Making a Bag

This is a super easy way to make a beautiful bag!

I want you to be able to make this bag in the fastest time possible and to achieve the most professional looking bag.

Note: I photographed different bags in different steps of the bag making process--that's why you are seeing different fabrics throughout the tuorial.

Supplies

You will need:

fabric (anything from light cotton to heavier upholstery fabrics, canvas, denim etc., 1 inch wide webbing (available on Amazon for about $11.25 for 25 yards) or make your own straps out of fabric, scissors, ruler, pens/pencils to mark with, sewing machine, pins/clips

Step 1: Get Your Fabric Ready

Place your fabric "right sides" together selvege to selvege. The selvege is the line at the top of the fabric that doesn't have a pattern. The "right sides" are the print of the fabric that you would want to be seen by others.

Step 2: Cut Your Fabric 16" Wide by 19" High

I like to cut my fabric so that there is a fold at the bottom. That makes it way easier to sew because you don't have to match up and pin two pieces of fabric together. I easily keep my fabric managable like this.

If my fabric is more than 45' high (as upholstery fabric can be), I merely fold it in two and cut through 4 layers of fabric and then cut off the top to get my 19" high.

Step 3: Sew Your Bag Using 1/2" Seam Allowance

Sew you bag down the sides and bottom (even though it's closed at the bottom, you'll need the bottom seam for your boxed corners).

After you sew, carefully snip your corners, making sure not to snip through your seam.

Step 4: Make Your Boxed Corners

Pull the two sides of your bag apart and make a triangle at the corner. (if this doesn't make sense to you, look up a video on boxed corners on YouTube.

Measure two inches down and make a mark.

Measure 4 inches across and draw a line. Sew across the line making sure you backstich at each end.

Cut the triangles off and MAGIC!!! you have boxed corners and now you can look at purses and see how they are constructed!!!!!

Step 5: Make Your Top Hem--1" Down

With your bag inside out, fold the top of the bag one inch down all around the bag. Notice how I separated the seam so the fabric lays nicely.

Pin or clip the fabric. If your fabric might fray, sew a zigzag stitch along the raw edge of the fabric.

This is when you might want to pay attention to the color of your thread because you'll see the zigzag stitch.

Step 6: Add Your Straps

Cut your 1" wide webbing to 24" long (you'll need two per bag :)

Use a lighter or match to melt the edges of the webbing so the webbing doesn't fray.

Turn your bag right sides out.

Fold your bag in half and measure three inches from the center fold.

Mark with a pen on both sides of the INNER part of the bag. This is where you will lay your webbing.

Place webbing straight and on the bottom edge of the hem. Pin in place and follow the webbing to the next mark (on the same side of the bag) and pin. Make sure that your strap is not twisted. Do this on the other side of the bag.

Sew your straps on--sew a square and then fill it in with an X....This will make your straps nice and strong.

And that's it!!! You have made a bag!