Giving a gift? Brown-bag it!

• 8-inch square of 28-count antique-white Cashel linen
• Cotton embroidery floss
• 3-3/4-inch square of fleece
• 1/8 yard of 45-inch-wide print cotton fabric to coordinate with each motif
• 4-3/8-inch to 1/2-inch-diameter buttons
• 4-3/4-inch to 7/8-inch-diameter buttons (for handle wraps)
• Purchased 8-inch-wide x 10-1/2-inch-tall brown paper bag
• Pinking shears
• Spray adhesive
• Crafts glue
• Button thread

1. Download the patterns and color keys. Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.

Cross-Stitch Gift Wrap Pattern

Download Adobe Acrobat

2. Stitch the design. Center and stitch the motif from the desired chart on the linen fabric. Use 3 plies of floss to work the stitches over 2 threads of the fabric unless otherwise specified. Press the stitchery from the back.

3. Attach fleece to back of stitched fabric. Centering the design, trim the stitchery to a 4-1/2-inch square. Center and fuse the fleece to the back of the stitched fabric following the manufacturer's instruction.

4. Attach stitched fabric to cotton. Use the pinking shears to cut a 5-1/4-inch square from the cotton fabric. Center the stitchery atop the cotton square and machine-topstitch 1/2-inch from the edge of the linen. Remove the loose linen threads to the topstitching. Sew a 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch button to each corner of the stitchery.

5. Attach finished decoration to bag. Spray the back of the cotton fabric lightly with the adhesive and position it on the front of the bag. Smooth out any wrinkles and let the glue dry.

6. Wrap bag handle. Tear four 1/2-inch x 24-inch lengths of fabric. Beginning on one side of the handle, and leaving the bottom 4 inches of the strip loose, wrap the fabric around the handle to the other side. Wrap a second strip around the handle, working in the opposite direction. Tie the strips together in a knot at each side of the handle.

7. Add button to handle. Use a doubled length of button thread to sew a 3/4-inch- to 7/8-inch-diameter button over the handle wrap knots. Insert the needle into one hole on the front of the button, then into the fabric, around the handle, and back out of the hole on the other side of the button. Tie the thread in a doubled knot at the button front; trim the thread 1/2 inch from the button. Trim the ends of the handle wrap fabric. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for the other handle.