Making a Simple Linen Bread Bag for Your Kitchen

A Small Sewing Project With a Long History

Long before plastic bread bins and cling film, every kitchen had its own way of keeping a loaf: a cloth bag, a wooden bin, a clean tea towel wrapped tightly round the crust. There is something quietly satisfying about returning to that. A linen bread bag costs very little to make, takes an afternoon, and does its job better than most things you can buy. It lets the loaf breathe, so the crust stays crisp instead of turning leathery, and it looks handsome hanging from a hook beside the pantry shelf.

This is a good project for a beginner. You need straight seams, a little patience, and no complicated techniques. Make one for yourself, then make three more for Christmas.

Why Linen, and Why Not Plastic

Bread goes stale for two reasons: it loses moisture, and it traps moisture. A plastic bag stops the first problem and causes the second, which is why a loaf left in a carrier bag goes soft and then furry within days. Linen behaves differently. It is absorbent and breathable, so the crust can shed a little steam while the crumb stays protected. A linen bag will give you two or three good days on the counter, which is usually all a homemade loaf needs.

Choose a medium-weight linen, roughly 200 to 260 gsm. A loose, open weave lets too much air through; a heavy upholstery linen is stiff and awkward to gather round a drawstring. Look for washed or softened linen, or wash it yourself before cutting. Linen shrinks, and you do not want your careful measurements to disappear in the first wash.

What You Will Need

• Fabric: two rectangles of linen, 30cm by 40cm, for a bag that comfortably holds a 800g round loaf
• Drawstring: 70cm of cotton cord, linen tape, or narrow cotton herringbone tape
• Hanging loop: 15cm of the same tape
• Thread: a good quality cotton or polyester-cotton in a colour close to your linen
• Tools: sewing machine, pins or clips, fabric scissors, a safety pin for threading the cord, an iron

If you would rather have a softer bag for a delicate white loaf, cut a second pair of rectangles from lightweight cotton and make it double-layered. Leave a small gap in one side seam when sewing the layers together so you can turn it right side out.

Sewing the Bag

Press your linen first. It is much easier to cut and sew when it is flat and smooth.

Place the two rectangles right sides together and pin. Sew down both long sides and across the bottom with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving the top open. Backstitch at the start and finish of every seam.

Now strengthen those seams. The simplest method is to run a narrow zigzag stitch along the raw edges, then press them open. If you prefer a finish with no exposed edges, sew a French seam instead: trim the seam allowance to 5mm, press the seams open, turn the bag wrong sides out, and sew again 6mm from the edge to enclose the raw fabric. It takes a few minutes longer and gives a beautifully tidy inside.

Turn the bag right side out and press the seams flat, particularly along the bottom, so the bag sits squarely.

A Drawstring and a Hanging Loop

Fold the top edge over by 1cm and press, then fold again by 4cm to make the casing. Press firmly; a crisp fold makes the stitching much easier. Sew around the casing close to the lower folded edge, stopping 3cm short of where you began and leaving both ends unsewn. This gap is where the cord will go in and out.

Before you close the casing, slip the hanging loop into one side seam. Fold the 15cm tape in half, tuck the raw ends inside the casing at the side seam, and pin them in place so the loop points downwards into the bag. Sew across it as you stitch the casing.

Thread the cord through the gap using a safety pin, work it all the way round, and knot the two ends together firmly. Add a small bead or a wooden toggle if you like. Fray-check the knot with a dab of clear nail varnish or a quick pass with a lighter.

Using and Caring for Your Bag

Drop the loaf in, pull the cord, and hang the bag from a hook. Do not overfill it — the bread needs a little room, and the fabric should fold rather than stretch. For a very crusty sourdough, the linen alone is ideal. For a soft sandwich loaf, pop a cotton liner inside first.

Shake the crumbs out after every loaf. Wash the bag by hand or on a gentle 30°C cycle with a mild, unscented detergent, and never use fabric conditioner, which coats the fibres and reduces their absorbency. Air dry it, then press while slightly damp. Two or three bags in rotation will see you through the year, and each one improves with age, softening into something that feels like it has always been in the kitchen.