Christmas Gift & Candy Bag

About this bag

A fabric bag built around a character rather than printed with one: rustic cloth for the body, soft faux fur for the beard or the trim, and a clear heart-shaped window set into the front so the contents can be seen before the bag is opened. It holds sweets, small clothes, a toy, or a bottle, and it keeps holding things after the treats are gone, which a paper gift bag cannot do and which is why this one comes back out the following December.

The three characters

Santa, a reindeer and a snowman, each built from the same pattern with different cloth, trim and colour. Santa carries the most faux fur and the reindeer has the antlers, which take up room and are worth knowing about if the bag is going into a stocking. The other two are plainer. All three share the heart-shaped window, so the trio looks deliberate when they stand together on a table.

What fits inside

Individually wrapped chocolates, a handful of loose sweets, a gift card, a pair of gloves, a small toy, a bottle laid on its side. The opening is wide enough to fill without fighting it, and the body holds its shape while you do, which matters because a floppy bag makes a good gift look careless. Nothing is lined, so anything greasy wants to be wrapped before it goes in.

After the treats

The bag does not become rubbish when it is empty. It stands on a mantel, an entryway table, a shelf, or under the tree as a character, and the cloth and faux fur sit reasonably with greenery, pinecones and warm lights. Through the year it takes small odds and ends in a wardrobe or a craft drawer. It comes back out in December looking like it belongs there.

Giving it

The window is what makes this work as a gift rather than as packaging. Somebody sees the chocolate through the heart before they have the bag open, which is a small thing that does a lot of the work of a present. It suits teachers, neighbours, coworkers, grandchildren and anybody you want to hand something to without writing a card.

Specifications

Type	Fabric character gift and candy bag
Designs	Santa Claus, reindeer or snowman
Detail	Clear heart-shaped window with soft faux fur trim
Filled with	Sweets, a gift card, gloves, a small toy or a bottle
In the box	1 bag in the design you choose

Filling and placing it

1. Wrap anything greasy

   The bag is unlined, so chocolate and anything oily wants a wrapper between it and the cloth.

2. Fill it to standing

   Half filled, it slumps on a table. Fill it enough that the character stands up.

3. Keep the window clear

   Put the presentable item at the front so the heart shows something worth seeing.

4. Put them out in a row

   All three together on a mantel or a table reads as a set rather than as three odd bags.

In the box

• 1 fabric gift and candy bag in the design you choose

Care

A wipe with a damp cloth is enough, and it should dry in the air rather than in a machine. The faux fur does not survive a wash, because it mats and never quite comes back. Store it flat rather than creased across the window, and the clear panel will stay clear for years.

Filling it