Simple No-Sew Jewelry Bags

These simple bags make a great way to store your jewelry, give your handmade jewelry as gifts, or sell your handmade jewelry. Making them isn't hard and doesn't take a lot of time, so it saves you more time to make more jewelry!

1. Hot glue gun

2. Material in your choice of colors/patterns (I recommend using cottons and no heavy materials like denim)

3. Yarn or Embroidery thread to match the materials

4. Ruler

5. Scissors

6. Pattern pieces (included in this Instructable)

Lay the material out on a flat surface to measure out the bag size.

I have included some patterns for sizes that I think are pretty standard jewelry bag sizes. The smaller pattern is for smaller items, the larger pattern is for larger items. If you just want the dimensions to measure for yourself, the smaller pattern is 5 inches X 5 1/4 inches, and the larger pattern is 5 1/2 inches X 6 1/2 inches.

Trim out the material as neatly as possible, but don't fret over it.

Plug in your hot glue gun at any time.

This will be the pull string of the bag. On the patterns I have measurements that are what I used for my string.

For the large bag, I cut about 12 inches of string. For the small bag I cut about 10 inches of string.

Cut the string according to the measurements or according to what you think will be best. Remember, it should be a bit longer than the edge of the material so that it can be tightened and loosened to close and open the bag.

Lay the material out flat. The reverse side should be facing up!

Lay your string along the top half of the material so that there is material on both sides. You want to have about half an inch above the string so you have enough room to fold it over and make the casing.
Starting at the end, put a small dot of hot glue beneath the string. Don't get close to the string; you will accidentally hot glue it and it won't work as a pull string. Fold over the fabric from above the string to meet the fabric below the string, enclosing the string in a tube of fabric. Stick the fabric to the glue dot.

Make another dot of glue next to where the material is now folded down. Fold down the top material to meet it.

Proceed this way until you reach the end. Once the hot glue is dry, pull on the string carefully to see if it slides. It should. If you got a little bit of hot glue on it and it is kinda stuck, you can pull on it a bit and it should let go.

*The casing is the folded over material that makes a tube in the fabric where string or elastic goes. It allows the string/elastic to move freely. Waists are often made this way.

Lay the material so the glued casing is face down.
*TIP: Place thin cardboard or paper in the middle of the material. This will prevent you from accidentally gluing the front and back sides together.
Fold one of the sides to the middle. Pick the prettiest one because it will show on the outside.
Fold the other side to the middle as well, but overlap the first side.
Using the same method as before, hot glue the top piece to the bottom (the first side) by placing dots of glue in between the overlapping pieces.

Now all that is left to glue is the bottom seam.

With the middle seam facing up to you (it should be like this unless you picked it up after the last step), place dots of hot glue all along the bottom of the fabric. Don't place it right on the edge, you need a little space so you can fold the material over.

Fold the bottom up onto the hot glue. Wait for it to dry, then place glue dots in the little open sleeve. This was the other side of the bag. Press that down and wait for it to dry.

Now all the bag has been glued.

Flip the bag inside out by sticking your thumbs in the opening of the bag to hold it open. Using you other fingers, push the bottom of the bag up through the opening. Use your fingers to continue to push the fabric until it has all been flipped.

*TIP: you can use a pencil or pen to push in the corners to make sure they get flipped all the way.

Personally, I like to tie the two ends of string to each other. I do this by a simple knot, followed by another on top of that (a double knot). Then I clip off the excess string.

If that isn't what you like, you could just tie a knot in either end of the thread to try to prevent it from accidentally sliding back into the casing.

Now you have some cute bags for your jewelry!

I made several in varying patterns and colors.

I think that bags are more special than cards when it comes to handmade jewelry. They just seem so fancy. Use the bags that you have made for gifts or selling, and don't forget to stick your contact card in the bag!