• Home
  • Contact
  • Advertising/PR
  • About
  • FAQ’s

Crazy Little Projects

Making Life Happy

Image Map
  • Sew Something
    • Sewing Tutorials
    • Learn to Sew
    • Sewing Tips
    • 25 Things to Sew
    • Hooded Towels
    • Bag Tutorials
  • Craft Closet
    • Sewing Tutorials
    • Free Printables
    • Hooded Towels
    • Quick & Easy Crafts
    • Gift Ideas
    • Around the House
  • In the Kitchen
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Desserts
  • With the Kids
    • Back to School
    • Crazy Little Kids Projects
    • For Boys
    • For Girls
    • For Kids
    • For Baby
    • Fun Things to Do
    • Kids Birthday ideas
    • Kids Crafts
  • Holidays
    • 4th of July
    • Birthday
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Summer Fun Ideas
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Learn to Sew

How to Make a Bag: Tote Bag Pattern

October 3, 2017 by Amber 54 Comments

Pin3K
Share52
Tweet
+1
Stumble
Shares 3K

What’s the Project: Looking for a quick and easy sewing project? This tote bag pattern and tutorial is fast and turns out great!

Every woman loves a good bag-am I right? They can be filled with diapers and toys when you’re in mom mode, they can be cute and flirty when you’ve got a date, or they can be filled with your laptop and notebooks when you head to work or school.

Or sometimes in my case, they can be a bottomless pit filled with who knows what-how’s that french fry get there?

Bags are one of my very favorite things to sew and the beauty of this one is that it’s super simple. It’s all straight lines-a perfect easy sewing project for beginners. And it’s super cute!

How to Make a Bag: Easy Tote Bag Pattern and Tutorial

If you don’t know how to sew a bag, this is a good place to start! This tote bag pattern is easy and you’ll love how it turns out!

It’s got one fabric on the top, another on the bottom and I did a third inside. So you can customize it for the person you are making it for!

How to Make a Tote Bag

And now I’ve got an updated version too that has a pocket on the outside if you prefer that. Check that tutorial out here.

DIY Tote Bag

So let’s make this great DIY tote bag!

 

Easy Tote Bag Pattern and Tutorial:

Supplies Needed:

  • Fabric-Canvas or Duck. I used 3 fabrics-one for the top, one for the bottom and one for the inside. You need about 1/3 yard of your bottom fabric and about 1/2 yard each of the top and inner fabrics
  • (Optional-fusible fleece interfacing to line the straps. You will only need about 1/4 yard for this.)

 

Cutting Guide:

  • From your bottom fabric cut 2 pieces that are 17 inches wide by 8 inches long
  • From your top fabric cut 2 pieces that are 17 inches wide by 12 inches long
  • Wait to cut your inner fabric
  • For your straps (from whichever fabric you prefer), cut 2 pieces that are 31 inches by 4 inches
  • (Optional-if you feel like you want to straps sturdy, line them with a fusible interfacing like fusible fleece)

 

Instructions:

Cut out the pieces mentioned above.

Totefabric

Place top fabric on the bottom fabric with right sides together and sew them together.

Fabric2

Do this for both pieces and then iron the seam flat.

With one of your pieces that you just sewed, place it on your inner fabric and use it as a guide to cut out the inner fabric to match what you just created. Cut 2 of your inner fabric.

Sew the two inner pieces together around both sides and the bottom with right sides facing.

Sew both of your outer pieces together around both sides and the bottom with right sides facing.

Now you are going to create box corners on these. To do this, grab the bottom corner of the bag and turn it so that that the fabric is laying like this:

BoxCorner

You will then sew a seam across the top tip of that triangle a few inches down from the tip:

BoxCorner2

Then snip off that tip:

BoxCorner3

Do this with both outer corners and both inner corners.

Set these aside while we make the straps.

Take your long pieces and fold them in half the long way with right sides together and sew up the long side.

Turn right side out (this will be a little tricky and time-consuming. I use a chopstick or pair of scissors to help push the fabric though. And I watch a good show while I do it.)

Press straps flat with seam in the center of the back:

Totestraps

Now, turn your inner fabric right side out but leave your outer fabric inside out. Put the inner bag down inside the outer bag. Slide your straps inside the bag in between the two fabrics, making sure that the seam on the back of the fabric is facing the inside of the bag and pin everything in place like this so that the fabric is even all the way around and the strap ends are between your inner and outer layers of fabric on both sides and have the ends poking out slightly.

SewBag

Sew all the way around the top of the bag leaving a 4-inch opening to turn it. *Make sure that opening is not where a strap is. You need to get those sewn in place.

Turn bag right side out and tuck inside into outside.

Press the whole bag. Fold the opening in and press that as well so that it looks just the same as the part that was sewn.

Top stitch all the way around the top of the bag. This will also close your opening.

And throw some stuff in your bag and hit the town!

Hope you’ve loved sewing this tote bag pattern!

