Handmade Reusable Shopping Tote/Bag - upcycling vintage fabrics
Whatabout ye folks, it's Lee here. Remember when I shared the wee
Peter Rabbit tote with you all and I said that I'd like to make it so there was some sort of closure on it for folding up and storing? Well, I did just that. I came across a tutorial over on YouTube,
Rosie's Art Studio, where she shared how to make her
Eco-Friendly shopping bag. This is a big tote but it is actually the perfect size for a shopping bag. And it folds into such a compact size too. And I have so many beautiful vintage fabrics that I like to upcycle into really useable, functional pieces. So, with my vintage fabrics in hand, off I went and made 2 of these bags.......to start with, teehee.
The bag opens up really big and is perfect for carrying all your shopping bits & bobs. It has a really large gusset base which means when the bag has items in it, the base opens out nice and wide to maximise on space. Now, when Rosie made her bag, she used one large piece of fabric. Because my fabric was directional, I didn't want one side of my bag having the fabric upside down. So, rather than 1 continuous piece of fabric, I cut 2 large pieces and sewed them together at the bottom and then proceeded with the rest of Rosie's instructions. So just be aware that if you have a directional print, you may wish to do the same as I did.
I love these 2 fabrics together too. So cute. Plus, they are vintage so I upcycled them and gave them a second life, which always makes me happy. I love how neatly it folds up too. When the bag is lying flat, it measure approx. 16" wide by 17.5" long with a 4" wide gusset on the bottom.
This particular bag is not lined because the fabric I was using was from vintage curtains. This is quite a substantial weight of fabric, which I find is perfect for shopping bags. You want the bags to be sturdy and hold a good amount of items and weight. There are also no raw edges in these bags as the entire bag is sewn using French seams. Therefore, you need not worry about the bag seams fraying or coming apart with the weight of your shopping. The French seams give the bags great support and strength.
And the little "closure" sections on the bag becomes a really handy and secure pocket when the bag is opened up. The pocket doesn't go right down to the rounded corners (it stops about 2.5 inches up from the bottom popper), so you don't need to worry about losing your mobile phone or cash right to the bottom of it. It's a perfect sized pocket for securely storing your phone, wallet, cash etc. It would even easily store your sunglasses too.
And the bag folds back up super quickly and easily, as the wee pocket is basically your guide for closing it all up. The size of the bag when folded up is approx., 4.75" tall by 7" wide.
Such a convenient size and easy to store in your handbag, coat pocket, car etc.
It folds away so neatly. I just love these bags and I will be making many, many more and giving them out to all my friends and family. Such a convenient and quick make. Plus, it helps me work my way through my massive fabric stash too, teehee. I'm wondering, should I make the next bags with a little wrist strap attached? That way, if you are popping out to the shops and don't want to bring your handbag, you can just carry this wee bag with the wrist strap? Let me know if you think this is a good idea.
And just in case you forget how to fold the bag back up into it's little envelope pouch....here's a video showing you how to refold it.
That's it from me folks. See you on the next one. Toodles Noodles.....Lee aka Crafty Loops xx
SHOPPING LIST
At the time of typing, the items I linked to are available. However, item stocks change all the time and with time marching by, some items I link may no longer be available from that particular seller. However, a quick Google search should help you out if my links are no longer working/available.
Vintage Ditsy white flowers & Navy Fabric, Rose & Hubble -
delgirl2, Ebay
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