Reindeer Sack Gift Bag Sewing Pattern
Create a cute sack just for holding treats for Santa’s Reindeer with our free Reindeer Gift Bag Sewing Pattern! This project also makes a cute Christmas gift bag.
Gift bags are a great way to wrap unusually shaped presents or a few smaller things all into one gift to unwrap. You can add an extra personal touch, or even an extra gift, by making the gift bags!
This Reindeer Sack will be a cute addition under the tree or by the fireplace filled with gifts or you could use it just as decoration. You could even make nine and have a full reindeer family!
This project would pair wonderfully with a Santa Sack & a Letters to Santa Pocket Pillow!
Supplies Required
- 3/4 Yard Burlap or Canvas
- 3/8 Yard Fabric for Binding & Ribbon (you can also use purchased ribbon.
- Scraps of felt in red, black, white & brown.
How to Get the Printable Pattern Pieces
Just fill out the form below and we will send you the pattern piece.
How to Make a Reindeer Sack
To complete your reindeer gift bag you’ll need to get the pattern piece (information above) and follow the directions on this post.
Reindeer Sack Sewing Pattern
Equipment
supplies
Fabrics
- 3/4 yard Burlap or Canvas
- 3/8 yard Binding & Ribbon Fabric
- 1 piece Brown Felt 6" x 11"
- 1 piece Red Felt 4" x 4"
- 1 piece Black Felt 3 1/2" x 7"
- 1 piece White Felt 1 1/2" x 3"
Other
- 1 Pattern Piece follow directions in blog post to get the pattern piece.
Instructions
Cutting:
- From Main Fabric Cut:20” square (2) 37” x 2” strip (1) From Binding Fabric Cut: 15¼” x 1½” (2) 11” x 1½” (1)9” x 1½” (2)1¼” x WOF (1)
Construction:
- Using the templates as guides, cut out two antlers (mirrored) from the brown felt, one nose from the red felt, two eyes from the black felt and two eye centres from the white felt. Set aside.
- Take one of the Main Fabric squares and mark a 4½” square in both bottom corners, then cut out the squares. Repeat for the second Main Fabric square.
- Now pin the reindeer features to the right side of one of the Main Fabric squares in the following positions: Antlers – place the outside bottom antler corner 4¾” from the top edge of the Main Fabric square and 5½” from the outside edge.
- Eyes – place the eye top edge 1¼” below each antler with the outside edge of the eyes slightly in from the outside edge of the antlers.
- Nose – place the nose centre 10” in from the Main Fabric square side edges and 8½” up from the bottom edge
- Sew all around the eyes and nose to secure in place. Don’t sew around all the edges of the antlers, instead sew a roughly 2” square of stitching around the bottom three edges and across the antler. You can use machine or hand stitching to secure the reindeer features, and chose whichever style of stitching you prefer. I have used a short straight stitch for a raw edge appliqué effect but a zigzag or blanket stitch would also be a great choice.
- Now pin the eye centres in place and sew around.
- Place the two bag pieces, right sides together, line up, and pin/clip the two side edges and the bottom edge. Sew together with a ¼” seam allowance. Set aside.
- Take all the binding strip pieces. Press in half, wrong sides together, along the long edge and then unfold.
- Fold the two short edges in by ¼” and press.
- Fold one long raw edge in to meet the central fold and press. Repeat for the second long raw edge and then unfold.
- Take one of the 15¼” x 1½” pressed binding strips and match one of the long raw binding edges to the raw edge of the bag’s side seam. Line up one end of the binding with the bottom corner, you should be left with about ½” of the seam uncovered at the top edge. Sew along the first fold line.
- Now fold the rest of the binding strip round the bag’s side seam, making sure the remaining binding strip raw edge is folded under the binding strip. Sew the binding strip in place close to the folded edge.
- Repeat with the second 15¼” x 1½” pressed binding strip on the other side seam.
- Follow steps 10 and 11 using the 11” x 1½” pressed binding strip on the bag’s base seam.
- For the bag corners, bring the side seam to meet the base seam, right sides together and pin/clip. Move any excess fabric out of the way so that the pinned/clipped seam lies flat. Sew with a ¼” seam allowance. Repeat for the second corner. You’ll now have the bag shape completed.
- Follow steps 10 and 11 using the two 9” x 1½” pressed binding strips on the corner seams. All the internal seams should now be covered with binding.
- Hem the top of the bag by folding the top edge in by ¼”, pressing then folding in again by another ¼” and sewing in place.
- Take the 37” x 2” Main Fabric strip. Press the two short edges (wrong sides together) in by ¼”, then press one long edge in by ½”, and then repeat for the second long edge.
- Find the centre of the pressed Main Fabric strip, match it to one of the side seams and pin to the outside of the bag, with the top edge of the strip ½” down from the top edge of the bag. Then work your way around the bag pinning the casing strip in place. There will be a gap between the two short ends of the casing strip by the opposite side seam.
- Sew the casing strip in place close to the top and bottom edge.
- Make the ribbon in a similar way to the binding strips (following steps 10 and 11) using the 1¼” x WOF strip. Pin the pressed strip together using the folds so there are no raw edges exposed. I’d recommend pinning the ribbon together for the first few inches before sewing close to the open long edge and then hold the pieces together in small sections as you sew. If you find making your own ribbon too time consuming then you can used ready-made ribbon; choose a ribbon that is about about ⅜” wide and about 43” in length.
- Pin a safety pin to one end of the ribbon and thread it through the casing strip on the bag until it comes out of the other end of the casing strip.
- Pull both ends of the ribbon to draw the top of the bag closed. Take you time with this step as the burlap may be stiff.
- Finish by tying the ribbon in a bow.
About the Designer:
Amy lives in the north of England with her husband and son. When she’s not sewing and quilting, Amy can usually be found baking or reading. You can find her on Instagram @amyatthegate