How to Make a Hand Bag From a Tank Top

I was shopping in Wally’s World and I saw this pretty flowered Tank top on clearance.  I knew I could create a great hand bag with it so for $1.50 I bought it and took it home.  One day when I was on a sewing craze, I turned it into a wonderful hand bag.  So this is how I made it.

Step 1:

Supplies:
Tank top
Sewing machine
Thread (matching or contrast)
Scissors
¼ inch elastic
Straight pins
 

Step 2:

I laid the tank top out on a smooth surface.  I realized that the back of the top was higher than the front. 

Step 3:

So I folded the top in half, length wise,

Step 4:

and cut away the extra material.  I was excited because this meant that I would be able to add a pocket to the outside of the bag.

Step 5:

I clean finished the edge and sewed it down so that it would match the front of the tank.

Step 6:

Next I refolded the tank so that the arm holes became the handles of the bag.

Step 7:

With the small piece of material, I had cut off, I cut a pocket and pinned it to what would be the front of the bag.  I then sewed it down.  This pocket is large enough to hold my cell phone.

Step 8:

Next I turned the tank inside out and folded up the bottom, about 4 inches.  I marked the places I wanted to sew lines that would create pockets in the bottom of the bag.  I made sure I didn’t sew a line up the center of the pocket I had sewn on the outside of the bag.

Step 9:

To sew these lines so that they wouldn’t come loose at the top of the line, I sewed a little triangle.  To make this triangle, I stopped 3-4 stitches from the end, turned a 45° angle (+/-) and sewed 3 stitches, turned the material to parallel to the edge, sewed 6-7 stitches, turned to another 45° angle and sewed back to the main line, sewed back and forth a few stitches and then cut the tread.

Step 10:

I decided that I wanted the bottom of the bag gathered, so I zig zagged stretched elastic along the bottom seam.  Instant gathering.

Step 11:

Turn the bag, right side out and the bag is done. 

Step 12:

I added a crocheted flower for adornment.  Yeah it looks great.  Enjoy!