Home made birthday party loot bags

Yesterday we held Helen's sleepover birthday party at Dad and Gail's house.  We had been planning it for some time and five girls came with four of them sleeping over with Helen (and me).

I did not want to buy any more plastic loot bags (despite the fact that they were only a dollar for 10 at the dollar store).  So Helen and I looked up a sewing pattern on the internet for easy-peasy patterned jewelry pouches  Go to this link to see where we got our pattern. 

We started with the protractor-type rotary cutter that I bought after Christmas with my 50% coupon at Michael's.  I have circles I will be cutting regularly for a different pattern in the near future and I had been eyeing this tool for some time.

We used some fabric ends that Santa stuffed in Helen's stocking (I happen to know that Mrs. Clause picked these ends up for $1 at the Royal Inland Hospital Auxiliary Thrift store in Kamloops. :)

We cut two circles of contrasting fabric for a total of 16 circles (8 bags).  We had LOTS of fabric left over.

Then I put them right side together and sewed a 1/4" seam around the circumference, leaving a few inches so that I could turn it right side out and sew up the opening.  I used my quilter's foot for this as it is exactly 1/4" and has a guide. It made turning the circle very easy.

I nipped the circle a few times so that it would lay flat when I turned it right side out.

I ironed it flat...

And hand stitched it closed...

I made eight...

Once it was stitched closed I made another run of stitiching 1/4" from the edge (used the quilter's foot again).  Then another on the inside of that one about 1/4" away.  I had to use my regular sewing foot so I guessed for this.

Then I cut two small openings opposite each other through a single layer of fabric and put two strands of cord through.  I had to read the online directions closely to figure this out.

This is what we ended up with.  We filled them with a few high quality chocolates and that was that.  Only pennies per bag and they are re-useable!