Tutorial: Easy DIY Tote Purse With Fabric Remnants

This tutorial uses fabric remnants to create a tote purse with a pleated handle. It is made to use up some smaller remnants of fabric that you may have leftover from bigger projects. I say you need half a yard of fabric, but really, you can get away with a little less and it doesn’t have to be a continuous length of fabric by any means. You can print out the pattern (for free) below and follow along with the step-by-step tutorial.

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Supplies Needed:

1/2 yard of fabric
1/2 yard lining
1/2 yard of contrast fabric
Medium weight interfacing
decorative string

Pattern includes:

top and bottom (cut 2 on fold)
middle (cut 1 on fold contrast)
base (cut 1, cut 1 interfacing, cut 1 lining)
strap (cut 7 on fold, cut 6 on fold contrast)
strap lining (cut 1 on fold)
bag lining and interfacing (cut 1 on fold, cut 1 on fold interfacing)

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

Download Pattern

Step 1

Sew the top, middle, and bottom bag pieces together

With right sides together, sew the top and bottom bands above and below the middle band.

Step 2

apply interfacing to the reverse side of the bag and base pieces

Step 3

fold in half and sew

Step 4

sew on the base of the bag

With right sides together sew the base. Ease the fabric around the curved edges of the base.

Step 5

sew the strap pieces together alternating fabrics

Start and end with the main fabric that you are using for the bag. In my case, that means I’m starting with the brown fabric, alternating between green and brown, and ending back on the brown fabric.

Step 6

pleat the handle and baste along the edges and center

Bring your main fabric strips (the brown ones) to meet in the center of each contrast strip and press for a crisp edge. Baste along each end of the handle and along the center to keep the pleats in place.

Step 7

sew the handle lining and turn to right side

With right sides together, sew the handle to the lining along the long edges. Turn to the right side and baste the open edges closed.

Step 8

with right sides together, sew the handle along the perimeter of the bag

Step 9

following steps 3 and 4, sew the lining together

Cut and sew your lining pieces together.

Note: I did not have quite enough lining fabric, so I combined it with the rest of my main fabric. Just try to imagine the lining is all one color.

Step 10

with right sides together, place the bag inside the lining and stitch along the upper edge

Make sure the base pieces of the bag line up in the same direction inside of the bag. Leave a small gap in the stitching so you can turn the bag right side out.

Step 11

sew the gap

Turn the bag right side out, press everything, and sew up that gap. Now you can also remove any visible basting stitches.

Step 12

wrap a decorative string around the center handle

Finished!

Tutorial: Easy DIY Tote Purse With Fabric Remnants