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Do You Knit Gift Bags?

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Knit gift bags to make Christmas a little greener.There’s a lot of waste involved in the holiday season, not the least of which is all the wrapping paper and gift bags that might just get thrown away after being used once.

Now I usually used paper gift bags and I reuse them as often as I can, but there are other options. My sister-in-law uses a lot of sewn fabric gift bags, and we pass them back and forth among the family.

But Pam Mackenzie notes that you can also knit gift bags, which she has done for years. The article includes a basic pattern for drawstring bags knit in three sizes. She uses cotton, which makes the bags both durable and inexpensive.

It doesn’t take long to knit simple bags like these, and they can be used over and over for any gift-giving occasion. They also make a purchased gift — even a gift card — a little more special (speaking of gift cards, I did a pattern last year for knit gift card holders shaped like stockings, which you can use to decorate the tree before you hand them out).

Do you knit gift bags or otherwise try to be eco-friendly with your wrapping? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via My Central New Jersey.]

Looking for more Christmas themed Knitting patterns? Check out some of our favorite Knitting patterns on Etsy and

These Christmas Knitting Pattern Books on Amazon

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Comments

  2. I haven’t knit gift bags, but I have been sewing gift bags for years. I really hate gift wrap because it’s so wasteful both money and trash.

Have you read?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]