fabric bags Archives

These little DIY tote bags are quick to make, use up fabric scraps, and are super handy for everyday life.

You can fold them up and tuck them into your
Use them as lightweight shopping bags, or even carry books, crochet, or craft supplies.

No interfacing required—just fabric and a few basic sewing supplies.

I’ll show you two methods for sewing tote bags:

A French seam with a regular sewing machine.
Using a serger with finished edges.

Why You’ll Love Making This Tote Bag

✔ Beginner-friendly — no advanced techniques required
✔ Great scrap-buster project
✔ Reusable and eco-friendly
✔ Perfect handmade gift idea
✔ Fun to customize with colorful fabrics and tags

Supplies You’ll Need

Quilter’s cotton, canvas, or denim fabric
Rotary cutter, ruler, and mat
scissors
Fabric clips or pins
Heat-erasable pen or marking tool
Sewing machine (or serger)
Iron
Spray starch (optional)
Optional: labels or tags for a personal touch

Learn how to make your own labels and tags HERE.

Cutting Out Tote Bag

Sewing machine/French seam method: Cut two pieces – 17.5″ x 19″
Serger method: Cut two pieces – 17.5″ x 18″
Straps: Cut two pieces – 4″ x 26″
***Tip: Mix and match fabrics for a fun, whimsical look—or go classic with matching straps and panels.

Step 1: Prep Your Fabric

Trim selvage edges so your fabric is straight.
Cut out two bag panels and two straps.

***If you want to add a label on the front of the bag, do that now.

Step 2: Sew the Straps

*** Spraying the wrong side of the straps with spray starch before pressing is very helpful in getting crisp edges of the fabric.

Fold the strap in half lengthwise and press.
Open up the strap and fold each edge in toward the center, press again.
Fold in half once more to enclose the raw edges.
Topstitch along both sides using a 1/8 inch seam allowance.
***Batch sewing? Sew the straps right after each other while topstitching to save time and thread.

Step 3: Assemble the Bag (French Seam Method)

Place the wrong sides together and clip in place.
If you want to add a label or tag to the bag, do that now.
Place the label on top of the fabric, 3/8 inch from the edge of the fabric.
Baste the tag in place using a 1/8 inch seam.

5. Sew around three sides of the bag with a ¼” seam allowance, pivoting at corners.

6. Trim corners and press seam open.
7. Turn the bag inside out and press.
8. Sew around the same three sides again with a 3/8 inch seam allowance to enclose raw edges..

Step 4: Hem the Top

Measure down 2 inches from the top edge and draw a line using a disappearing ink pen.
Measure 1 inch from that line and mark another line. (Do this on both sides of the bag).

*** A starch spray is also good to use on this hem.

3. Fold the top edge down to meet the first line and press.
4. Fold that edge down to the next line and press.
5. Mark strap placement: measure in 4.5″ from each side.
6. Insert straps under the fold and clip in place, making sure they aren’t twisted.

Step 5: Top Stitch and Secure the Straps

Stitch 1/8 inch from the lower folded edge, catching the straps.
Topstitch again along the top edge.
Sew an “X” where the straps meet the bag for extra strength.

Step 6 : Assemble the Bag (Serger Method)

*** Label/Tag Application (optional)

Place the label BETWEEN THE TWO FABRIC PIECES, 1/4 inch from the edge of the fabric. Baste the tag in place using a 1/8 inch seam.
Place right sides together and serge around the sides and bottom with a 3/8 inch seam allowance.

Step 7: Hem The Top Edge (Serger Method)

Measure 1 inch down from the top edge and mark a line.
2 Finish the top by serging the raw edge, then fold over to meet the 1″ line. Press and topstitch.
Attach the straps the same way as above.

That’s it! These bags are perfect for gifts, market bags, or even to sell at craft fairs.

Want to make them even more versatile?

Add a boxed bottom to give your tote extra room.

I show you exactly how in this tutorial.

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Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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beginner sewing project fabric bags

Oh boy do I have a fun beginner sewing project for you. I’m going to show you how to make a fabric bag. They are so fun and quick to sew and you can use them for so many things.

If you’re new to sewing, this is a great beginner sewing project.

These fabric bags can be made in any size. They make adorable gift bags, or you can use them to store almost anything.

I’m going to make up a bunch of medium-sized bags out of muslin to store my onions and garlic and put them in my pantry.

One year I made up a bunch of bags and filled them with navel oranges.

The little bags work well for candy treats or items you want to keep together.

Materials & Items Needed

sewing machine
some fabrics (quilters cotton, flannel, canvas, muslin, and even sheer and knit fabrics can be used)
scissors/rotary cutter mat (optional)
pins/wonder clips (optional)
measuring tape/Hot hemmer/seam gauge
iron
pencil or disappearing ink pen
turning stick, or the eraser end of a pencil
seam ripper
drawstring (upcycled t-shirt yarn, ribbon, bakers twine, jute, seam tape, recycled drawstrings from upcycled clothing)
optional embellishments (applique, whatever else you want to put on the bag)
optional tag/label
Wonder Under (optional)

Fabric Bag Instructions

Cutting Out

You can make these any size but some recommended basic sizes are:

Finished Size:

4.5 x 5.25” / 11.5 x 13 cm
8 x 9” / 21 x 23 cm
13 x 12 25 inches (33 x 31cm) finished

I like cutting my fabric, especially squares and straight cuts with a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat, but you can always use regular scissors if you want to.

