Take a look at these awesome no-sew, burlap pouches that Miss Party threw together in a snap to use as party favor bags!! A typical, cellophane favor bag just didn’t fit the spooky, 1800s Halloween party theme. These burlap pouches have a great authenticity and organic feeling to them and were just the ticket! The favors were piled into a huge grapevine basket ready to hand out as the spirits departed. Inside each pouch was a ‘healthy’ handful of their favorite candy!
Burlap or linen perfectly complements seasonal, rustic, organic, outdoor or casual party themes. Just exchange the tea-stained, cheesecloth drawstring Miss Party used for something like twine, jute, cotton string, or raffia. Or use something the opposite of rustic, casual and go with a pretty satin or spiffy grosgrain ribbon. If rustic burlap is too unrefined for your party decor, try a beautiful, natural or white linen. A summer party with an organic, sophisticated, beachy or nautical theme would suit linen perfectly! Wash the linen before cutting into squares if you want it to feel more casual or vintage rather than crisp and starched. Of course, linen comes in a dozen colors and lots of textures so you have many options to choose from.
Choose the drawstring material that best suits your particular party theme. Miss Party can also imagine these pouches for rustic kid’s party themes; such as pirate, explorer, camping, or any other outdoorsy theme. Ask yourself what string or fiber is normally used relating to your theme or look? For example: a nautical theme would naturally make one think of white rope or cording, but for a camping theme Miss Party would say jute would suit better.
Burlap or linen pouches are just as awesome for adults! Consider a bag of gourmet-style nibbles: gourmet nuts; homemade or purchased nut/trail mix; homemade granola; sugared nuts, or chocolate-caramel popcorn clusters. For fall and winter parties, Miss Party loves to make a big batch of her favorite dried fruit and nut mix and fill clear cellophane bags with that. For nut allergy sufferer’s sake, wrap up all of one nut type at a time in your burlap pouches and add a tag identifying the contents. For an awesome homemade Granola, see “New England Farmhouse Granola“. It’s delicious!
To prepare EACH pouch you’ll need:
A 15″square of burlap or linen
20-24″drawstring of a natural fiber such as a strip of cheesecloth, jute, twine, cotton cord, raffia or try a beautiful satin or grosgrain ribbon (patterned or solid)
A handful of candy treats and/or small favor toys or gourmet nibbles
Scissors
1) Cut your fabric into 15″squares and fringe a few strings off of each side.
2) Place your edibles/toys into the center of a square of fabric. Clip a 1/2 inch slit, 2-3 inches from each of the four sides AND 3-4 inches from the diagonal of each corner (8 slits altogether). (See pics for the idea.)
3) Thread your drawstring in and out of each slit, ending with the two ends of your drawstring on the exterior of your pouch. Pull the drawstring tightly to gather the burlap and tie in a loose knot or bow. Trim ends.
4) Do a quick quality check to be sure the pouch will sit up straight, adjusting the contents if necessary. Also, check to be sure the contents are fully inside the pouch.
Note: The burlap in the pictures above was upcycled from imported coffee bean sacks she scored for $1 a sack! Anyone looking to try this project in the New England area, might check at their local “Building 19″ discount store for a supply of sacks. Otherwise, new burlap is easily found by the yard at fabric stores, available in 4-5 choices of color.
