{"title":"How to Make a Drawstring Bag","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/sewing/how-to-make-a-drawstring-bag","category":{"slug":"sewing","name":"Sewing"},"creator":{"name":"Erica Arndt","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0wN7fS1ATmM4ZTafhB9oBg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5B9VJS5fvg"},"tldr":"Sew a drawstring bag from one 12 x 28 inch rectangle of cotton. Ten photo steps: hem the edges, fold the casing, sew the sides, thread the cord.","totalDurationSeconds":534,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["sewing machine","iron","ironing board","fabric scissors","rotary cutter","cutting mat","quilting ruler","large safety pin","seam ripper"],"materials":["quilting cotton fabric, 12 x 28 inches","twill ribbon or cord, 28 inches","all-purpose sewing thread"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cut One 12 x 28 Inch Rectangle of Cotton Fabric","text":"Lay your quilting cotton on the cutting mat and cut one piece 12 inches wide by 28 inches long. A rotary cutter and a quilting ruler give the cleanest edge, though sharp fabric scissors are fine if you mark the lines first. Cut the ribbon at the same time so everything is ready to go. From one yard of 44 inch fabric you can get four of these rectangles with almost nothing left over."},{"number":2,"title":"Press the Long Edges Under Twice","text":"Turn one long edge over about a quarter inch and press it down. Turn it over the same amount again so the raw edge is tucked inside the fold, then press it again. Work along the whole 28 inches, then repeat on the second long edge. There is no measuring here. Keep the fold even against itself and let the iron set the crease so it stays put at the machine."},{"number":3,"title":"Topstitch Both Long Edges","text":"Take the piece to the machine and stitch close to the inner folded edge, straight down the length of the fabric. Keep the needle about an eighth of an inch from the fold. Do the same on the second long edge. These two lines of stitching seal the raw fibers inside the hem and stop the bag fraying once it gets used and washed."},{"number":4,"title":"Fold the Drawstring Casing at Each End","text":"Press each short end under a quarter inch, then a quarter inch again, the same way you did the long sides. Now fold that finished end down about an inch and a quarter and press the fold flat. That deeper fold becomes the drawstring channel. Measure the second end against the first so both casings match, and set the fold with a ruler before you bring the iron across."},{"number":5,"title":"Stitch the Casing Channels","text":"Sew along the inner folded edge of the casing, catching the pressed hem underneath as you go. Backstitch at the start and the finish so the channel does not pull open when you tug on the drawstring. Repeat on the other end of the fabric. Leave the sides of the casing completely alone. Those open ends are where the cord goes in and comes out."},{"number":6,"title":"Fold the Bag in Half, Right Sides Together","text":"Fold the piece in half across its width with the printed sides facing each other. Line up the side edges, and more importantly line up the two casing seams so the top of the bag sits level. Pins or sewing clips hold everything steady if you want them, but on a piece this small they are optional."},{"number":7,"title":"Sew the Side Seams and Stop at the Casing","text":"Start each side seam right where the casing stitching ends, not at the very top of the bag. Backstitch there, sew straight down to the folded bottom, and backstitch again. Repeat on the other side. Sewing past that starting point closes off the drawstring opening, and there is no fixing that without a seam ripper."},{"number":8,"title":"Turn the Drawstring Bag Right Side Out","text":"Reach into the top of the bag, grab a bottom corner and pull it back through the opening. Push both bottom corners out with a blunt point like a chopstick, then press the whole bag so the seams lie flat. It stops looking like a folded rectangle at this point and starts looking like a bag."},{"number":9,"title":"Thread the Drawstring With a Safety Pin","text":"Cut the ribbon to length and trim each end at an angle so it feeds cleanly. Clip a large safety pin through one end, push it into the casing opening, and work it along by scrunching the fabric onto the pin and pulling it forward. Feed it out the far side, then carry on back through the second opening so the cord travels all the way around the bag."},{"number":10,"title":"Pull the Drawstring and Tie the Ends","text":"Even up both ends of the ribbon so they hang the same length, then pull them apart to gather the top of the bag closed. Tie the two ends together in a plain knot a couple of inches from the tips. Give the bag one last press if you want the sides crisp. That is the bag done."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-09-16T19:25:49.702Z","published":"2026-09-16T19:25:43.072Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}