1- Decide how big you want the bag to be.

Seam allowance is ¼ – 3/8 inch and you’ll be folding the top of the bag down 1 ¼ inch to make a casing. You can make this casing larger or smaller if you wish.

For a medium-sized bag with a finished size of 8 x 9 inches (23 x 28 cm), you’ll cut a piece of fabric 9 x 11 inches (23 x 28cm).

Small bag: cut fabric 5.5 x 7.25 inches.

Large bag: cut fabric 14 x 14.25 inches.

2- Pre-pressing

Taking the time to pre-press your casing will save time and frustration. I LOVE using this Hot Hemmer. It makes hemming and pressing so much easier. I would definitely recommend investing in this little gadget and adding it to your sewing tool collection.

Fold the top edge under a ¼ inch and press all the way across. Do that on both pieces. Then fold over again 1 inch and press.

Unfold the hem you just pressed and place the right sides lining up the edges and the creases you just made.

Sew along the side, across the bottom, and back up the other side using a 3/8 inch seam allowance, or just the edge of your presser foot to make it easy. Backstitch at the beginning and the end of your stitching.

3- Fabric Bag Drawstring Casing

Measure down 2.5 inches from the top edge and mark that point on both sides.

4- Finishing the seam allowance.

You are going to want to finish the seams so the fabric does not fray. There are several methods you can use or you can cut the fabric with pinking shears. However, a simple zigzag stitch works great.

Zigzag stitch settings: Width 4 / Length 2

Start at that 2 ½ inch point you just marked and start sewing all the way around, with the right edge of the zigzag close to the fabric edge.

Open up the bag so that you can finger-press the seam allowance open where you didn’t finish the seam. You can use an iron if you want but I find a good finger press is sufficient. Press down firmly and slide your finger down and that will press it open.

To reinforce the drawstring opening, sew around the unfinished seam making a little box area. Sew about 1/8 inch from the center seam.

Now, this is where that pre-pressing comes in handy! Fold the top of the fabric bag down where you pressed, ¼ inch and then 1 inch. Pin it in place.

Topstitch all the way around about 1/8 inch from the edge of that fold. If you have a sewing machine where you can remove the arm piece so you can slide your bag around the arm of the sewing machine.

However, if you don’t have that option, turn the fabric bag RIGHT SIDE FACING OUT and sew inside the tube. (I hope that makes sense).

Janni Tip: Here is a great tip so that you don’t get those little bunched-up threads on the underside of your fabric where you start sewing: When you start sewing, grab the needle and bobbin threads and hold them for the first couple of stitches then let go. There isn’t anything functionally wrong with the bunched-up threads, it’s just not very attractive.

Flip it right side facing out and take your turning stick and poke out the corners.

To reinforce the top of the drawstring holes, take a few stitches about 1/8 inch from the top and only about an inch long.

This is where you’ll need the seam ripper. Pull the seam apart where you reinforced the hole so that you can see the stitches and just grab one of the stitches and cut it. Make sure you’re not cutting the fabric.

Start pulling the threads and cut as needed with the seam ripper to open that section up. Don’t worry, the seam will not come undone further than that because you have reinforced the seam.

5 – Drawstring Application

Measure out your drawstring material: take the width of the bag and double that, then add 4 inches. For this 9 x 11 inch bag, I’m going to cut two strips 25 inches.

Attach the safety pin to the end of the twine. If the twine or string you are using has ends that will fray, make a knot on the end before attaching the safety pin.

That’s it! Pull the drawstrings and see how nicely it cinches together. Yay!

Fabric Bag Embellishments

You can embellish the bag with a tag, or an applique.

I have added a cute star and some flowers using “Wonder Under” fabric adhesive. This is great stuff. Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to use it.

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY — Gift Bag Flowers from flannel fabric

Fabric Gift Bag Idea

I made some PJ pants and bought a t-shirt to match, then added a cute flower applique that I made from the fabric I used for the pants. Put them in a bag with matching applique and there you have an adorable, homemade gift bag. So cute.

Jan Howell

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Jan Howell

Why You’ll Love Making This Tote Bag

Supplies You’ll Need

Cutting Out Tote Bag

Step 1: Prep Your Fabric

Step 2: Sew the Straps

Step 3: Assemble the Bag (French Seam Method)

Step 4: Hem the Top

Step 5: Top Stitch and Secure the Straps

Step 6 : Assemble the Bag (Serger Method)

Step 7: Hem The Top Edge (Serger Method)

Want to make them even more versatile?

Add a boxed bottom to give your tote extra room.

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL

Jan Howell

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Jan Howell

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Materials & Items Needed

Fabric Bag Instructions

Cutting Out

1- Decide how big you want the bag to be.

2- Pre-pressing

3- Fabric Bag Drawstring Casing

4- Finishing the seam allowance.

5 – Drawstring Application

Fabric Bag Embellishments

Fabric Gift Bag Idea

Jan Howell

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Jan Howell

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