Simple Market Tote Bag | How to Sew a Tote Bag -

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A simple reusable tote bag with a flat bottom is an easy sewing project for beginners. Step-by-step instructions to help you create your own tote bag in no time!

I use bags like this ALL THE TIME. Need to grab treats and baggies for the dog? Tote bag. Water bottles for the kids? Tote bag. Going to the grocery store? Need snacks or any of the other 894,329,493 things we need to carry every day? Tote bag, tote bag, aaaaand tote bag. This is a simple, casual everyday bag and it’s the perfect sewing project for beginners

Materials Needed for DIY Tote Bag:

Heavy cotton fabric – Any woven fabric will work as long as it doesn’t have stretch. -I’m using drop cloth because it’s cheap, and I already have it.
-You could use old cotton curtains, and linen sheets, or buy heavy cotton fabric.
Thread – Any coordinating thread will do. My favorite brand of thread is Gutermann. It’s great quality and they have so many color options!
Beveled Transparent Ruler – OR measuring tape, a yardstick, or any measuring device at all.
Sewing Machine
Iron
Straight Pins
1 Large safety pin

Optional Items:

Acrylic Paint – Any color you’d like, I used gold fabric paint
Medium-sized foam sponge brush.
Stencil – You can print the one I made here:

Cherry Stencil

How to Sew a Tote Bag

Sewing Level: Beginner

This is a simple project that can be finished in a few hours.

Wash It

First, you need to wash, dry, and iron your fabric. This needs to be done before any sewing project, especially when you’re sewing something that you will eventually wash. It prevents the fabric from shrinking or twisting after your project is made.

Cut The Fabric

Make sure your iron is set to the cotton setting. Iron all of your fabric pieces so that they aren’t wrinkled.
Cut your fabric pieces. -Two pieces of fabric – 23 by 15 inches-Two strips of fabric – 2 inches by 13 inches – I wanted longer straps, if you want shorter straps, make them 2″ x 11.”

Making The Shoulder Straps

Fold the two strips of fabric that are 2″ by 13″ lengthwise and iron a light crease down the middle, with right sides together. If you aren’t experienced with sewing or if you prefer to pin all of your projects, you can pin the fabric strips together now.

Sew with a straight stitch and a 1/8 inch seam allowance down the long raw edge of the fabric. This is the side of the strap.

*Leave the short ends open.

Step 2

Iron the fabric flat to create a long rectangle.

5. Take the unfinished ends of your straps, tuck the raw edge inside roughly 1/4″ and iron flat.

6. Sew the unfinished end of the straps closed using a topstitch, and then finish the straps by sewing a top stitch all the way around each edge of the strap, pivoting at each of the corners. Now your bag handles are done!

he Top of the Bag

Fold one of the 15″ edges of each piece of the bag down 1 inch matching the wrong sides of the fabric. Iron the fabric with a sharp crease.
Fold the same edge down 1 inch again to hide the raw edge of the fabric. Iron with a sharp crease again. This will be the top edge of your tote.
Sew the fabric close to the loose folded edge (see photo) on both pieces of fabric. I used a 1/8 inch seam. The side that you fold the fabric on will be the inside of the bag.

Attaching the Straps with a Box X Stitch

Fold each of the 15″ pieces of fabric into thirds with the finished edge at the top. See photo below:

2. Mark where each fold is with a pin or a disappearing marker and unfold. You can see I marked mine with a purple marker in the photo below.

Place the center of the ends of the straps over your pin or mark and pin in place.

4. Check and double-check that your straps aren’t twisted!

5. Repeat these steps with the other fabric panel and the second strap.

Creating a Box X Stitch

Why use a Box x Stitch?

A box x stitch is used for strength. When an item is used in a weight-bearing application, such as with webbing loops for a dog leash or a backpack, or for straps on a bag, this stitch will ensure that the load in either direction will be well distributed.

How to create a Box x Stitch:

Create the square: Sew a straight stitch almost the entire length of the end of the strap. Stop when you get to the end.
With the needle down, lift the foot and rotate your strap 90 degrees. Sew a seam about the length of the first seam.
Repeat and sew.
Repeat one last time to complete the square.
Create the X: It’s actually more of a letter Z.
Leave the needle down, lift the presser foot and rotate 45 degrees. Run a straight stitch to the opposite corner.
Rotate again and sew a second straight stitch over the top of your square, a diagonal to the opposite corner.
Create one final straight stitch over the bottom of your square. Backstitch and cut threads.

Remember the Box X is for the strength it doesn’t have to be perfect!

When finished it will look like the photo below:

Making the Bag

Put both sides of your bag together with the right sides touching.
Match up your edges and sew around the outer 3 sides of your bag with a 1/4″ seam. These seams will create the side seams and the flat bottom of the bag.

Finishing Touches

Now your bag is sewn together but eventually, those raw edges are going to fray. There are a few ways you can keep that from happening.

My Recommendation:

Flip your bag inside out and finish the seam with a sewing machine or a serger/overlock machine. This provides strength and it also prevents your fabric from fraying. I used my serger to finish my seams:

If you don’t have a serger/overlock, here’s a simple way to keep your fabric from fraying with your sewing machine: Set your machine to a medium-sized zig-zag stitch and sew on the outside of your straight stitch. For extra strength, you can repeat this process one more time. Then flip the bag right side out, and iron the seams with a sharp crease.

ADDING A DESIGN

I chose to add a cute gold cherry design to mine but you can add anything you want to. Get creative! If you want to add the cherry design:

Print the image from the link below:

Cherry Stencil

Cut out the image leaving the white space intact to create a stencil.
There will be one small part of the white space that isn’t attached. Save it and tape it to the bag with the rest of the stencil.
Place a piece of cardboard or some folded newspaper inside the tote bag.
Tape your stencil to the bag to prevent it from sliding.
Carefully paint on the design – Be careful to not use too much paint on your brush, you can always do a second coat if needed.
Once the paint is dry – About 2 hours – remove your stencil.

Simple Market Tote Bag | How to Sew a Tote Bag