Handkerchief tote bag

Here's a very simple project that I did with my Girl Guides (ages 9-11) last year.  They did it as part of their needlework/sewing badge.  The girls were able to get it done on the same meeting that they learned to use the sewing machine (with some help, of course).  If you were doing it on your own, you could probably finish the whole thing in well under 10 minutes.

It makes a cute little gift bag.

Here's how you do it:

Start with 2 handkerchiefs, the same size.  Pin them together, right sides facing (not shown).  Draw a line 2-3 inches from the edge.  Cut along this line to create the strip for the handle (the exact placement of this line is not critical -- just eyeball it).

Drawstring bags from recycled handkerchiefs

Here's a super simple project.  Take one, two, or three handkerchiefs, some string (I used a lanyard from a plastic name tag holder) and make drawstring bags.  There are no seams to finish, no fabric to cut -- I didn't even do any pinning!  The whole thing just took a few minutes.
 

Handkerchiefs from South Africa

My friend Nazima recently gave me several dozen handkerchiefs that her mother had brought over from South Africa over 30 years ago.  Most of them are still wrapped in brown paper packages, tied up with string (Sound of Music moment!).