Cute Zipper Tote Bag Tutorial

Tuesday I gave you a cute duffel bag for your kiddos, today I am giving you a fun zipper tote tutorial that is great for you! Or your kids too. It’s small enough to be handy to carry around by big enough to fit just what you need. And it’s quite easy to make!

Simple and fun! It’s actually basically the same design as my laptop bag, I just sized it down so that it could be used for other things (since I don’t actually have a laptop).

Also, I need to tell you about where I got my fabric because I LOVE this place. It’s Stitch Stash Diva and it’s an Etsy store with tons and tons of the latest, cutest, trendiest fabrics. I get lost in that online store every time I go there and just browse and browse and get great things!

Just take a peek at some of the newest stuff:

 

 

Check it all out here.

 

Zipper Tote Bag Tutorial:

Supplies Needed: 

• 2/3 yard each of 2 coordinating fabrics (I got mine at Stitch Stash Diva)
• 12 inch zipper
• 2 small D rings and 2 clasps (see images)
• 1/2 yard fusible fleece interfacing

Cutting Guide:

• Cut 3 pieces of your accent fabric that are 14 inches long by 12 inches wide
• Cut 1 piece of your main fabric that is 14 inches long by 12 inches wide
• Cut 1 piece of your main fabric that is 17 inches long by 12 inches wide
• Cut one piece of your main fabric that is 34 inches long by 4 inches wide
• Cut 2 pieces from your main fabric that are 2.5 inches long by 2 inches wide
• Cut 2 pieces of fusible fleece that are 14 inches long by 12 inches wide
• Cut 1 piece of fusible fleece that is 34 inches long by 4 inches wide

Instructions:

(Please note that this tutorial is very similar to the laptop bag, so if you need more pictures, you can also refer to that post.)

Iron your fusible fleece interfacing to the back of your accent fabric pieces-two of them-and your strap.

Fold strap in half the long way with right sides facing and sew up the long side. Turn it right side out. Loop each end around the ring on your claps and sew it in place on either end, hemming under the edges.

Grab your two small pieces (2 by 2.5), fold them in half long ways with right sides together, turn right side out, and press.

Now, take 1 of your 14 by 12 accent pieces, your 12 by 14 main piece, and your zipper. Sandwich your zipper between the two pieces with the zipper facing down on your main piece, right sides of the fabrics together and sew up the edge. You will need to move the zipper pull out of your way as you sew at one point. Just stop (knot the thread), move the zipper pull out of your way and start again where you left off.

 

If you have done this correctly it should look like this after you sew. See how the zipper is facing down on the main fabric:

Press the fabric around the zipper flat.

Do the same thing on the other side of your fabric with you other two 12 by 14 inch pieces. They should both be accent pieces.

Now take your piece that is 17 by 12 and fold it in half with right sides OUT and press the fold. This will be your outer pocket. Lay this piece on top of your outer accent piece. This should be the piece that the zipper was laying face down on when you sewed both accent pieces to the zipper in the previous step.

 

Place your little tiny strap pieces on the bag with the D ring looped through them near the top of the bag like this:

 

Make sure your zipper is halfway open.

Now fold the fabric over so that the two main pieces (so the one with the pocket and the one that is your main fabric-in my case the pink) are on top of each other with right sides facing and those little straps and D rings on the inside. Pin everything in place.

Do the same with your inner fabrics-right sides together.

Now you will sew all the way around the bag but leave a small opening at the bottom of the inner fabrics to turn it all. Be careful when you go over the zipper part that you don’t hit the actual zipper with your needle.

Turn everything right side out and stuff the inner down into the outer part.

Presse everything flat and add the strap to the D rings.

And you’re done!

 

You Might Also Like: