Hand-Sewn Orange Gift Bag Workshop

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to basic hand-sewing life skills through the creation of a reusable fabric orange bag, traditionally used for gifting mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year.

Participants will learn essential hand-sewing techniques while gaining awareness of sustainable practices, transforming simple fabric into a meaningful, eco-friendly festive item.

Life Skills Development

Participants will learn:

• Basic hand-sewing fundamentals (invisible stitch and back stitch)

• Fine motor coordination and focus

• Patience, problem-solving and completion of a functional item

• Confidence in repairing or creating simple textile items independently

Workshop Highlights

• Introduction to Chinese New Year gifting traditions

• Overview of sustainability and reusable festive alternatives

• Demonstration of hand-sewing tools and techniques

• Guided hands-on sewing session

• Completion of a reusable orange gift bag

• Tips on care, reuse, and simple repairs

*No prior crafting experience required. Suitable for Children (upper primary and above), youths, adults

*All materials are provided. We'll use old Chinese New Year red packets. Participant is encouraged to bring used red packets of their choice [minimum 6 pieces]

Learning Outcome & Takeaways

Participants will:

• Take home a hand-sewn reusable orange bag

• Acquire practical sewing life skills

• Gain awareness of sustainable festive practices

• Experience the joy of creating something meaningful by hand

• A meaningful handmade item to gift or reuse year after year

Please note that all sales are final, no refunds. TFP members can use 20 points for a 10% discount.

This workshop is conducted by

Enterprising Mums United (EMU) is a social enterprise founded in 2016 by two mothers, Fazilah and Norma, who understand firsthand the challenges of balancing family responsibilities with a passion for handcrafted creations. With a combined 20 years of experience in marketing, business management, retail operations and manufacturing, they created EMU to empower single mums, stay-at-home mums and like-minded individuals to build sustainable businesses in the retail sector.

EMU strongly advocates sustainability and circular practices. Over the years, they have conducted numerous upcycling programmes for organisations, schools and the community, transforming unwanted textiles and T-shirts into purposeful, creative new items. Their mission is to raise awareness on sustainable living, promote zero-waste habits, and inspire individuals to leverage their creativity to build meaningful livelihoods through upcycled handcrafted products.