Wine Bottle Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to week three of the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! If you're just joining in on the fun now, you can find all the previous sew along posts here: Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along Schedule. So far in the sew along I've shared my tips for picking out fabrics for drawstring bags, a full video tutorial, plus some of my personal drawstring bag projects.

Today I'm sharing a brand new bag size! I haven't shared many additional sizes, so it's fun to release this new size for you all! This bag is made using the same construction as the lined drawstring bag tutorial and pattern, so I'll just be sharing the measurements and cutting instructions for this bag here in this post. You'll need to refer to the tutorial or pattern for instructions to sew up the bag.


This is a cute alternative to the standard tall gift bag! It's not only eco-friendly but reusable and customizable! Choose fabrics to match the colors of the bottle, or to match the holiday or occasion.

Use it to gift wine, liquor or a nice bottle of vinegar or olive oil. Homemade vanilla, coffee syrup, or a custom infused oil would all make wonderful gifts to wrap up in this bag too. I think it would also be a great size for holding a reusable cutlery set. Add a cloth placemat or napkin and a set of reusable straws and you've got a compact little dinnerware set to throw in your backpack or bag for lunch on the go. You can avoid single-use plastic silverware in style!


I designed this bag specifically with holiday gift giving in mind. It's tall and skinny, sized just right to hold a tall bottle. The neck of the bottle sticks out of the top of the bag, giving a little preview of what's inside! I tested it with a variety of different bottles that we had on hand, but it was designed with a wine bottle in mind. The largest diameter bottle we have on hand is just under 3.5" across, and it fit great. I think anything too much larger than 3.5" will be a tight fit.

Depending on the exact size of the neck on the bottle you're wrapping, you may find that you need a little extra tie length in order to tie up a bow with the ties. If you're using twill or paracord, you can always cut them extra long and then trim them down after they're made.


The inside height of the bag, measured from the bottom of the bag to the drawstrings is 8.5". The measurement from the bottom of the bottle you're wrapping to the "shoulder" of the bottom (right before the neck), should be less than 8.5" in order for the drawstring to close around the neck. If you need the body of the bag to be a little taller to fit a specific bottle, just add a few inches to the height of the exterior main pieces (the 10.5" measurement), and add an equal amount to the height of the lining pieces (the 14" measurement).


Sewing Level: Beginner Friendly
Finished size: Approx. 12" tall, 4" wide, 3" deep

Lined Drawstring Bag Materials:
- 3 Fat quarters (18"x21")
- 1 1/2 yards of twill tape, nylon paracord, or 1/8 yd fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Acrylic ruler
- Large safety pin
- Marking pen

Looking for supplies? Check out my Pattern Supplies and Resources post.

Lined Drawstring Bag Cutting:
From Exterior Main Fabric:
- Cut (1) 10.5”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 10.5”x7” pieces*

From Exterior Accent Fabric:
- Cut (1) 4”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 4”x7” pieces*

From Interior Fabric:
- Cut (1) 14”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 14”x7” pieces*

If using fabric for ties:
- Cut (2) 26”x2” strips

If using twill for ties:
- Cut (2) 26" pieces

*This tutorial uses subcutting. There may be scrap leftover from the strips after you've cut your pieces. It's written this way to ensure that any directional fabrics are cut correctly. The scraps will not be used in the final bag. The final measurements for each piece can be found on the second line of each cutting instruction if you’d rather cut from scraps. All piece dimensions are listed as height x width.

Lined Drawstring Bag Instructions:

For bag construction, refer to the free tutorial or the lined drawstring bag pattern. In step 7, the depth is 3" (draw a line 3", across the corner). If you need extra guidance on the construction, please refer to the video tutorial.


I hope this will be a useful size bag for all your gifting needs! It would also be great for holding anything that's tall and skinny, doesn't have to be just for gifts. You could extend the length and make one to hold a curling iron or straightener! Lots of ways to use this size and all the other sizes in the pattern.

Happy Sewing!