Bottle Bags--Not Another Baby Gift

Earlier this month, I toyed with the idea of setting up at a craft show in November to sell some of my handmade goods.  After stressing for a week or so about how little inventory I had to sell, I decided to give up on  the craft show idea for this year. 

The whole craft show thing wasn't a total waste though since I got several good ideas from friends for items to make and sell.  One of those items is a gift bag for bottled gifts like wine, flavored oils, sparkling juices, etc.

I've made two different styles and like both of them.  The first one I tried is an insulated bag with a handle. 

For this bag, I downloaded this pattern and chose a grapevine print that I bought at Walmart.  I used a tan leafy tone on tone for the lining.  This bag has a layer of batting between the bag and the lining for insulation.  The handle is a nice touch, but this bag while not difficult to make, was not a simple pattern either.  Taking into consideration my time and my materials, I would have to charge approximately $10 for this bag.  That's a higher price point than I was looking for, so I decided to try again.

I found several other tutorials online for bottle bags.  I tried this one next using a Christmas fabric that I bought at Joanns. 

I liked it, but with no lining, it felt flimsy and I didn't like the seams showing on the inside of the bag. 

Since I make lined purses all the time, I figured I could make my own lined bottle bag using the measurements from this tutorial with the techniques from my purse patterns.

The results were just what I was hoping for!  For my first one, I used the grapevine fabric again pairing it with a gold vine fabric for the lining. 

Here it is again.  All of the bottle bags that I looked at were tied with a length of ribbon.  I fully intended to use ribbon, too, but I found that I had no ribbon that coordinated with any of the fabrics I wanted to use. 

That's when I thought of making a fabric tie.  As soon as I tried it, I liked it better than the ribbon.  The tie coordinates with the lining and is stitched to the back of the bag to hold it in place. 

Here's one I made using a fall print with a leafy lining in fall colors.  This would make a perfect bag for a Thanksgiving dinner hostess gift. 

My friends who gave me this idea recommended making bags for various seasons and in various theme fabrics. 

This snowman print is a winner for Christmas and winter.  I  love it with the black lining and tie!  With these lined bags, there are no exposed seams inside the bag, and the double layer of fabric makes them feel sturdy and substantial.

The last one I will show you is this one in an Americana theme.  My sister requested this one for a friend of hers who is celebrating her 60th birthday soon. 

I am selling these lined gift bags for $8 each, and they make any gift personal and special.  These are so much prettier than a brown paper bag, and these can be used over and over again.