Tote Bag Sewing Pattern Free: A Beginner Cut List

What you actually need

Tools: fabric scissors, a tape measure, a ruler, tailor’s chalk or a fabric pen, and pins or clips. An iron is optional, but it is the difference between a flat strap and a twisted one. A sewing machine is faster; a hand needle works for the two side seams and the straps at roughly double the time.

Materials: one rectangle of 44/45-inch cotton canvas or quilting cotton, all-purpose thread, and two strap strips cut from the same fabric. That is the whole list — no interfacing, no lining and no zipper for a first bag. Buy the fabric after you choose a size, because the next section tells you how much to ask for at the cutting counter.

Set the machine up before you cut: a fresh needle, a straight stitch, and a test seam on a scrap of the same fabric. If the scrap puckers, fix the tension on the scrap, not on the bag.

Cost: $0–$8 if you own scissors and thread. Time: 15 minutes to gather everything and clear a table.

One rectangle, three bag sizes

The bag is one rectangle folded in half, so there is no bottom seam. The fold is the bottom. Seam allowance is 1/2 inch on every edge, so the rectangle is your finished width plus 1 inch, by your finished height doubled plus 2 inches. Pick a size, cut one rectangle, and the rest of the bag follows.

Measure twice before the scissors move. Chalk wipes off, but a short rectangle cannot be stretched, and the table is the only place the error shows up.

44/45-inch fabric is the standard quilting width, and the table leaves room for the selvage. The 12 x 12 rectangle uses 26 inches of length and leaves a 10-inch strip at the end, wide enough for both straps. The 15 x 16 uses 34 inches of length, so the straps come from the 28 inches left across the width.

The 17 x 18 rectangle is 38 inches long, which is longer than a yard, so buy 1-1/8 yards. Plainly: one yard covers the two smaller bags, and the market tote needs the extra eighth.

Cost: $8–$18 for the fabric. Time: 10 minutes to measure and cut.

Sew the two side seams

Step 1: fold the rectangle right sides together so the short edges meet, with the fold at the bottom. Step 2: pin both side edges, matching the raw edges and the fold. Step 3: sew each side with a 1/2-inch seam, backstitching at both ends.

Step 4: clip the seam allowance at the bottom corners, cutting up to the stitching but not through it, so the corners turn sharp. Step 5: turn the bag right side out. Step 6: press the side seams flat with the seam allowance opened.

Before the second seam, check the first one against the table. Both sides should measure the same from fold to top, and a small difference is obvious once the bag is loaded.

The failure mode to watch is a seam that is wider at one end than the other, which makes the bag narrower at the top and gives it a lean. Measure the seam allowance from the needle, not from the edge of the presser foot. The foot is a guide, not a gauge, and its width changes when you move the needle.

Cost: $0. Time: 15 minutes.

Make the straps and attach them

Press each 4-inch strip into a 1-inch strap. Fold the strip in half lengthwise and press. Open it, fold both long edges to the center crease, and press again. Fold it back on the center crease and topstitch both long edges.

Attach each strap 3 inches in from a side seam, with the ends tucked inside the bag and the strap hanging down. Stitch a square with an X inside it through all layers, and backstitch at the start and the finish. That box-X carries the weight; a single line of stitching pulls out in the first week. Pin through all the layers before the needle moves, and lift the bag body out of the way so the machine does not catch the opposite side.

Strap length is worth measuring before you cut. 24 inches is a hand carry, 26 inches sits at the shoulder for most adults, and 28 inches clears a winter coat. Measure a bag you already own from seam to seam before you cut, because torso length varies more than a size chart suggests.

Three fixes worth knowing. A twisted strap is a pressing problem, so unpick it and press it flat before it goes near the machine. A wavy strap is a tension problem: lower the upper tension a notch, or sew over a strip of tissue paper and tear it away. A handle that pulls out needs the box-X plus backstitch, and a second row of stitching is cheaper than a repair.

Cost: $0. Time: 20 minutes.

Optional: boxed corners for a flat bottom

Mark a 2-inch square at each bottom corner and cut the squares out. Pinch a corner so the two cut edges meet, and sew straight across the opening. Repeat on the other corner.

The trade is height. A boxed tote stands up on the floor, but it loses about 2 inches of height, so cut the rectangle 2 inches longer than the table size if you plan to box it.

Cost: $0. Time: 10 minutes.

Fabric that survives a wash

Canvas in the 10–12 ounce range is the sturdiest beginner choice. It holds a boxy shape, takes a topstitch cleanly, and does not need interfacing. Quilting cotton works, but it needs a second layer or a piece of fusible interfacing, or the bag slumps. Linen blends fray, so plan a French seam or accept a raw edge inside.

A French seam hides the raw edge: sew the seam wrong sides together, trim it close, then sew again with the right sides together and press. It is slower, but linen stops shedding inside the bag.

Pre-wash and dry the fabric before you cut. Cotton shrinks, and a bag cut before the first wash comes out a size small. The straps shrink too, which is worse.

Skip on a first bag: vinyl, slippery lining fabric, upholstery-weight fabric, and anything with a directional print that makes the two straps mismatched.

If you want a fabric project with no machine at all, the no-sew pillow cover is the same afternoon with a pair of scissors.

Cost: $0–$6 for interfacing. Time: one wash cycle plus drying.

Crochet is a different craft

A crochet tote is a separate project with separate math. It uses cotton yarn, a 5 mm hook and 200–250 yards for a market bag, and it takes 3–4 hours. Do not blend the two methods: the sewing measurements on this page do not transfer to yarn, and a crochet bag needs a lining if it will carry keys.

Cost: $12–$25 for yarn. Time: 3–4 hours.

Questions beginners ask