12 DIYs of Christmas: Propagation Gift Bags

Today’s Christmas DIY goes out to all those crazy plant people that love to share their plants – I see you! 

Not only is propagating plants a fun an easy way to share your plants, but it’s also an inexpensive gift that carries some sentimental value.

I for one usually have multiple cuttings propagating, or plants in water. Whether you already have a bunch or are about to do a chop & prop, these propagation gift bags can turn them into the perfect gift!

The great thing about these hessian propagation gift bags is that you can use them for freshly cut plants or rooted cuttings. AND, the recipient can plant the whole thing (bag and all) into the ground or a pot!

Hessian is a strong but natural material that will decompose after time. And if your plants grow before the hessian decomposes, the roots can just grow straight through the bag!

You will Need:

Plant cuttings (or plants)
Soil
Natural Hessian / burlap material
Sewing machine or Needle & thread
Jute ribbon or similar

To make the propagation gift bags, cut a rectangle of fabric that is around twice as long as you’d like the bag to be. My fabric was around 20cm x 10cm, but you could really make them whatever size you like.

I find sewing hessian is easiest using a zig zag stitch. Fold the material in half, and stitch down each side to form a pocket. Stitch around the top too, to make sure the fabric doesn’t continue to fray.

You may like to sew across the bottom corners, to help form a base for the propagation gift bags to stand on.

Then, turn the bag right-way-out and sew a strip of jute ribbon to each top side as a handle.

I found the easiest way to plant a cutting in the bag was to mix up the soil first and dampen it. Then you can scoop the damp soil straight into the bag, and put your cutting in the top. This way, you don’t have to worry about watering it until the soil starts to dry out again.

You may also like to use soil that is appropriate to the type of plant, or sphagnum moss is also great for propagating.

For these two propagation gift bags, I used a Pilea Peperomioides pup (or Chinese Money Plant) and a Heart Leaf Philodendron cutting. To water the cutting, water it over a sink or dip the bag into a container of water for a few seconds, then allow to drip dry.

Don’t forget to tell your propagation gift bags’ recipients that they can plant it straight into a pot!

Check out the other 12 DIYs of Christmas here.