Waterproof Extra Durable Shopping Bag Made Out Old Bicycle Inner Tubes

Old bicycle inner tubes are a fun and durable material that can be used to create lots of cool items once you know how to work with this material. This example shows you how to make a simple and stylish bag.

For this project I used 3 inner tubes for the bag and one for the handle.

Step 1: Cut the Inner Tubes

Cut the inner tubes horizontally creating a long strip.
Next cut the inner tube vertically (as shown below).
Most inner tubes you will find have a line pattern that you can follow for a straight cut.

Step 2: Cut Inner Tubes to the Same Length

Cut the inner tubes to the height you would like for the bag.
Make sure to allow a little extra length for seam allowance.

Step 3: Sew the Inner Tubes Together

Align an inner tube next to another slightly overlapping.
Sew each inner tube to the next one by one. I used 8 pieces.

~ I used the industrial walking foot sewing machine at the TechShop. This machine is perfect for this type of project since it can work with very thick materials. Theoretically this project can also be accomplished on a regular sewing machine.

Step 4: Sew Bag Sides Together and Bottom Closed

Sew the first inner tube section to the last closing the bag.
Next sew the bottom of the bag.
Now all three sides are closed as shown below.

Step 5: Clean Up the Edges

Inner tubes are actually very easy to cut.
To create nice clean edges I cut off the excess using a paper cutter.

Step 6: Sew on Handle

For the bag handle I used an inner tube that I did not cut vertically.
To ensure the bag was extra durable I sewed the inner tube from the bottom corner to the top on each side.