The Beginner's Tote Bag Sewing Tutorial
Tote bags make a great beginner sewing project! They also make great handmade gifts, which is why I love to make them. Finding a beginner tutorial for them can be tricky, though. There are some amazing bag patterns out there, but if you just need the most basic tote bag tutorial, that can be harder to find.
I’m sharing with you today how to sew a basic tote bag (with inside pockets, of course!) from start to finish. This tutorial will walk you step by step through the bag sewing process, including those seemingly abstract boxed corners.
I’ve created both a FREE video tutorial AND a printable version of this project, which you can purchase from my shop as a more convenient way to make the bag over and over without having to rewatch the video. Find that version in my shop or on Etsy if you prefer.
Let’s get right to it!
This tote is lined with two straps and an inside divided pocket. The video tutorial will show you exactly how to whip one up, but the best part of this concept is all the ways you can customize your bag!
I recently made a tote bag with some lonely quilt blocks I had that I wanted to use, but knew I’d never finish into a large quilt. I used them to make the coolest Granny Chic tote bag instead!
The Best Fabrics for Tote Bags
Tote bags can be made from pretty much anything! Linen, cotton, duck cloth, canvas, denim, corduroy and even home dec fabrics work well. The only thing I’d suggest not using is stretchy fabrics, though for a certain purpose, even that could be cool for an unstructured look.
For my example in the video, I used a fabric panel. Fabric panels are pretty much what they sound like: you purchase one panel and it has deigns on it that are meant to be used whole, not cut up. My panel came with 6 Hymn prints on it. It’s sadly no longer available, but there are many other panels that would work as well. This National Parks panel is absolutely incredible!
Interfacing for Tote Bags
Interfacing is what goes inside of a bag. You don’t see it when the project is finished, but it sure can make or break it! I find stiff interfacings make for too crispy of a bag for my taste and can sometimes cause permanent creases that I don’t like. Some patterns call for fusible fleece or other things and many of those work great.
But I’ve found the best interfacing for basic bags is plain ol’ flannel. I keep solid white flannel on hand and use it for almost every bag lining. It’s lightweight, so it doesn’t make the bag heavy or bulky, and it also doesn’t stiffen the bag in a weird way. It makes it just substantial enough. Plus, it’s cheap!
Okay, time to get started! I have two more hymn panel tote bag projects on my cutting table waiting to be sewn up for gifts!
Don’t forget you can buy the PDF version of the basic tote tutorial in my shop.
Happy Sewing!
Nikki
