Tutorial: Santa Sacks

The October theme for the Stashbusting sewalong was sewing for Christmas. I didn't quite manage to get anything Christmas related done during October, but I made up for it in November, by making my children some Santa Sacks. I also made one of my nieces one at the same time. I didn't take many pictures along the way, as I hadn't made up my mind until I was near the end that I would actually post a tutorial on how I did them. Don't worry though, it's pretty easy to do!

I wanted to make a rectangular sack, that still looked like a stocking, so added a pieced stocking design onto the front of my large rectangular sack. I sometimes find it difficult to fit larger toy boxes in a regular stocking, so this suited my purposes. You could make the rectangle any size you like.

Requirements (these measurements assume that your fabric is at least 112cm wide, if it is narrower, as mine was, double the amount of fabric):

0.5 m Main fabric (green printed)
0.15 m Contrast fabric (cream printed for band)
0.75 m Lining fabric (green printed)
0.25 m Contrast fabric (red printed)
0.1 m - 0.15 m each of various other printed fabrics
10 cm vliesofix
2.5 m cord, cut in half
Matching threads
(Optional) Machine embroidery thread for applique

These are the measurements I used to cut my pieces for the sack itself:

2 x main fabric 48 cm wide by 56 cm high
2 x contrast fabric 48 cm wide by 15 cm high
2 x lining fabric 48 cm wide by 73 cm high
Diagonal strip from red contrast 3.5c wide, join strips to make one length approx 150cm long

I used 1.5cm seam allowances for the bag, and 1cm for the pieces of the stocking.

I had 9 assorted Christmas patterns that I wanted to use on the stocking (thanks to my mother in law). I taped two A4 sheets of paper together, and drew the rough shape of a stocking on it before cutting out my finished shape. I drew radiating lines at 10 degree angles out from a square, to give me 9 segments, one for each fabric. If you like, you can then add seam allowance to each piece and make a separate pattern piece for each segment, but I just folded the segments down each line and added seam allowance as I cut them out.

Stitch all of the segments for the stocking together, pressing all seams downwards as you go. Fold and press your diagonal strip in half, right sides together. Using a 7mm seam allowance, stitch to outside edge of stocking from wrong side, starting at one top edge and finishing at the other. Fold to right side along pressed edge, and fold remaining edge under to line up with fold, stitch from the right side, making sure that the edge of your bias strip covers the previous stitching line.

Next stitch the binding onto the top edge of the stocking,the same as before. This time though, you will make a loop on the outside edge of the stocking.

Loop on outside edge of stocking

I left a tail 14 cm longer, and when stitching from the right side, folded both raw edges towards the centre of the strip. On the inside edge, simply fold the raw edge under and stitch in place as you go.

Binding on inside edge of stocking

The letters I drew freehand, 8cm tall and 6cm wide. I was going to do rounder edges, then realised that it would be much easier to applique with sharp corners, so I went with that instead.

Cut the letters from a contrasting fabric, iron vliesofix to the back of the letters, then centre them on the cream contrast fabric, peel off the backing paper and iron them in place. Using tear away stabiliser behind the fabric, applique around the edge of each of the letters in a matching thread, before tearing away the stabiliser, and pressing flat.

Attach the contrast band to the top of the main fabric, place the stocking at an angle on the main fabric and centre before stitching down on the very edge of the binding, folding under the loop and catching in the edge. Press seams open.

Matching side seams, and stitch the front to the back.

Now make the lining. Stitch down 2cm from the ends, leave a 2cm gap, then stitch the rest of the long seam, and around the bottom edge, leaving a gap in the centre, approx 15cm long. Press the seam allowances open.

With the lining inside out and the bag right side out, place the bag into the lining, and sew the top edges together, matching the side seams. Pull the bag through the hole in the lining before stitching the gap closed by sewing very close to the open edge.

Turn the lining into the bag.

Press both layers of the seam allowance of the contrast band upwards, then fold and press the lining down 3cm from the edge. Pin in place before stitching in the ditch on the outside to form a casing for the cord.

Thread a cord through the openings in the top band and tie the cord ends together, and you have yourself a Santa Sack!


I hope that wasn't too confusing! If something wasn't clear enough, just ask!

There you have it! I'm still tossing up whether to just switch the old Christmas stockings with these to be discovered on Christmas morning, or to give them to the kids to put out on Christmas Eve. It would be so much easier to have the new ones all loaded up and ready to put out before I go to bed on Christmas Eve, but I want some credit for making them too!