Drawstring bags are trendy, versatile, and perfect for everyday use. They also have an interesting history that you should know. Explore our guide on everything you need to know about drawstring backpacks for more details!
History of Drawstring Bags
Drawstring bags have been popular carriers for centuries. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs show men wearing small pouches tied around their waists with long cords. However, despite these bags having ancient roots, they gained popularity in the 13th and 14th centuries.
14th and 15th Century
In the 14th and 15th centuries, men and women would clip small, cinched bags to the front of their girdles to store their items. The cord’s length depended on current fashion trends. In particular, women used beaded, jeweled, and decorative cinch bags to store their valuables.
The interesting thing about the drawstring bags back then is that they had two purposes, as they were also teaching tools. Girls learned how to sew and embroider small bags. Typically, they would stitch love stories into the fabric.
16th and 17th Century
During this time, fashion trends leaned toward longer skirts. The additional fabric of women’s dresses made cinched bags unnoticeable. Therefore, the bags evolved into small ones that women wore under their skirts.
Women put sweet-smelling herbs, dried flowers, spices, and scented cotton balls in the bags. In addition to herbs and dried flowers, women stored jewelry and coins. Ladies also typically had long, beaded drawstrings attached to their bags.
18th and 19th Century
The 18th century saw a huge rise in drawstring bags as men and women favored them for everyday carriers. Women attached the bags to their waists with a long drawstring and ornate buckle. They would store coins, jewelry, or keys. In the 19th century, cinch bags were available in various colors, and women would color-coordinate their bags with their outfits.
20th and 21st Century
Beaded personalized drawstring bags were still popular in the 20th century; in the 1950s, smaller handbags were synonymous with beauty and femininity. But by the mid-1980s, there was more interest in unisex cinch bags because of sporting events and high fashion. Today, drawstring backpacks are versatile, as everyone uses them—from college students to industry professionals.
Drawstring Backpacks vs. Traditional Bags
Drawstring bags are different than traditional carriers. Although both are functional for everyday use, some important distinctions exist.
- Accessibility: A drawstring backpack is accessible, as you simply pull the top of the bag to open it. You also pull the string to secure it. Traditional bags have various clasps and zippers to navigate.
- Storage: Drawstring bags have one main compartment, making it easier to find items since you don’t have to search multiple compartments.
- Mobility: Drawstring bags are easy to grab and carry. In many cases, traditional bags are bulkier and harder to carry for long periods.
- Security: A drawstring bag is secure because it cinches tightly at the top of the carrier. A traditional bag has multiple zippers, and it’s more likely that something will fall out.
- Space Saving: Traditional bags are bulky and take up more space than drawstring bags.
Common Materials for Drawstring Bags
Manufacturers make drawstring bags out of various materials. The materials have different lifespans and strengths that you can choose from depending on your needs. You’ll typically find burlap, cotton, canvas, mesh, nylon, and polyester drawstring bags at stores.
- Burlap: Burlap bags are durable, eco-friendly, and easy to customize. However, they’re not water-resistant or available in darker material.
- Cotton: Cotton bags are easy to care for, stretchy, and simple to find. The only drawback to cotton drawstring bags is that they’re thin.
- Canvas: Canvas bags are inexpensive and easy to customize with paint or markers. However, canvas is a thicker material.
- Mesh: Mesh drawstring bags are extremely lightweight, breathable, and ideal for indoor use. But when you take them outside, they won’t keep your items dry.
- Nylon: This is slippery material that’s resistant to stains. It also comes in a variety of colors. However, nylon bags can melt at high temperatures, and they’re not biodegradable.
- Polyester: Polyester bags are durable, fade-resistant, and lightweight. But polyester tends to hold odors because the fabric isn’t breathable.
Best Occasions for Drawstring Backpacks
Drawstring bags are perfect for a variety of occasions. Check out the best uses for these backpacks:
- Parties: Drawstring bags are great party favors because they’re easy to grab on the way out.
- School events: Use drawstring bags to showcase school colors, sorority or fraternity letters, or mascots.
- Charity marathons: Give participants drawstring backpacks to carry their essentials during the event. You can customize cotton or canvas bags with the charity logo.
- Crafts: Customize drawstring bags as an activity. You can use paint, markers, and decals on burlaps, canvas, and cotton bags.
- Fundraising events: Personalize drawstring bags with your event or business name. Give guests bags as mementos. Be sure to add your business contact information on the bags.
- Military: Drawstring backpacks are excellent for soldiers because they’re durable and easy to store. Burlap and canvas material are the most popular bag material for military applications.
- Travel: Lightweight drawstring bags can store all your essentials and fit in storage compartments.
Personalization Tips
You can select different colors, fabrics, prints, and logos for your drawstring bag. You can also adjust the strings. To shorten the bag, look for the toggle and tighten your strings to the desired length. Alternatively, you can knot the strings for a quicker method. If you want longer strings, you may need to remove the old drawstring and get a longer one—fortunately, this is easy to do.
How To Wash Drawstring Backpacks
Most drawstring backpacks are made of machine-washable materials. In particular, cotton, nylon, and canvas are machine-washable, making it easy to remove dirt and residue from them.
Wash nylon in warm water and natural fabrics like canvas in cold water. If you want to, pre-treat your bag with stain remover. You should also place drawstring bags in mesh laundry bags before putting them in the washer. This prevents drawstrings from wrapping around any clothes and getting tangled.
After washing, keep drawstring bags in the mesh bag and put them in the dryer. Set the dryer to warm and tumble dry.
Where To Purchase Drawstring Bags
After learning everything you need to know about drawstring backpacks, you might want to buy this versatile carrier. Since drawstring bags are popular, you can find them at most retailers.
But when you need a bulk order, purchase them wholesale from Backpacks USA. Our wholesale drawstring backpacks are lightweight with durable straps. They’re great for travel, special events, amusement parks, school, and anywhere else you need a convenient way to store belongings.
