and base. The perch is a curtain rod screw (that holds the rod in the curtain rod bracket). Then she received a little green ribbon and a silver bell on the top. So simple, but one of my favorites!

2010 – Christmas Time, Snow and a Pinecone Roof
Another unpainted house picked up at Michael’s. This house got some serious head turning attention with a pinecone plank roof, white snow, glitter, and a stick for a perch. The tutorial to make this birdhouse can be found here.

The back has a large Christmas tree decorated for the holidays. I hope the birds appreciate it.

To protect all my birdhouses from the elements (should they really be “for the birds”), I coated them with a few coats of polyurethane.

I know that some of you might be thinking you can’t do this, but let me float some ideas for you. Instead of decorative painting try:
  • Mod Podge Wallpaper on the sides
  • Mod Podge Fabric to the sides
  • Use a stencil
  • Search the web for picture inspiration and trace it onto your birdhouse.
  • Use painters tape to create stripes
  • Let your little ones decorate the house with paint

So, how much do you think my pinecone roof birdhouse will fetch today? I hope more than $3!