Easy Felt Gift Card Pouches
If you’re giving a gift card, but want to make it more personal, try sewing up some easy felt gift card pouches. Don’t sew? Don’t worry! It’s really hard to call this a sewing project, considering that it requires no special equipment, and very little in the way of skills. Read on to learn more and for step-by-step instructions!
This is actually a very good craft for “practice sewing”. Last week, I shared these simple stitched felt hearts and how they’re great for introducing children to sewing. This tutorial takes it a step further – because you need to figure out how to get the gift card pouches to stay shut.
I used a big button on one, but didn’t sew a button hole. You can sew a button hole if you’d like. You just need to reinforce the two ends with a few stitches. I decided simply to place it so that the flap tucks underneath the button, to keep the project easy.
On the second, I tapered the ends of the flap so that it tucks into the envelope itself. On that one I didn’t add any decorative stitching to the flap to allow it to tuck in flatter.
While these are intended for gifting gift cards, they are so versatile! You can use them for gifting cash or as an upgraded envelope for a card. You can also use them to stow a small stack of business cards for distributing, or for storing a few credit/gift cards in your handbag.
That means that it can also be reused for any of these and is a gift in itself. It’s almost like a mini wallet.
On the one with the button, I allowed that to be the “decorative touch” that gives it personality. On the second, I embroidered a very simple heart. That makes these gift card pouches a great way to introduce embroidery too!
What you need to make felt gift card pouches:
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- Felt samplers (or felt cut to size, see below)
- Embroidery floss in coordinating colors
- An embroidery needle (wide enough for the embroidery floss)
- Scissors, a marker or chalk
- (Optional) big button
- Gift card to measure (or credit card)
How to make felt gift card pouches:
1. If your felt sheets are large, measure it to size. You’ll want a comfortable amount of space around the gift card on all four sides. Mark your area with chalk (or even marker).
2. Fold it over to measure where the flap should start. Trim it to size if need be.
3. Fold it up, and mark where you want to sew on your button (if you’re doing that.)
4. Sew your button on where you made your markings, and make sure the flap rests comfortably underneath. 
5. Start sewing it up! Thread your needle with a coordinating color embroidery thread. Double and tie a knot at the end. Start from the inside corner, and start sewing outward.
6. Sew a couple of stitches joining the bottom corner of the felt to reinforce it.
7. Continue sewing a simple stitch going up the side of your gift card pouches.
8. When you reach the top, you can reinforce it again if you’d like with an extra stitch.
9. If you’d like to add a pretty coordinating stitch to the flap, continue sewing with a running stitch along the edge.
10. When you reach the other side, where the pocket starts again, you can reinforce with an extra stitch.
11. Sew along that side as you did with the first and finish it off with extra stitches, matching how you did it on the first side.
Your first gift card pouch is complete! Put in the gift card and tuck in the flap to make sure it “works”!
12. If you want to embroider a simple design, first draw it out in chalk or marker.
12. Make one stitch starting from the back and ending in the back. Bring the needle back to the front through the center of that stitch.
13. Continue stitching that way until your design is complete.
14. Sew your pouch as you did the first. If you want to make a flap that tucks into the pouch, taper the edges as pictured.
Place your gift card inside, and tuck the flap into the pouch to “test” it. Your second gift card pouch is complete!
You won’t really want to stop at two. These gift card pouches are so much fun to make, and I’d imagine fun to receive too (especially the gift card inside…)
Are you making these gift card pouches as a gift? Who will you be making them for? I’d love to hear if you have any variations to share!
Why can’t you just use normal fabric?
Hi Alexis – of course you can! Felt is great for hand-sewing, for non-sewers or beginner sewers, for older kids. For fabric, you’d want to use a stiffer fabric (like denim) or stiffen/double/line your fabric. The process would simply be different.