Christmas present de stashing

Now this is a tale of learning from experience!

I decided this year to try and make a foldable shopping bag, one that had a way of folding and staying folded in my handbag.  I cobbled together a few different designs on Pinterest and thought I had it sorted.  A bag with a small pocket in the front (for lists etc) and a button and piece of elastic so I could roll it up and secure it........and herein lies the issue.

It didn't dawn on me that the elastic would need to be long enough to stretch all the way round the bag when rolled.....so it came up FAR too short and wouldn't do up! 

Back to the drawing board!!  This bag is used as one of the "chuck it in the boot of the car" bags I tend to keep in there rather than waste it.

So, then I tried again but this time I used my first bag rolled up as a template and measured some elastic (and added a bit for good luck)........

and this time it worked!  

I made a nice label and thought it would be a lovely present for Christmas so I made a couple more in different colours.  They take a while to make as sewing isn't natural to me and involved taking a couple days off work to do them, but I got there in the end!

Yes, I know it would be cheaper and easier to have bought bags-but I enjoy making them (though you wouldn't know it if you could hear the language that accidentally comes out across my sewing machine at times!!) and it forces me to take some time off work (which is never a bad thing).

If anyone has any ideas for good destashing ideas for fabric please let me know!  Last year I made the tissue holders from fellow WOYWW crafters Fiona and Jan's instructions (they were brilliant but I made so many everyone got one) and some notebook covers so I am looking for ideas ready for next Christmas!

Happy crafting

Kyla