Reusable product bags make it a snap to forego plastic bags, but in order to use them you’ve got to have them on hand. Lucky for you, this tutorial will walk you through creating a fabric bag that you can easily carry with you so that it’s there when you need it. Read on as Spoonflower teammate Gina walks you this reusable produce bag project using our Organic Sweet Pea Gauze™, which you’ll love for its airy lightness that will make market day both eco-friendly and stylish.

How to Make a Reusable Tote Bag in Under 1 Hour! | Spoonflower Blog
Featured designs by rosemaryanndesigns and katerinaizotova

Gina: So, my dad has a farm. He grows a ton of seasonal fruits and veggies and anytime I visit him I return home with bags bursting with winter kale, summer blackberries and even the occasional pumpkin. It’s the best. However, the plastic bags he packs it in are kind of the worst. 

But don’t fret, Spoonflower’s Organic Sweet Pea Gauze is here to save us all from the army of plastic grocery bags trying to take over our pantries, closets and under-the-sink cabinets. It’s the perfect fabric for making breathable, washable, adorable, and most importantly, reusable produce bags that are easy to toss in your car or tote for your next trip to the market.

Bonus: this project is super simple.  Quick and easy project + less plastic = happier planet. Everybody wins.  

Grab some gauze, and let’s get sewing!

Materials

  • 1 fat quarter of Organic Sweet Pea Gauze per bag OR for a complete set of bags, you can cut one yard into four rectangles approximately 28” x 18” each
  • 1 yard of twill tape, ribbon, or other coordinating tie material per bag—choose a material that measures 1″ wide or less
  • Sewing machine and/or serger
  • Ruler, scissors, thread, fabric marker an pins
  • Small safety pin
  • An episode of your favorite sitcom to keep you company, because that’s about how long this project will take you

Just a fat quarter of Organic Sweet Pea Gauze and a few other materials are all you need for a reusable tote bag | Spoonflower Blog
The materials you’ll need for this project.

1. Prepare your fabric.

Serge or zig-zag stitch the edges of your fat quarter to finish the edges.

A note on pre-washing: Organic Sweet Pea Gauze crinkles in the wash, and generally, washing your gauze after hemming is recommended to account for any shrinkage that occurs. Because exact sizing isn’t super important for this project and a little post-wash shrinkage is okay, I prefer to sew my bags flat and wash them afterward.

Serge or zig-zag stitch the edges of your Organic Sweet Pea Gauze | Spoonflower Blog
After serging the edges of the fabric? Don’t have a serger?
The zig zag stitch on your sewing machine will work too!

2. On the fabric’s short edges, mark 3″ from the top edge.

Place your fat quarter in front of you so with the wrong side facing up. On both of the shorter edges of the fabric, measure and make a mark 3″ from the top edges.

Marking 3″ from the top edge of the fabric’s short edges.

3. Fold and hem the 3″ section you marked in step 2.

Next, you’re going to hem the 3″ area you just marked on your short edges. These short hemmed sections will be the edges of your casing. Hemming them now means you don’t have any exposed threads once your bag is finished. Fold 1/4″ of the 3″ marked side edge inward. Pin and sew in place. Repeat for the left edge.

4. Sew the casing.

From the top (longer) edge of your fat quarter, fold 1/4″ inward. Pin and sew in place.

Next, fold the top hemmed edge down so it’s in line with your 3″ marks. Pin and sew in place to create a 1 1/2″ drawstring casing, as when folded over and doubled it will match up with the 3″ mark.

Fold the top edge down so it’s in line with your 3 inch marks. Pin and sew in place to create a 1½ inch casing for your drawstring. | Spoonflower Blog
Pinning the drawstring casing before sewing.

5. Create the body of your bag.

After you’ve created the drawstring casing, fold your fat quarter in half widthwise with the right sides facing inward.

Pin the open sides together, being careful to line up the edges of the casing.

Fold your fat quarter in half widthwise, right sides facing. Pin in place, being careful to line up the edges of the casing. | Spoonflower Blog
Pinning the open sides of the body of the bag.

6. Sew the open sides of the bag together.

Sew the bottom and side edges together with a 1/4″ seam allowance, stopping at the edge of your casing. Turn rightside out, and voilá, you have a bag!

Stitch along the lines indicated in the photo below.

Sew the bottom and side edges together with a ¼ inch seam, stopping at the edge of your casing. | Spoonflower Blog
The best thing about crinkly produce bags is no one can tell if your cut lines aren’t straight.

7. Insert your drawstring.

Attach a safety pin to one end of your drawstring material and feed it through your casing. 

Feed your drawstring material through the casing | Spoonflower Blog
Using a safety pin to guide the drawstring edges through the casing.

8. Finish your drawstring edges.

Knot or fold and stitch the ends of your ties—I prefer to knot them together so I can hang my bags up.

Knot the ends of your drawstring material. | Spoonflower Blog
The finished produce bag!

That’s it! My favorite thing about these bags—aside from being the easiest DIY ever—is that you can take them straight from the market (or farm, in my case) to your fridge or pantry. They’ll keep your food dry and safe, and they can be thrown in the wash once they’re empty.

How to Make a Reusable Tote Bag in Under 1 Hour! | Spoonflower Blog
Featured designs by rosemaryanndesigns and katerinaizotova
How to Make a Reusable Tote Bag in Under 1 Hour! | Spoonflower Blog

Be sure to snap a pic of your new produce bags on your next trip to the farmers’ market and #spoonflower!

Happy sewing,
Gina