Christmas Reindeer Drawstring Gift Bag

Christmas Reindeer Drawstring Gift Bag by Andrew Lucas

What is Being Made

This is a small knitted gift bag designed in the shape of a reindeer, perfect for holding Christmas presents or treats. The finished bag measures approximately 10 centimeters and features a drawstring closure at the top. The design combines a main bag body with a separate muzzle piece to create a charming reindeer character suitable for festive gift-giving or holiday decoration.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project is created using knitting as the primary craft method. The pattern is designed for beginner-level knitters, making it an accessible introduction to small-scale garment construction and shaping techniques. The project teaches fundamental knitting skills including basic stitch work, increasing and decreasing stitches, and assembling knitted pieces together.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Garter stitch (gs) – created by knitting every row, producing a textured, reversible fabric that forms the main structure of the bag
• Stocking stitch (st st) – alternating knit and purl rows used for the muzzle section, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Yarn round needle (yrn) – used in the picot row to create decorative eyelet holes for threading the drawstring
• Knit two together (k2tog) – a right-leaning decrease used repeatedly to shape the base of the bag and taper the muzzle
• Purl two together (p2tog) – a decrease worked on wrong-side rows to shape the muzzle
• Bind and tie (B and T) – a finishing technique where yarn ends are threaded through remaining stitches on the needle, drawn up, and tied off to close the top of the bag
• Increasing stitches (inc) – referenced in abbreviations for potential stitch expansion

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This project requires 3.25mm knitting needles and double knitting weight wool in multiple colors. The yarn palette includes brown, red, black, white, and dark brown, allowing for creative color work to construct the reindeer features. Only small oddments of each color are needed, making this an excellent stash-busting project for knitters with leftover yarn from previous projects.

Pattern Structure and Construction

The bag is constructed in two main pieces. The main bag body begins with casting on 45 stitches in brown wool and working 2 rows of garter stitch as a foundation. A decorative picot row follows, created using yarn-over and knit-two-together decreases, which forms eyelet holes for threading the drawstring. The body continues with 32 rows of garter stitch to establish the bag's height and structure.

The base shaping is accomplished through a series of strategic decreases worked across multiple rows. The first shaping row reduces 45 stitches to 36 using a (K3, k2tog) repeat pattern. Subsequent shaping rows continue this decrease pattern with different intervals—(K2, k2tog) reducing to 27 stitches, then (K1, k2tog) reducing to 18 stitches, and finally (K2tog) across the remaining stitches to close the base to 9 stitches. This graduated decrease creates a tapered, three-dimensional base for the bag.

The muzzle piece is worked separately using stocking stitch for a smoother texture. It begins with 16 stitches cast on and works 2 rows of stocking stitch. Decreases are then worked on both knit and purl rows—knit two together on the knit row reduces to 8 stitches, and purl two together on the purl row reduces to 4 stitches, creating a pointed muzzle shape.

Assembly involves stitching the row ends of the main bag body together to form a three-dimensional structure, then attaching the muzzle piece to complete the reindeer character. The drawstring is threaded through the eyelet holes created by the picot row, allowing the bag to be gathered closed.