Pumpkin Drawstring Pouch Tutorial

Is your house the one that all the children in your neighborhood love to trick-or-treat at because you give out amazing goodie bags? If not, then consider using my Pumpkin Drawstring Pouch Tutorial to sew up some fun halloween themed treat bags to fill with candy to give all the ghosts, monsters, princesses, and super heroes that stop by your house this year! They will love you for sure!

Not only are these little 6" x 6" drawstring pouches absolutely adorable sewn in halloween print fabrics designed by Ann Kelle, but they are quick and easy to sew. Plus, they are reusable and ideal for all sorts of other things besides candy. They make great jewelry pouches, organizers for sewing supplies, gift card bags, or even a little first aid kit to keep in the car.


Ready to get started sewing your own Pumpkins Drawstring Pouch? Let's go!

SUPPLIES:

• sewVery Pumpkin Drawstring Pouch Pattern (download from Craftsy HERE (affiliate link))
• 1/4 yard Ann Kelle fabrics in a fun print
• 1 1/4" wide x width of fabric strip for drawstrings
• Fabric pen
• Iron
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Pinking Shears
• Pins
• Safety Pin
• Sewing Machine and Thread

CUT:

• Print and cut out the Pumpkin Drawstring Pouch Pattern piece
• Use the pattern piece to cut 2 pieces of Ann Kelle fabric
• Cut a 1 1/4" wide x width of fabric piece in a coordinating print or solid color fabric

After cutting out the main pouch fabric pieces, fold over the top portion of each pouch piece 1" so that wrong sides are together and press. This will form the casing of the pouch later.

Next, use a fabric pen to place a mark on the wrong side of the fabric roughly 1/8" above the bottom edge of the folded piece. Do this on both the left and right side of one pouch piece.

Open the fold back up and place both pouch pieces right sides together. Pin.

Leaving the top open, use a 1/4" seam allowance and begin sewing the sides together starting at the top right. Stop sewing and backstitch at the fold line. Lift your machine needle and reposition the needle to the line you marked. Begin sewing again making sure to backstitch. Sew all the way around the bottom of the pouch and stop once you reach the other pen mark. Backstitch. Reposition the needle to the fold line on the left and sew the remaining portion of side seam making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.

Close up of the gap left in the stitching on each side. This will be where the drawstring is inserted later.

Trim all edges with pinking shears to prevent fraying.

Press open the side seams from the top to just past the pen mark on each side.

Fold over the top edge again along the pressed line being sure to keep the side seams open and flat. Pin then sew all the way around using a 1/8" seam allowance.

Now it is time to create the drawstrings. Take your drawstring fabric and fold it in half and press. Then fold each raw edge toward the center fold line and press. Fold in half again, encasing the raw edges, and press. New sew the open edge closed.

Cut the one long drawstring in half to create two pieces that are roughly 20" long each. Place a safety pin on the end of one piece and feed it into the casing opening on the bag.

Work the safety pin through the casing until it comes back out on the same side that you started.

Remove the safety pin and tie the two ends of the drawstring together in a knot. Attach the safety pin to the remaining drawstring piece and begin feeding it through the opposite casing opening.

Work the safety pin though the casing until it comes back out the same side that you started on. Remove the safety pin and tie the two ends of the drawstring together with a knot. Use your pinking shears to clip off the raw edges of the drawstring ends if desired.

Pull both drawstrings at the same time to cinch the bag closed.

Fill your Pumpkin Drawstring Pouches with candy and treats to pass out to trick-or-treaters or to give to give to the children in your child's class at school. People will love that they get a bag full of goodies plus an adorable little drawstring pouch that they can use to keep other things in.

Finished size of these cute Pumpkin Drawstring Pouches is roughly 6" x 6".  Make some Fun Flags Bunting using other Ann Kelle fabrics scraps to use as holiday decorations for a door, office, or even a wrapped present. To make your own, head over to my Fun Flags Bunting Tutorial post and follow the link to download the FREE pattern.

Happy halloween, and have FUN sewing!