How to Make a Ghost Goody Bag
Project Level: Easy
About Fabric Love
Established in 2015, we are a small, independent fabric shop in Colchester, Essex, UK dedicated to providing our customers with great quality, affordable fabrics along with fabulous customer service and super fast delivery!
With a combined wealth of over 50 years sewing experience between us, we have a real passion for what we do and enjoy sharing our love of sewing and crafting with our lovely customers!
Autumn, my favourite time of year… as summer comes to an end, the children get ready to go back to school, the leaves start to change colour and there is a slight nip in the early morning air... which also means it’s time to get Halloween ready!
We love this festival, (as if we need an excuse to dress up...) this is an event where our whole community comes together and celebrates.
At Fabric love we decided to design a fun, new bag to collect all those yummy treats.
This Ghost bag is brilliant, made with polycotton, it is slightly padded to give it structure, the strap can be cut to the size required and when you feed the ghost through its mouth it gets a lovely round tummy!
Dimensions H. 28cm W 21cm
You Will Need
- A fat quarter of white polycotton
- A fat quarter of black polycotton
- A small piece of black acrylic felt
- Corresponding colour thread
- Sharp scissors
- Hot glue gun or fabric glue
- sewing machine
Recommended Fabrics & Notions
Instructions
Download the PDF pattern. Print the pattern using Adobe Acrobat Reader ensuring you do not check the box on the print dialogue that says "Scale to Fit" or "Fit to Page" and check that the test box has printed at the correct size of 5cm.
Step 1
Cut out the ghost shapes on all layers of fabric.
Following the instructions, iron the Heat and Bond onto the wrong side of the front and back outside pieces.
Step 2
Pin the outside pieces together, Right side to right side leaving a 2cm gap in the top of the ghosts head (this is for the bag handle). Stitch.
Turn your bag the right way round and gently push out all of the seams. You can use a bodkin, the wrong end of a pencil or a piece of doweling.
Please try not to use scissors, you might undo your beautiful handiwork.
Press both sides firmly.
Step 3
Pin the lining pieces together, Right side to right side leaving a 2cm gap in the top of the ghosts head (this is for the bag handle as it needs to go through all layers).
Leave the bottom left side of the ghost body open, (this is so you can turn your work the right way round later). Stitch and trim all loose ends.
Step 4.
Leave the lining the wrong side up and carefully insert the outside of the bag inside it (right side up).
Beware: The ghost pattern is not symmetrical, there is a left and right side.
Gently push the bag into the lining. This doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to lay flat around the circle.
Line up the circles (the ghosts mouth) and pin . Stitch 5mm away from the edge.
Step 5.
Pull the main body of the bag through the gap in the lining and hem it.
Push the lining into the main body of the bag ensuring that the gap in the head, fingers, sides and bottom of the ghost all line up.
I used the wrong end of a crochet hook to do this.
Step 6.
Using your thumb and forefinger, roll the inside of the mouth lining down into the body of the bag. Do this all the way around the mouth. Pin and top stitch close to the edge.
How to make a bag handle
Step 7.
Press your bag handle open. fold in half lengthways and press again.
Open the fabric and place 2cms of heat and bond down the length of the bag handle, next to the centre crease.
I used off cuts to do this.
Fold the fabric in half lengthways again and press to ensure that the heat and bond attaches to the fabric.
You should have a 5mm gap between the edge of the heat and bond and the edge of the fabric. Fold this edge in and press.
Turn your handle the other way up and using the pressed side as a guide fold the outside edge in to match it. Press.
Using your sewing machine, stitch along the open edge close to the folds. Press again.
I know, you might think I have a thing for irons. I don't. I loathe ironing but sewing and pressing go hand in hand. It gives your projects a sharp, professional finish and bonds the stitching to the fabric.
Step 8.
Fold your handle in half and insert it into the top of the ghost's head ensuring that it also goes through the 2cm hole in the lining.
Pin the handle in place and top stitch all the way around the outside of the bag.
And...you've got it... Press!
Step 9.
Finally, your Ghost needs eyes! cut two and place them onto the bag. If you want them straight you can use a ruler or freestyle it. Attach with fabric glue or a hot glue gun.
You are now Halloween ready!
Related Tutorials
Reversible Lantern Shaped Lunch Bag
This lantern shaped lunch bag has lots of space inside, it is semi structured, machine washable and reversible! The box and knife pleats create a beautiful shape. The finished bag is 15cms deep and at it's widest point has a circumference of 84cms. What's not to like?
How to Make Trousers Easily - No pattern required!
Fancy whipping up a new pair of trousers in an afternoon? This tutorial shows how to make your own pattern for palazzo pants or harem pants super quick and just as easy!
How to Make a Pocket Crazy Craft Bag!
A Pocket Crazy Craft Bag... with how many pockets? As many as you like! I managed to make twenty-six of them in various sizes.This is perfect for crafters on the go! It's a standing joke in my family that I can't go anywhere without a crochet hook, several balls of wool, a sewing project and a notebook to write down the creative ideas that explode in my head!What can I say? I'm a crazy lady with crazy ideas and I love pockets in bags!This is a cubed bag that measures 36x49cms, it has a double drawstring closure, two handles and it can be worn over the shoulder. It has been interfaced with Heat & Bond to give it structure and it has a big space in the middle for your latest creation in progress.The pockets are various sizes to hold everything from scissors to bodkins, patterns to pins and the occasional bar of chocolate...you know, for emergencies...Ready?
How to Make a Toiletry Wrap
Make a reusable, washable toiletry case with environmentally friendly bamboo towelling. Requires a fat quarter of towelling and a fat quarter of cotton fabric.