Christmas sacks

I think it was my grandson's first Christmas - fourteen years ago, that my late husband and I bought two Santa Sacks in which to place our Christmas presents for our two grandchildren. We bought them at Cheap as Chips. They were made of red felt, with a Christmas motif on one side - and much bigger than the children. I appliqued the initial of their first name on the front.

When their twin sisters were born two years later, we managed to get two more, with different motifs, and again, attached an initial to the other side. We  used these every year for Christmas presents for the children, and I have continued this in the five Christmases since my husband died.

The sacks, however, are a bit ragged and tattered. Some years they have been opened in the garden, acquiring a few burrs and prickles. I have never dared to wash them, lest they felt further. They are also very large - more suited to bulky presents for young children than adolescents. The children, nevertheless, have become very attached to them.

A few days before Christmas I got the bright idea that perhaps I could make new replacement bags. I fell asleep planning a visit to Spotlight for some Christmas fabric. In the morning I decided I should first check my stash, since I was sure it contained at least one piece of Christmas fabric. Half an hour later, there was fabric all over the floor and I was sorting it into piles so I would be better able to use all my discoveries.


I found one piece of designated Christmas fabric and several pieces that would, as my mother used to say, pass with a push.

Abandoning the plan to shop for fabric (or anything else, like food) I cut out fabric, stitched  bags, found ribbon, variety of matching buttons, bells and toggles.

By 1.30pm when I needed to be at a friend's place for an afternoon of stitching, I set off with four bags, a safety pin, needle, thread and an assortment of ribbons and fixings. As my friend cut out squares for her next quilt, I finished off my sacks.







They are smaller than the original Santa Sacks, but still fairly large. I needed to convince the recipients that change was a good thing. The older two were willing to give it a try. The younger two were reluctant. I didn't want to push it, so suggested I place the new sacks inside the old ones.

So on Christmas Day I set off (no, not to St. Ives) with two felt Santa Sacks. Each sack contained two ( no, not cats) new sacks and a drawstring bag for each of the adults. When I arrived at my daughter's place for lunch, I unpacked the older children's new sacks and the adults' bags, leaving the younger children's new bags inside the old Santa Sacks. Everyone was happy.

Everything in the sacks (or bags) was of course, in its own drawstring bag, mostly from the supply I made last year - no wrapping paper for me! These bags get recycled many times, which pleases me no end.
I haven't asked whether the younger children are happy to transition next year. Maybe I will keep a couple of the old felt sacks to transport the new sacks and their cargo of bags - a bit like a turducken. Maybe a Sansackag.