As the weather gets warmer and I head outside more and more, I find myself grabbing for my no-fuss bags. Tote bags are great for warm weather outings and are wonderfully versatile. Throw in a book and a snack and head to the park. Fold one up to store in your purse for trips to the farmers market. Or use one to store your current sewing project in. The uses for these simple bags are endless. Here’s a tutorial to make your very own tote bag. I even included an infographic that you can pin to your sewing Pinterest board to have a quick reference to! Detailed directions are below. This project from start to finish, including cutting, took me lass than thirty minutes! How much fun would it be to have a bunch of homemade tote bags to use all summer long?
1. Cut out your fabric pieces. You will need two 14 inches x 16.5 inches pieces of your main fabric for the body and two 4 inches x 21 inches pieces of your accent fabric for the handles.
2. Create the straps: Fold each of the long edges toward the middle and press. Fold in half lengthwise, and press again. Topstitch both long edges of the strap. Repeat for the second strap.
3. Attach strap to the outside of one of the body pieces. Use a ruler to place each end evenly on the fabric. I placed each end about four inches in on both sides. Take care to make sure the straps are laying correctly and are not twisted. Pin and baste stitch to hold strap in place. Repeat with other strap and body piece.
4. With right sides together, sew the two body pieces together along the sides and the bottom. Press seams open.
5. Fold the top towards the inside of the bag 1/2 inch and press. Fold again 1 inch and press. Topstitch along the fold. Topstitch along the top of the bag.
6. To create more depth in your tote bag, square off the corners. This step is optional but I love the finished look of this step. With the bag turned inside out, at the corners, pinch the bag together to line up the side seam and the bottom seam. Use a ruler to draw a line perpendicular to the bottom seam about an inch in from the point. This will create a triangle at the corner. Stitch across the line. Repeat at the other corner.
There you have it! A simple tote bag you can use for everything! Have fun altering this tutorial to fit your needs! Make a larger or smaller tote. Change the length of the straps. Have fun and happy sewing!