Hostess Gifts and Gifts for Wine Lovers: Wine Bags and Reusable Bags Made From Saris

December is full of invitations: dinners, drinks, long lunches with friends and family. Most of us arrive with a bottle in a paper bag, which is generous but forgettable. A host gift that lasts longer than the evening takes very little extra effort, and it is the one people remember.

Two of the pieces our customers buy most at Christmas are made for exactly this: a wine bag cut from a pre-loved sari, and the reusable shopping bags that end up being used every single day. Here is how to give them.

The wine bag: a host gift that gets used again

Our wine bag is made by hand from sari fabric and fits a standard 750 ml bottle. It has a structured shape and two fabric handles, so the bottle is easy to carry and arrives looking like a proper present. The difference from gift paper is simple: once the bottle is opened, the bag stays. Your host keeps it, uses it for the next bottle they bring somewhere, and the gift travels on.

At around €10, it is also one of the easiest ways to make a good bottle feel personal. Each bag is cut from a different sari, so you can choose a print that suits the person, whether that is a bright floral, a deep paisley or a quiet geometric.

Gifts for wine lovers that go beyond the bottle

The wine bag plus a bottle you love: the classic, and still the best. Add a handwritten note about why you chose that wine.

The wine bag plus an ornament: tie a small sari ornament to the handle. It becomes a decoration for their tree after dinner.

Two wine bags, empty: for the friend who always brings the wine, so they can give in style all season.

For the dinner table: pieces from our decor and dining range turn a host gift into something they will see every time they lay the table.

Reusable shopping bags: the everyday gift

A reusable bag sounds modest until you notice how often it gets used. Our foldable bags are light and soft and tuck into their own built-in pocket, so they live in a coat pocket or handbag and come out at the market, the bakery or the bookshop. Each one is cut from a different pre-loved sari, which turns a practical object into something people actually enjoy carrying.

They are easy to give at every budget. A single reusable bag is a good stocking filler at around €6. Foldable sets of three or five, each bag in a different print, make a generous gift for a host, a neighbour or anyone setting up a new home.

When you want something sturdier

For a bigger present, our shopper bags are lined with cotton and roomy enough for a full shop or a day out. The quilted shopper adds padded panels for structure, and the fringe shopper pairs cotton canvas with a raw sari fringe down both sides. If you are choosing a bag for someone, our guide to choosing an everyday bag covers what to look for.

A simple way to wrap it all

The nicest thing about a bag as a gift is that it is also the wrapping. Put the bottle in the wine bag, or tuck a few small presents inside a reusable bag and tie the handles with ribbon. Nothing gets thrown away on Boxing Day.

Who made your gift

Every piece is cut, stitched and finished by hand by a woman artisan in our Mumbai workshop. More than 900 women have worked with us since we started, many of them in their first paid job. I was a Sari is a certified B Corporation and a member of the World Fair Trade Organization, so the story behind the gift is checked, not just told. You can meet the people and the process here.

Order in time for Christmas

Every order leaves our workshop in India within 1 to 2 business days, tracked from the moment it ships. For delivery to Europe, the UK and the US before Christmas, order by 8 December with Express shipping (4 to 5 business days after dispatch) or by 24 November with Eco shipping (10 to 12 business days). EU orders have VAT and duties collected at checkout, US prices include all duties and taxes, and UK orders pay nothing extra on delivery. Sending it straight to them? Just enter their name and address as the shipping address at checkout. Everything else is in our Christmas gift guide.

Frequently asked questions

What size bottle fits in the wine bag?

Our wine bags are designed for a standard 750 ml wine bottle, with a structured shape and two fabric handles.

How much do the wine bags and reusable bags cost?

Wine bags are around €10. Single reusable bags start at around €6, foldable sets of three or five are around €16 and €27, and our lined shopper bags range from around €18 to €31.

Are the reusable bags really foldable?

Yes. The bags in our foldable sets tuck into their own built-in pocket, so each one is small enough to keep in a coat pocket or handbag.

Is every bag different?

Yes. Every bag is cut from a pre-loved sari, so prints and colours vary from one bag to the next.

When should I order for Christmas?

Order by 8 December with Express shipping, or by 24 November with Eco shipping, for delivery to Europe, the UK and the US before Christmas.

A bottle gets opened. A bag that was once a sari keeps going, from one dinner to the next.

Shop wine bags →
Shop reusable and shopper bags →
See the full Christmas gift guide →