Mini knot bags
Mini Japanese knot bags are a beautiful answer to more sustainable gift giving. They can be used year after year to hold small gifts, decorate the tree, or be used as table settings.
We made ours from brightly coloured brocade and lined them with cotton, but you could use any small leftovers from your stash pile.
Materials Needed
For each bag:
- 40 x 25cm piece of brocade
- 40 x 25cm piece of lining fabric
Equipment needed
- Sewing machine
- Hand sewing needle
- Sewing thread
- Pins
How to
Step 1
Download the pattern and print out.
Step 2
Cut and lay on the fabric. Cut two pieces from the brocade fabric, and two from the lining fabric.
Step 3
Place the brocade pieces right sides facing and make sure all the edges are aligned. Sew along the bottom of the bag and along the sides up to the markings. Do not sew the cut-out corner.
Step 4
Press the seams open.
Step 5
At the cut-out corner, align the bottom seam and the side seam. Align every edge from corner to corner. Pin and sew. You have formed a little boxed bottom – see image below for how it should look.
Step 6
Repeat steps 2 to 5 with the lining.
Step 7
Turn the lining so right side is facing out. Place inside bag (which should be wrong side facing out). Match the curved seams of lining and bag. Sew, clip around curve.
Step 8
Turn bag so the lining is inside and the brocade is facing out. Make sure the seams are enclosed between the lining and the outside of the bag.
Step 9
Open up the straps and place top ends of short strips together, right sides facing, and seams aligned. Lining on lining and brocade upon brocade. Sew across.
Step 10
Repeat with longer ends. Tuck raw edges in and hand sew closed. Press straps.