You Might Also Like:

Messenger Bag Pattern:

Messenger Bag Patten and Tutorial

Bag Patterns:

Free Bag Patterns

Pin It:

Simple Tote Bag Pattern


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Bag Tutorials, Sew Something, Sewing Tutorials Tagged With: bag patterns, easy sewing, patterns, sew, sewing

« Christmas Apron Pattern: Cute Santa Apron
25 Quick and Easy Homemade Gift Ideas »

Comments

  1. Stacey says

    July 15, 2015 at 8:53 am

    Oh, that is very cute. I love the shape of it and the mix of fabrics. It is very similar to one I just recently made, except mine had grommets that the straps went through. I love seeing how it would look with regular straps! I will definitely make this one! Thanks for another great project!!

    Reply
  2. Carla says

    July 15, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    Love the bag. Is it easy enough for a beginner? Love the fabric, where is that from??

    Thanks for sharing…….

    Reply
    • Amber says

      July 15, 2015 at 5:12 pm

      Yes, it’s a pretty good beginner project. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby.

      Reply
      • Kirthi says

        December 24, 2017 at 9:53 am

        Hi, may I know the fabric type. I am a beginner. Is it normal cotton fabric or something….?????

        Reply
        • Amber says

          April 16, 2018 at 6:33 pm

          Yes or a heavy canvas is nice for it.

          Reply
  3. Marita Boutens says

    July 15, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    That is a very nice bag. I love to make bags. All kind of bags and I will make this one too. For myself or to give away. Glad my son has a girlfriend who loves bags too, so another reason for me to make them.
    Thank you for this pattern and tutorial.
    Greetings from Holland

    Reply
  4. Tana says

    July 15, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    I love this basic bag! Easy and it can be dressed up as much as you wants!

    Reply
  5. Ruth says

    July 15, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    Cute bag. I made this today but didn’t feel the directions about finishing – putting the straps on was very clear. I had to repin it three times before I had it right. It states to turn the inside right side out but then does not tell you how to put them together to sew them. The picture was not clear to me either. I do love the bag and the overall ease of making it. Thanks

    Reply
  6. Zuhuda Shahul says

    July 15, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    I love this bag very much. I think I can use this as basic bag making and it is very easier than I thought. A big thank you for sharing……..

    Reply
  7. Trish says

    July 16, 2015 at 3:38 am

    I love these little tote bags. I’ve been making them out of scraps of left over material.
    These are then sent to the shoe box appeal for underprivileged children who have nothing and don’t even get Christmas presents , a worthy cause. The brighter the colours the better and it gets rid of scraps too.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      July 24, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      Perfect!

      Reply
  8. Sherry Fish says

    July 28, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    Love your work!

    Reply
  9. suki says

    March 12, 2016 at 1:56 am

    very cute. I like your tutorial. :)

    Reply
  10. Laurie says

    March 22, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    Great tutorial! Mine turned out very nice. Next time I will use interfacing and add a pocket to the indide.Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. JJcuties says

    April 21, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    Cute tote bag. I’m going to try to make it. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  12. BirdieP says

    April 25, 2016 at 7:41 am

    This bag turned out great! I added my daughter initial so she can take it to nursery. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Breanna says

    May 4, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Sorry if I missed the direction, but how do you use the fusible fleece?

    I’m very new :)

    Reply
    • Amber says

      May 12, 2016 at 7:45 am

      Fuse it to the underside of your fabric and then just sew like normal. Just adds some bulk.

      Reply
  14. Tracey says

    May 28, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    Great fast tote bag! I just made it & love it! I added a zippered pocket to the inside lining to hold keys/cash/etc. It’s easy to add the pocket before sewing the lining together. Great quick project for summer. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      June 10, 2016 at 12:04 pm

      Nice!

      Reply
  15. bridget says

    June 10, 2016 at 9:17 am

    What is the finished dimensions of the tote bag?

    Reply
    • Amber says

      June 10, 2016 at 11:58 am

      Should be about 15 by 10 or so.

      Reply
  16. Caroline says

    June 28, 2016 at 8:21 am

    Hi! Thanks for the tutorial, this is such a cute tote! I’m planning to make some for teacher gifts and fill’em up with goodies :) what seam allowance did you use? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amber says

      June 28, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      This bag is very forgiving so it won’t really matter, but I used 1/2 inch.

      Reply
  17. Amanda says

    July 11, 2016 at 10:33 am

    This design is very cute but I got lost on a few of the directions. Pictures for each step would’ve helped. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  18. Alison says

    September 6, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    can’t wait to try this! would it be ok if I added medium weight iron on pellon to the outside fabrics before assembling?

    Reply
    • Amber says

      October 13, 2016 at 3:24 pm

      Definitely!

      Reply
  19. Sueray says

    October 11, 2016 at 4:18 am

    Very nice bag Amber.. and thank you for sharing it with us. I definitely gonna try this for my next project..

    Reply
  20. Lauren says

    November 12, 2016 at 11:22 am

    This is a great tutorial! I have never made a bag before and a smashed it in less than four hours. I used some leftover denim and some funky leftover curtain fabric for outside with a cheap thin cotton to line the inside, also leftovers and it looks really great, I just love it. I might add a press stud or two to help close the top when in use.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      November 18, 2016 at 6:38 pm

      Nice!

