Sew your own party bags

My big boy turned 8 last week and we decided to have sleepover party for four of his close friends. I was far more relaxed about the party this year than last year when we had 25 friends for a pool party at a fantastic kids leisure pool nearby. So relaxed that I forgot to buy party bags when I was out shopping for the party food. After a quick think and a search in the garage I found some thick brown paper that we had some items wrapped in when we moved here from the UK. Yes, I've been storing it for four years, but I just knew it would come in handy!!

I cut out paper in the size I wanted for the bags and cut out some thick strips for the handles. These I folded in thirds lengthwise and stitched. I sewed the handles on the bags first, matching the position on each side of the bag as I went. Then I sewed up the sides of the bags, stuck on some labels I'd printed on the computer and they were done. I liked the rustic look of these bags. Much nicer than plastic ones from the $2 shop! They could be embellished with stickers or flowers for girls.

These were filled with treasures from Bali that we bought on our recent holiday. Very happy :)
By the way, in case anyone is wondering, despite our best efforts for an early night, the boys stayed up until 2am. They had a ball though, so all worth it.