Sewing a Dice Bag

Decide how big you want your dice bag to be. It should be large enough that you can fit your hand inside and that when you fill it with dice it will be only halfway to three-quarters full so that the drawstring can close securely. A good starting size is 6 inches wide by 9 inches tall.

Calculate the width of your dice bag plus one inch. Calculate the height of your bag plus 1 1/2 inches. Note down these measurements.

Using a ruler and chalk, draw out two rectangles in the size you just calculated. Draw the rectangles on the wrong side (back) of the fabric. The rectangles should be placed so that the longer side is parallel to the fabric selvage, the finished nonfraying edge of the fabric.

Pin the rectangles with the right sides (the outside of the finished product) together. Decide which of the shorter sides of the rectangle is going to be the top of your bag. Mark 1 inch down from the top corner on the longer sides at both edges of the bag.

Stitch along three of the four sides of the bag, starting from the mark 1 inch down from the top and around to the matching mark on the other side. Leave a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Remove the pins. Carefully fold down one layer of fabric at the top of the bag until the edge touches the mark where the stitching began. Pin in place. This creates the channel where the drawstring will go. Turn the bag over and fold down the single layer of fabric on the other side to the same width, and pin this channel in place.

Stitch down the channels, being sure to stitch through only one side of the bag at a time. The stitches should run no more than 1/4 inch in from the raw edge of the fabric where it is folded. Remove the pins and turn the bag right-side out.

Cut your ribbon into two equal lengths. Pin the end of one length with the safety pin. Using the safety pin as a guide, run the ribbon through one channel and then back through the other one, so that it forms a U-shaped path. Tie the ends of the ribbon together.

Thread the other ribbon through the channels in the same U-shaped path, but beginning from the other side, and again knot the ends together. By lacing in the drawstrings going in opposite directions, it creates a double drawstring that pulls closed tightly and makes it easier to knot your strings together to keep the bag closed. If the ribbons are too long, you can cut them shorter and re-knot the ends.