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Santa Sack

December 2, 2011 By Spoonful of Sugar - 25 Comments

Santa Sack and Festive Pillowcase – a 2 hour project.


I love Christmas but it is always such a hectic time of year, especially as it coincides with the end of the school year for us in Australia. This year my two teens have part time jobs so I seem to be driving back and forth to the shopping centre to drop them off. This has cut into my Christmas crafting time, so I was pleased when I found a project I made two years ago in my sewing room (complete with instructions and photos). 


This is a super quick project that makes a pillowcase that can do double duty as a Santa sack on Christmas Eve – perfect for camouflaging those hard to wrap gifts that come down the chimney!

Your little ones will be dreaming of Christmas with this festive pillowcase. Then on Christmas Eve it can be placed by the fireplace. With its handy drawstring feature, it can double as a Santa Sack – the perfect size to hold a bounty of gifts. (Make it in 2 Hours).






Materials:

Main Christmas fabric –    Cut 1 pieces measuring 60 cm x 49 cm      (23 1/2 ” x 19 1/4 “)

Pink Polka Dot fabric –    Cut 1 piece measuring 23 x 97 cm              (9 x 38 1/4 “)

Green Swirl Fabric –        Cut 2 pieces measuring 8 cm x 50 cm         (3 1/4 x 19 3/4 “)

2.5 m of co-ordinating grosgrain ribbon, 1.5 cm wide (2 3/4 yards)

Finished Pillowcase measures 48 x 70 cm

Note: All seam allowances are 0.5 cm

Method:

1.       Layer the Christmas print so that the right sides are together, and sew around three sides, leaving one short side free. Overlock or zig zag the raw edges.

2.       Fold the polka dot fabric in half widthwise with the right sides facing and sew across the short ends to form a tube. Check to ensure that the polka dot tube is now the same width as the pillowcase opening, and adjust if necessary.  Fold the tube in half with the right side facing out and press. This will form the opening of the pillowcase.

3.       Press under 1 cm at each short end on the pieces of swirl fabric, and press in half lengthwise so that the right side is facing out. Position the swirl fabric strips on top of each side of the polka dot tube so that the raw edges are aligned, and baste in place. Turn the pillowcase so that the right side is facing outwards. Position the polka dot and swirl edging so that the swirl edging is facing inwards, and all the raw edges are aligned, and stitch in place. Overlock or zigzag around the raw edges. Press the pillowcase.  Topstitch around the Christmas print where it meets the swirl fabric.

4.       Cut the ribbon into two equal lengths. Thread a piece of ribbon through each opening in the swirl channel to make a drawstring closure. Knot the ends of the ribbon and trim as desired.



* Note: If using with young children, I would delay threading the ribbon through the channels until Christmas Eve so that the ribbon does not pose a choking hazard.

Filed Under: Christmas, Sewing, Sewing Tutorials

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Comments

  1. Dora Ramalho says

    December 2, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    Love it

    Reply
  2. Rashida Khanbhai says

    December 2, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    Looks lovely!

    Reply
  3. Miranda says

    December 2, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    Super cute and quick!

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    December 2, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    How clever is that Lisa and the fabric is just perfect.

    Reply
  5. Thimbleanna says

    December 2, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    I love it Lisa — Double Duty!!!

    Reply
  6. Jill says

    December 2, 2011 at 10:28 pm

    What beautiful fabric! And a great idea to add the drawstring!

    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  7. Happy in red says

    December 2, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    Wow, very clever!!

    Reply
  8. shez says

    December 3, 2011 at 12:47 am

    great project Lisa,love the pink and green santa fabric

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    December 3, 2011 at 1:43 am

    Oh, it’s so gorgeous and such a great idea. Love it!

    Reply
  10. Heleen Groot says

    December 3, 2011 at 1:43 am

    OK. After complaining loudly and repeatedly about the absolute mountain of great things to make on the internet, I’ve just made a Christmas folder on my computer. I do believe that if I start working in January 2012 I might be able to finish all the lovely things by Christmas next year. This pattern….is in there too! Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Bela says

    December 3, 2011 at 2:10 am

    ♫♩♫♭♪♯♬♮♫♩♫♭♪♯♬♮♬♪♫
    My heart always sings here, dear Lisa!!! So lovely this sack-pillow or should I say pillow -sack??:o)
    You always come up with wonderful ideas!!

    Here in Brasil it is the end of the school year too + x-mas orders = I am going crazy!!!:o)))

    Wish you all a great weekend!!!
    Love, Bela

    Reply
  12. Linda says

    December 3, 2011 at 2:16 am

    soooooooo gorgeous divine fabrics

    Reply
  13. suzitee says

    December 3, 2011 at 3:27 am

    Love that fabric!

    Reply
  14. June Houck says

    December 3, 2011 at 5:34 am

    Fantastic idea and beautiful colors!

    Reply
  15. Handmade in Israel says

    December 3, 2011 at 5:36 am

    I don’t need a Santa Sack but think it looks gorgeous anyway! Fabulous fabric.

    Reply
  16. T Mom says

    December 3, 2011 at 9:12 am

    Just an idea that I did with my Santa sack a few years ago-I made 2! One to sit out for Santa to fill and one hidden away for me to fill as i bought gifts. That way a simple switch-a-roo, and Christmas morning was ready!!!!

    Reply
  17. Terriaw says

    December 3, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    Such a fun project, especially with those adorable fabric prints. I love the idea of adding a drawstring to a pillowcase so it can double as a gift bag, or even be used as an overnight bag for sleepovers. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  18. The Gaddy's Yellowstone Dream says

    January 26, 2012 at 5:57 am

    Adoreable. I can even see this for the grandboys. Love it

    Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    December 8, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Another great project, Lisa and Sarah….. Love it…..

    Reply
  20. majella says

    November 9, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    Im so new at this!! Is there a picture tutorial for this? I’m getting a bit lost with attaching the green.

    Reply
    • A Spoonful of Sugar says

      November 9, 2014 at 9:36 pm

      Hi Majella

      This is a really old project that I made years ago. Unfortunately I don’t have any other photos of the process. It is a bit similar to my Pretty pillowcase:
      http://aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2012/12/how-to-sew-pillowcase/ (which has some more photos)

      When attaching the green pieces – both ends need to be left open so you can thread ribbon/cord through to use as a drawstring.

      Reply
  21. Joyce says

    February 29, 2016 at 10:50 am

    This is a great idea to combine a pillowcase with a santa sack, but I’m slightly confused. should there either be 2 main christmas fabrics (front and back), or a back piece mentioned….?

    Reply
    • A Spoonful of Sugar says

      March 2, 2016 at 7:31 am

      Hi Joyce – the there is only a seam down one side so the main fabric gets folded in half to create the front and back. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply
  22. Melanee Phillips says

    December 31, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    Thanks for this cute pattern! I made my daughter a Christmas narwhal pillowcase. I adjusted the instructions to sew it as a magic pillowcase with the seams enclosed. It turned out great!

    Reply

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