The Everfold Gift Bag

An adjustable, reversible and reusable gift wrapping bag designed for thoughtful gifts worth giving beautifully.

I can kind of blame my brother for this one. (what can't I blame him for, really?) 

Years ago he and my Sister-In-Law decided to focus on sustainable gifting, with pre-loved or hand-me-down gifts for Christmas.  I happily obliged because my kids are the perfect age to hand things down to their kids - and decluttering is probably my second favourite thing to do after quilting, especially if I can purge my kids' rooms while I'm at it.

Double bonus  - their kids' birthdays are also in the winter, so I could ship Christmas and Birthday presents to them in one box.

In keeping with their focus on sustainability, I wanted to wrap the gifts from our house in something reusable.  But, the gifts had to be boxed up and shipped a fair distance which meant paper gift wrap could get ripped and paper gift bags would get crushed.

Enter the fabric gift bag. 

A simple rectangle folded over and sewn on three sides with a drawstring top. Completely squishable.  Totally practical.  And honestly,  I did send a few things in these kinds of bags so there's no shade at all.  They've travelled between our houses a couple of times now.  

But a regular fabric gift bag is a bit boring. 

It doesn't look quite as pretty under a tree like a paper-wrapped gift.  It doesn't have ribbons or bows.  It flops over if the gift inside is too small.  It's the same fabric each year.  Who has time at Christmas to make the perfectly sized fabric bag for each thing anyway?

Who wants to store all the different sized bags year after year like a shoe store?  

Sidebar: Yes, I realize this is completely hypocritical given the size of my fabric stash.  But we're not talking about that.

 So - I designed a gift bag that is:

• Reversible
• Adjustable to three sizes
• Re-usable year after year
• Made from two fat quarters
• Finished with french seams to prevent snags
• Fast to wrap once sewn ( shove, fold and tie!)
• Ideal for awkwardly shaped gifts
• Prettier than a standard fabric gift bag
• Customizable for any occasion

And, maybe best of all, it's perfect for gifting a quilt.

The Everfold Gift Bag folds onto itself to adjust the size, fastens with buttons and elastic loops, and ties with ribbons to look more like a traditionally wrapped gift than a standard fabric bag.

It's the kind of project that started as a way to use what I had, avoid disposable wrapping, and make gift-giving a little more thoughtful - but it quickly became one of the most useful handmade things I bring out year after year. 

But it's not just a Christmas wrap substitute.

Because it is completely customizable to your occasion, Everfold can be used to:

• Wrap a Quilt you are gifting - make Everfold with the fat quarters you didn't use in the quilt)
  • Tuck in a quilt care bundle - colour catchers, lint roller and repair scraps.
• Wrap awkwardly shaped or gifts with sharp edges - no ripping!
  • Toys with molded plastic packaging
  • Gardening tools, gloves and seeds
  • A Baby Bundle - onsies, burp cloths, books, small toys. Use the bag for diaper supplies after gifting.
• Feature fabrics that feel personal to the recipient.
  • The perfect opportunity to use themed, holiday or coloured fabrics that are special to the giftee.
• Create a custom bag for children so when they see it, they know it's theirs.
  • For sleepovers (PJ's, toothbrush/paste, hair brush, stuffy)
  • For Movie Nights (popcorn, candy, cozy socks and a movie gift card or dvd
  • Special Birthday or Holiday Wrap
• Cover food in transit.
  • Cotton breathes! Cover a pie, plate of cookies or homemade buns in the car.
• Gift a loaf of Sourdough without making it sweat.
• Keep a quilting, knitting or crochet project together as a project bag.
• Travel - make a kit with a sleep mask, charging cord, toiletries, socks/slippers- then use it as a laundry bag

New subscribers to Arrowleaf Field Notes, receive the pattern for The Everfold Gift Bag for free. 

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