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Ever since I got my Rocketbook, you know, the one I toss in the microwave to erase all of my notes and sketches so I can start anew whenever, I have been writing out notes and sketching up ideas for lots and lots of projects. Before I felt kind of bad about wasting a bunch of paper so I didn’t start work and planning on anything until I had it pretty darn hashed out in my mind. It’s a pretty cool thing for me because I just so happened to sketch out an inkling that formed into a proper idea and then a plan to turn felt into little drawstring bunny bags for Easter. Or spring. Or just because they are friggin’ cute. And I gotta tell you the third time is a charm because my first 2 attempts were colossal flops but I was not gonna give up on this project!
I have been super into the idea of Easter this year and I’ve got craft ideas out the wazoo but this is one of my faves because it’s so accessible. But I’m not into the whole pastels thing. Not this year, at least. And with my felt bunny bag concept drawn out I raided the brightest of my felt stash for the most colorful, bright and fun colors and I got to work.
Now you don’t need a ton of sewing experience to be able to make these guys. Not all of my projects lately have been expensive but for this one you don’t need a lot of money invested because supplies for this business is CHEAP. The free printable pattern by yours truly is FREE. Felt is around 25-33 cents per piece and you’ll use most of 1 sheet for each bunny bag and then you’ll use very small amounts of felt for accent colors. Embroidery floss to match your felt is also very inexpensive, I think I normally pay around 42 cents per skein/color. The most expensive part of this project is the drawstring itself and I used white cable cord from Hobby Lobby during half off for a cool, even buck.
Are these guys cute? Check. Inexpensive to make? Check. Easy enough for beginners to make? Chickety check. So, are you ready to get it?
For this project you will need:
- Free felt bunny bag pattern printable
- Acrylic felt + matching embroidery floss
- Double-sided tape
- White cord + tape to prevent fraying
- Wood skewer or a long stick, etc.
- Hot glue gun
If you haven’t gotten it yet, snag your free Felt Bunny Bags printable right on over here. Print one for each bag you want to make and we’re in business.
Roughly trim out each of the shapes and grab your double-sided tape. Affix a small amount in various places on the backside of your pattern. Place the paper sticky side down onto the backside of your felt (for reference the backside is the one with the price sticker on it).
Trim through the paper pattern and felt in one go. See how easily that pattern stays on while you cut? I’m obsessed with this method of cutting right now but if you don’t have double-sided tape but you do have freezer paper, check out how to use it for perfectly cut felt.
In addition to the pieces you’ll cut from the pattern you’ll also need 2 small black eyes, a small pink triangle for the nose, and 1 x 4 inch strips for the drawstring thingamabob. Holder? Maybe? Meh.
Okay so first thing’s first you’re going to do a basic back stitch around the pink ear cuts you made from the pattern. Need help with this? I’ve got an embroidery basics post you need to check out.
Once stitched hot glue the pink shapes onto the ears of the largest bag shape you cut. Now why not just stitch them on? Well…
Because this happens to the back. Ugh. I didn’t think that one through, at all.
Next you’re going to get the little bag ready for a drawstring. Take one of your 1×4 inch pieces and cut a slit in the center like you see above.
Use the back stitch along the top and bottom of the piece (but not the sides) to attach on the smaller piece like you see above. FYI – the pink floss is just basted on so that the piece doesn’t move all around without having to use pins which poke the bejesus out of me because I forget they are there.
To baste you just make but stitches without a knot holding the piece in place. Once stitched down, pull the thread to remove it.
This is the point where I stitched on my faces though I forgot to photograph it. The little black eyes I just glued on but I stitched on little pink triangles for noses and a few back stitches to make a mouth of sorts. Do this now before we get the bag put together because you can’t stitch through it once it’s one piece.
Next stitch the other 1×4 piece onto the back of the larger piece with the bunny ears. See how the pink bit shows only when folded over? That can help you discern the back need be.
At this point you can trim off most of the excess on these drawstring channel pieces. Channel, that one seems to work! Huzzah! Leave about 1/8 inch on each side of both pieces. You need a bit of overlap, but not a ton, to be able to seal up this area so that your cord isn’t visible.
Now we are going to create the drawstring. Measure out 21 inches of 1/8 inch cord and apply a small piece of tape there (I used clear packing tape). Wrap it around a few times to really secure the cord. Using scissors snip through the tape to trim the cord. Using your hot glue gun apply a small amount of glue to the very ends of the cord to seal it from fraying. Allow to cool and remove the tape.
Using another piece of tape to secure the end of your cord onto a wooden skewer or a stick or something long and skinny.
Starting at the slit in the front of the bunny bag run the skewer into that slot and out the side of the channel there. Pull the skewer all of the way through to bring the cord through, too. Next go through the channel in the back and finish up going through the side and back out the center slit on the front.
Starting at the top of the channel and working around to the top of the other side, use a blanket stitch to close up the bag. I don’t have a tutorial for that one but that makes me realize I should do that fairly soon and update with a link here…
Made in all sorts of colors these little bags are so cute, wouldn’t you agree? Quick fact, did you know that pink for girls and blue for boys is a fairly new thing beginning around 1940? According the Smithsonian Mag: a June 1918 article from the trade publication Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department said, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”
Now isn’t that interesting? My little nephew was fond of purple anything and my pink stuff when he was my very, very little nephew. We explained that this wasn’t the “norm” but that it was okay and he’d proudly tell anybody that thought his preferences were silly that “color has no gender”. These days he’s all about green but he still likes purple (like the Hulk’s pants, that kind of purple :)
So I’ve shared a bit of neat-o-cheeto knowledge that you might not have had and a pretty awesome free printable pattern to make these adorable in absolutely any color Felt Bunny Bags. How’s that for a good day?!?