      Reply
  21. Sadie says

    November 28, 2016 at 3:59 pm

    If I wanted to add a zipper to the top of the bag what size zipper would I need?

    Reply
    • Amber says

      December 10, 2016 at 11:23 am

      I don’t know for sure!

      Reply
  22. Valerie says

    December 3, 2016 at 5:13 pm

    Thank you for sharing. I have made lots of them. I’m addicted and giving away as Christmas gifts.

    Reply
  23. marian hone says

    December 23, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    Hi! Thanks for the tutorial! I hope it is okay I shared your blog link on my page! My Mini version of the Tote is going to make an awesome present for my 2 year old! http://www.facebook.com/spunhoneyfabrics

    Reply
  24. Natalia Hernández says

    March 20, 2017 at 6:53 pm

    Thank you so much for this great tutorial! I just made the bag!! thank you!!!

    Reply
  25. Melissa Newell says

    May 6, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    This was my very first sewing project, and I’m so excited about how it came out! I learned a lot during the process, and I’ll probably go back and look at your “learning to sew” series before trying another like this again. But it did come out really well, and I’m very happy! Thanks so much for the tutorial!

    Reply
    • Amber says

      May 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Love to hear that!

      Reply
  26. Danielle Snow says

    June 11, 2017 at 7:58 am

    What is the seam allowance you used?

    Reply
    • Berkeley says

      June 18, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      1/2 inch.

      Reply
  27. Berkeley says

    June 18, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    Is there a way to make a smaller version of this same tote bag?

    Reply
    • Amber says

      June 22, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      Totally, you would just want to size it down proportionally.

      Reply
  28. Anne Raymond says

    October 3, 2017 at 10:47 am

    Thanks for the pattern and such clear instructions. I want to make Halloween totes for my Great Nieces.
    This will be perfect. I can easily resize it to fit them, And I can get cute Halloween fabric for the bottom half and something solid for the top half that I can personalize with Heat Transfer Vinyl.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      November 4, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      Oh my word! What a cute idea!

      Reply
  29. Emma says

    October 29, 2017 at 2:19 am

    I love this. I love the prints too. Can anyone tell me where I might be able to get those patterned fabrics? I know it’s a long shot…but I just love the combination of those patterns!

    Reply
    • Amber says

      November 4, 2017 at 12:30 pm

      These were from Hobby Lobby.

      Reply
  30. gramma babushka says

    December 12, 2017 at 11:59 am

    yes finally the perfect bag ! i have searched for years but could never find one ! alas my search is over ! i can now die in peace , knowing that i can pass this on to my grand daughters they are very nice kids you should love them too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  31. Holly says

    December 28, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    Great tutorial, thank you so much for sharing it! This is very similar to the library book bags I make for mumsy-in-law (who is a book-borrowing fiend) except the measurements are much better than mine. So I’ll be your measurements from now on. I also do a fabric collage or art of some type on mine. Last time was a photo of her when she was four, jumping into the air. I added fairy wings, flower headband, and a tulle skirt. I collage’d the words “Yippee, time for books!” on it.

    Reply
  32. laya gaga says

    February 16, 2018 at 7:41 am

    Wow!! Wonderful tutorial. Brilliant work. I Love it.

    Reply
  33. Nabeela says

    February 25, 2018 at 8:27 am

    Hi..
    I am going to try making this soon.
    I want to know if its okay to use a fusible interfacing for the outer (2] fabrics to make it sturdier?

    Thanks a lot
    Nabeela

    Reply
    • Amber says

      April 16, 2018 at 6:40 pm

      Totally!

      Reply
  34. Rita says

    February 27, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    Exactly how far down do you sew to make your corners—the ones you clip off- I don’t want to cut it too far down—please Help

    Reply
  35. Stefanie says

    March 10, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    I just saw this design haven’t tried it yet…but I hope it works out cause I’m really new to this

    Reply
  36. Angela Starns says

    March 21, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    I made the bag & love it! When I make it again I will attach the straps differently. I will have the raw edge of the strap extend above the top of the bag by 1.5 inches and baste in place before joining the lining with the outside of bag. After turning the bag I will top stitch an inch below the top around the entire bag to secure the straps. I might stitch an X over each strap also to reinforce those straps even more.

    Reply
  37. Jenny says

    April 17, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    HI, I’m sorry but I just didn’t get the part after making the straps about how to sew it. Can you please further elaborate it?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Well hello!

Hi! I am Amber. I'm first and foremost a mom to 4 boys. When I am not being a mom or a wife I love to bake, I love to sew, I love to read and I don't like to sit still. Welcome to Crazy Little Projects where I show off my latest crazy projects and show you how you can do them too. Thanks for visiting! [Read More …]

Crazy Little Projects TV

Favorite Posts:

Best Sewing Machine for Beginners

More Posts from this Category

Image Map

© Copyright 2015 Crazy Little Projects · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Designer Blogs