red hot

For the past few years, I have steered away from using the color red in my home, wardrobe, and holiday décor. Once a favorite of mine, the brilliant shade began to feel too “hot.” However, recently, a piece of red material, tucked away in my studio closet, restored this traditional holiday hue back into my life.

As I’ve mentioned before, gift cards have become quite popular among my family members. This year, I decided to pair them with some chocolate truffles and glass heart ornaments, embellished with family mementoes. After assembling this assortment of small items, I wondered how I might wrap them. As I was sifting through my gift-wrapping materials, I spotted my basket of red fabric. Before long, I was cutting and sewing bags, while my husband drew box patterns on a piece of poster board. (Yes, I lured him into my “elfing” madness, because I needed boxes of "a certain size" to protect the glass ornaments.)

I rather like these bags. They seem neither too hot nor too cold, but just right for the holiday season.

Postscript:  If you would like to make a similar bag, here are some simple instructions:  Cut fabric 12 ¾” W x 16” L. Fold in half lengthways, right sides together. Utilizing a ¼” seam allowance, stitch along length and width of fabric, leaving 6“ W opening at top of bag. Fold top down over cover itself (approximately 5” with wrong sides together), and press with iron. (This will provide a finished edge for bag opening.) Clip bottom corners next to seam, turn cover right side out, and press. Tie with ribbon and embellish as desired. (I used some items from the clearance and wedding sections of a craft store.) The finished bag will measure 6" x 10 ½".