Anyone can walk into a holiday party holding a plain paper bag. A quilted wine bottle tote makes the same bottle feel like a thoughtful gift — and the host can reuse it all year for olive oil or sparkling cider. With Thanksgiving and holiday parties coming up, sew a few in October in festive prints and you will never scramble for a hostess gift again. This is a beginner-friendly project with straight seams, gentle padding, and no zipper.
What You’ll Make
One padded, lined single-bottle tote, about 6″ wide by 14″ tall before the handle, sized for a standard 750 ml wine bottle. A layer of fusible fleece gives it soft cushioning and helps it stand on the counter, while a fabric handle makes it easy to carry. Use Christmas prints for December, fall prints for Thanksgiving, or a favorite solid for birthdays and housewarmings.
Materials
7 of the 8 materials below (88%) are available at Linda’s — links included. The last one is easy to find anywhere.
- Confetti Cotton Christmas Fat Quarter Bundle, 12 Pcs. — one fat quarter is plenty for one tote. Get it at Linda’s.
- Green Grunge Basics Christmas Green 44″/45″ Per Yard — coordinating lining; a half yard makes several totes. Get it at Linda’s.
- Floriani Heat N Sta Fleece (Fusible) 45″ x 1yd — fusible fleece to pad the outside pieces. Get it at Linda’s.
- 1103 Burgundy Aurifil Cotton 50wt Large Spool — a warm holiday red for seams and topstitching. Get it at Linda’s.
- Olfa Deluxe 45mm Rotary Cutter — for cutting all the rectangles cleanly to the same size. Get it at Linda’s.
- Quilting Pins Fine by Clover — to pin sides, bottom, and boxed corners before sewing. Get it at Linda’s.
- Riley Blake Designs Quilty Clips — for holding the layered top edge and handle ends in place. Get it at Linda’s.
- Cotton webbing, sturdy ribbon, or a fabric strip for the handle, about 14″ — at most craft stores or your local quilt shop, or make your own from a leftover lining strip, folded and stitched.
Steps
- Cut everything. From the outside print, lining, and fusible fleece, cut two rectangles each, 9″ wide by 16″ tall. Test the fit with a clean, empty bottle first — taller bottles may need an extra inch of height.
- Fuse the fleece. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse one fleece rectangle to the wrong side of each outside piece. Let them cool flat.
- Sew the outside. Place the outside pieces right sides together, pin the sides and bottom, and sew with a ¼″ seam, leaving the top open. Backstitch at the start and end.
- Sew the lining. Sew the lining pieces the same way, but leave a 3″ opening in the bottom seam for turning later.
- Box the corners. On both outside and lining, pinch each bottom corner so the side seam lines up with the bottom seam, forming a triangle. Mark a line 1½″ from the point, sew across it, and trim off the tip. This makes a flat base so the bottle sits steadily.
- Add the handle. Form your webbing or strip into a loop. Clip the ends to the top edge of the outside tote, centered on opposite sides, with the loop hanging down inside and raw ends even with the top edge. Baste in place inside the seam allowance.
- Join the layers. Turn the outside tote right side out, handle tucked inside. Leave the lining inside out and slip the outside inside it, right sides together, top edges and side seams matching. Clip around the top.
- Sew the top and turn. Sew around the top with a ¼″ seam, catching the handle ends. Turn right side out through the lining opening, then sew that opening closed. The handle will pop up as you turn.
- Finish. Tuck the lining inside, press the top edge, and topstitch around it about ⅛″ from the edge. Slip the bottle in gently just before you leave.
Tips
- Carry by the handle and support the bottom with your other hand — the fleece cushions gently but cannot protect glass from a drop.
- For a non-alcohol gift, the same tote fits sparkling cider, fancy olive oil, or specialty vinegar.
- Tie a simple gift tag to the handle with a short thank-you note for the host.
- Spot clean as needed, lay flat to dry, and press lightly before storing flat.
Where to Get Everything
The Christmas fat quarter bundle, lining fabric, fusible fleece, Aurifil thread, rotary cutter, pins, and quilty clips are all at lindas.com — follow the links above: 88% of the list from one shop. For the webbing or ribbon, check most craft stores or your local quilt shop. Sew two or three on a quiet afternoon, and every invitation this season gets a gift that arrives in style.
