Tote Bags for Kids

Today I made two tote bags for the grandkids to have as quiet bags for church.  They are really easy to make.

 Here are the fabrics.  1/2 yard for each bag.  Cut the top and bottom edges so they are even.

Cut a strip of fabric 3" wide and the entire width of the fabric for the handles.  Use the remaining piece of fabric and cut off the selvage edges and then a piece about 26" wide.  Folded in half will be a piece of fabric about 13" wide and 14 1/2" long.

Sewing shows up better on this fabric.  Stitch the side and bottom.  I used the edge of the presser foot as a guide, so the seam is about 3/8" wide.  Zigzag the seam allowance to help with raveling.  Use a short stitch length.  I used  1.0.

Match the side seam to the bottom seam on one side and the side fold line to the bottom seam line on the other side.  Stitch across the corner to make a bag with a box corner.  I used the stitch plate as the guide to line the point to for sewing and I alined the cut edge of the fabric with the front edge of the stitch plate so to  get the correct angle to sew.

Stitch across this line several times to reinforce the corner.  No need to trim off the excess fabric.  If you do remove it then zigzag that edge also.

Here is the finished corner.

Fold the top edge down 1/4" and then down again 1".  Press folds in place.  No need to stitch yet.

Remove the selvage edges from the 3" wide strip of fabric and cut it in half.  You will now have two pieces for the handles that are about 3" X 22".

Fold the handles in half lengthwise and stitch along one short edge and the long edge.  Clip the corner for easier turning.  Use your favorite method to turn right side out and press.  Fold about 1/4 " of the other short edge to the inside of the tube of fabric and press again.

Measure 4" in from each side and place the enter of the handle at that point.  Match the end of each handle to the fold line.  The handles from the two sides of the bag should match perfectly behind each other.

Start stitching from the side seam.  When you get to the handle, stitch across the bottom, up the side, back across just below the top of the bag, down the other side and across the bottom again.  Handles will be sewn on and the top edge hemmed when you get back to the side seam.

Here are the finished bags.  Now the grandkids and carry their own snacks, water bottles, color books, crayons, and whatever else I pack for them each Sunday.  I think it took longer to blog about these bags then it did to make them.