My friends had a clothes swap and I got this pretty a-line skirt. It was too small for me, but I was in love with the embroidered flower. So, I decided to make it into a simple tote bag.

Step 1: Trim the Skirt.

I trimmed off the bottom and top of the skirt using a ruler with guide marks and a rotary cutter.

Step 2: Sewing the Bottom Seams.

I sewed the bottom closed, then folded in the corners to create an "I" seam. I removed the back zipper and sewed up the back seam.

Step 3: Trim the Corner Gusset.

This is the sewn corner seam that has been trimmed.

Step 4: Attach Binding & Handles.

I then used a 3" wide grosgrain ribbon for the binding along the top of the bag. I folded the ribbon in half, sewed it, and attached it to the bag for the handles.