Coffee, Caramel & Cream: Trick or Treat Tote Bag Tutorial

Tired of buying your kids a new Trick or Treat bag every year?

You can make an adorable tote for under $10!

Don't let the name limit you. You can use this same pattern to make yourself an every day tote bag for books, gym cloths, yarn, scrapbook materials, you name it!

You can do it, I promise! I know so many of you out there have a sewing machine, but are too afraid to use it. I was one of those people. Let me tell ya, the only way to get over that fear is to jump right in. Are you going to make some mistakes? Of course! Does it matter? NO! Just do the best you can and I promise you will be so proud of yourself.

I always recommend reading through the entire directions a few times before actually starting.

I'll talk you through the whole process:

You will need

3/4 yard outer fabric
3/4 yard fabric for lining

Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. This helps to prevent any shrinkige after you are done.

Cut a rectangle measuring 27 inches long by 15 inches wide from the outer fabric and the lining fabric.

Cut 2 rectangles for the straps each 22 inches by 4 inches.

Those are the only 4 pieces you need!

Fold the outer fabric right sides together (right side = outside of the finished bag) so you have a shape 13.5 inches by 15 inches.

Stitch along the open side, then down across the bottom. So now the only opening is at the top.

Fold the lining fabric right sides together as you did with outer fabric.

Stitch along the outside edge of the bag and the bottom. When you sew the lining bottom, leave a 5 inch opening across the bottom. This will be what you use to eventually flip the bag right side out.

Now take the outer bag (still inside out) and make the bottom corner into a triangle. Adjust the fabric as best you can to make it even. Now measure from the triangle point inwards 2 inches. Mark a line 2 inches in. Stitch on that line.

Cut to the right of the stitch line, cutting off the triangle. (This creates a "box bottom")

Repeat those steps on the other side of the outer fabric, and on both sides of the lining fabric .

Take one of the strap pieces and fold it in half right sides together so the width is now 2 inches. Sew along the long side only with a 1/4 inch seam. Repeat to the other strap.

Fasten a safety pin on the edge of one lip of one side of the strap. Feed it through the tube to turn it right side out. Repeat to the other strap.

Iron the straps.

Turn the lining fabric right side out. Place the lining fabric inside the outside fabric. They should be right sides together.

**You are going to insert the straps exactly like the picture below (since it will be inside the bag, I wanted to show you how it should look) Make sure the same sides of the straps are being attached to the correct sides. **

Place the strap between the lining fabric and the outer fabric. The loop will be upside down inside the bag. Pin the straps in place.

Can you see the strap edges poking out here?

Repeat on the other side of the bag with the other strap. Be sure to line up the straps on both sides so they match.

Stitch along the top of the bag with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Pull the 2 fabrics apart. Using the hole in the bottom of the lining fabric, pull the outside fabric through so it will be right side out. (This is where you say a prayer that you did everything right.)

If it looks like this, hurray!! You can breath now.

Now you are going to close that hole in the lining. Turn the edges of the hole inwards, then stitch narrowly to close the entire opening.

Put the lining in the bag. Press the top edge if you need to keep in place. Then using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, TOPSTITCH around the entire outside of the bag. This line will be visible, so take your time to get it to look as nice as you can. Do your best. If the line is wonky.... no one will notice, but you, so don't sweat it ;-)

You're done!!! You just made an adorable trick or treat tote bag!

With lining!

Before you know it, I bet you will be sewing up a bunch of these as gifts.

"Mommy, where is the candy?"

Now you're all ready to collect all that candy from parades and trick or treat night.

Please let me know if you need any help with the tutorial. If you sew one, please make my day and send me a picture :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

This project has been linked up to:

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: Thats is super cute, thanks for the tutorial.

Stopping by from the blog hop, Your newest follower :)

http://cozypinkcottagethe.blogspot.com/; October 12, 2012 at 10:48 PM
Ruth said...: I am now following you, and I pinned this because it is so neat! One of these days I may actually make a craft that I pinned!

I am following you, and if you get a chance, take a look at my blog:
http:://mydevotionalthoughts.com; October 13, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Unknown said...: New follower from the blog hop please come follow me back :)
http://lifewithtwinsandadramaqueen.com/; October 13, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Nicole @WonkyW said...: I Love your Halloween bag! Super Cute! I really need to learn to sew - then I could make Awesome stuff like this :); October 14, 2012 at 11:34 AM
l said...: These are so cute! I think I need to dust off my sewing machine and make some of these!! New follower from the weekend blog hop!

Leslie @ Sincerely, Leslie; October 14, 2012 at 7:35 PM