7 Uses for a handmade drawstring bag

When I first made a drawstring bag for myself, I had one use in mind: dice. I'd just started playing Dungeons and Dragons with some friends, and I collected three sets of polyhedral dice pretty quickly. I wanted something prettier and more practical to keep my dice in than the clear plastic display boxes they often come in.

I decided to sell three sizes: small (good for 1-3 sets of dice), medium (good for 3-5 sets of dice), and large (great for minifigures and/or oversized dice).

But when I bring the drawstring bags with me to craft fairs, and people ask "what are these for?" and I answer "dice for D&D," most people put them down. I've never sold a single drawstring bag at a craft fair! So I figured it was time I shine the spotlight on some different uses for these bags - because a drawstring bag has just about a million uses! From gift wrapping to everyday practical uses, in this blog post you're sure to find a new way to use your bag.

1. Marbles and other board game components

I use a medium bag to store the marbles to the board game Potion Explosion. The game just came with a boring plastic ziploc baggie - I wanted something with a little more pizazz when I open up my game! If a board game doesn't come with enough baggies, or you just don't like using ziploc baggies, a drawstring bag can be a really great upgrade. Who doesn't enjoy wowing their friends by saying "I customized my game storage"? I hope I'm not the only one!

2. Jewelry

A drawstring bag can also be used to hold your jewelry when you travel. I personally use the small size bag, because I typically only bring a few pairs of earrings and a couple of necklaces with me. But depending on the amount and size of jewelry you like to bring, you might opt for medium or even large.

A small bag holding a pair of earrings by Fourteenth of May

3. Gift cards

Paper cards that hold gift cards are often funny, but they eventually wind up in the trash. If you use a small drawstring bag to give a gift card, whether it's a stocking stuffer or a main gift, you're also giving your loved one the gift of something they can repurpose and use forever!

4. Small gifts that are hard to wrap

Small gifts like candles can be really awkward to wrap on their own, and they don't always come with the perfect sized box - but a medium (or large, depending on the item) drawstring bag will fit that awkwardly-shaped gift and, once again, you're adding a bonus gift of a reusable bag.

A medium bag holding a small candle by Good Faith Handmade

5. Holding face scrubbies

Spa gift sets are an amazing gift idea for any occasion - the holidays, birthdays, Mother's Day, housewarming, or of course, just treating yourself! My 4-pack of face scrubbies fits perfectly in the medium bag - and they can be stuffed into a small bag, especially since the cotton fabric doesn't wrinkle. In addition to looking ~*super cute*~ as a gift set, including a drawstring bag with a spa set makes for a really great way to store the face scrubbies. And it can be really handy when traveling with the scrubbies, too!

6. Keeping track of tiny items in a big purse

I used to be a Big Purse person. I kept a tiny clutch inside my big purse, so that I could always easily find my small items: chapstick, a lipstick, and eye drops. Whatever your I-always-need-to-grab-this purse items are, it can be really helpful to keep them in a small drawstring bag instead of constantly having to dig through a big purse. And I don't care what designers think, big purses never have the right type of small pockets to keep those things organized.

7. Traveling with makeup

When I travel, I like to keep my toiletries separate: one bag for my shower things, and one for my makeup. Depending on where I'm going and how long I'll be there, I might bring a small bag for just a few lipsticks and my concealer...

Or if I want to bring enough to do a full face of makeup with different lip and eye options, it's a large bag that I'll need.

Okay, I may have been exaggerating when I said a million uses. Hopefully, these 7 ideas are some good inspiration for you. If it is and I've sold you on the idea of a handmade drawstring bag, you can shop for them on my Etsy page here! 

Can you think of another practical use for a drawstring bag? Let me know in the comments!