What do you do with those nice little drawstring gift bags?

January 19, 2015 8:42 AM

My dad got me a little Ganesh statue that came in a lovely drawstring gift bag. Does anyone have any creative ideas for what I could use this bag and similar bags for, other than using them to give other people gifts?
posted by capricorn to Grab Bag (18 answers total)

Put lavender (or something that smells good to you) in it and use it as a sachet for drawers or cupboards.
posted by hepta at 8:54 AM on January 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

I keep them for gift giving. They're handy for things that don't come in a box or are hard to wrap.
posted by quince at 9:01 AM on January 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

I use them to keep large necklaces from getting tangled with each other in my jewelry boxes, super handy now large dramatic necklaces are "in". Makes it feel a bit fancy when I pull them out to use too.
posted by wwax at 9:02 AM on January 19, 2015 [7 favorites]

Probably a somewhat niche use, but I bought a stack of these for my Girl Scout troop. When they earn badges I stick them in pretty little bags to pass them out.
posted by phunniemee at 9:07 AM on January 19, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I keep my ear buds in a small one to keep them from getting tangled in my bag... I bet there are other small daily items that could be organized that way.
posted by ceramicblue at 9:13 AM on January 19, 2015 [6 favorites]

Best answer: We had one of these floating around and my three year old (who enjoys putting things in other things) put the small pieces from a board game in it. It's very handy and nicer to open and close than the game's original ziploc bags.
posted by that's how you get ants at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Start playing a tabletop roleplaying game, so that you find yourself in need of a pretty dice bag.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

I recommend using it as a dice bag, too, or give it to a gamer friend.
posted by Gelatin at 9:33 AM on January 19, 2015

I keep gold coins in mine.
posted by Rash at 9:43 AM on January 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

I keep my bike lights in one of these things when the bike is parked outside, and a power cell and spare charging cable for my phone in another one.
posted by moonmilk at 9:43 AM on January 19, 2015

If it's large enough, you can put one of those square boxes of tissues in it and snug the drawstring up to the opening in the top.
posted by HotToddy at 9:53 AM on January 19, 2015

I carry a beautiful shawl folded up in one of these. The bag protects the shawl inside my purse, in case I ever need to keep warm.
posted by tel3path at 10:41 AM on January 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

I repurpose them as packaging for things I sell on Etsy, eBay, etc.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:13 PM on January 19, 2015

My mum uses these bags to cover ripening fruits on her pear trees! This stops the local parrots taking a bite out of every available fruit, and they're safer than netting, which birds can get tangled in.
posted by brushtailedphascogale at 12:54 PM on January 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

I use a small one as a coin purse.
posted by a sourceless light at 1:26 PM on January 19, 2015

Not the fanciest use, but as a dog owner I use the really small ones (like you see filled with Jordan almonds) to hold a few poop scooping bags. Makes them easy to find in my pockets and also protects them from getting poked full of holes.
posted by superna at 6:11 PM on January 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Already started using the one in the photo as an earbud bag, and as a gamer I love the board game/tabletop related suggestions too. Thanks all!
posted by capricorn at 2:12 PM on January 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

I use one for my earbuds, another for jewelry when I travel and then another to keep a few tea bags in my desk drawer at work.
posted by Shadow Boxer at 2:42 PM on January 21, 2015