donkey drawstring bag

I made this drawstring bag as a birthday present for a friend of mine recently. I’m not very good at thinking of presents to make for guys, because, really, they don’t usually appreciate a purse, which is my standard birthday gift. So I tried to come up with a bag that was utilitarian enough to be gender neutral. It’s modeled after the gym/shoe bags that I’ve seen that can be worn sort of as a backpack, but could also be used to store or hold many kinds of things. Here’s how I made it:

What you will need:
Two rectangles (aprox. 17×16 each) main fabric and lining fabric
Two lengths of elastic cord - 70″
clasp

donkey drawstring bag

Cut two rectangles of each of the lining and main fabric. I used my image transfer method to put a donkey on the front of my piece, because my friend really likes donkeys, but that part is completely optional.

donkey drawstring bag

Lay down one piece of the main fabric, right side up. Place elastic cord about 2-3 inches from each side. Then lay the other piece of main fabric on top, right side facing down. Pin these layers together.

Sew three sides of these rectangles together, sewing over the cording on the bottom.

donkey drawstring bag

Add corner darts for shaping if desired (pinch corners and sew across in a triangle. Trim excess fabric).

donkey drawstring bag

With right sides together, sew three sides of lining, leaving a two inch gap along one side. Shape corners as above.

donkey drawstring bag

Now, go back to the main pieces and turn them right side out. Make a small buttonhole 1/2″ from the top edge on the back piece of the bag.

donkey drawstring bag

Put exterior pieces inside the lining pieces, so that the right sides of both are facing each other (wrong sides facing out). Sew a 1/4″ seam around the top.

Turn the whole thing right side out through the gap in the lining seam.

donkey drawstring bag

Top stitch 1/8″ from edge, then another top stitch 1″ from edge to form casing.

donkey drawstring bag

Thread one side of the cording through the clasp. Attach a safety pin to the end of the cording and thread it through the button hole, around the whole bag and back out the other side of the buttonhole. Thread the other piece of cording through the clasp, and tie the ends of the cording together. Pull the cording back through the buttonhole so the knots are inside the casing and the two sides are even.

Lastly, slip stitch the gap in the lining seam closed.

donkey drawstring bag