I have a friend who is expecting a new baby soon. While I was working on a crochet baby blanket for the baby, I thought their toddler would love a little gift too. I had some scrap material and decided to make her this kids tote bag diy so she could carry all her special toys or books.
How to make a Kids Tote Bag
I started out with the princess material. I only had a remnant left from previous projects, but I was able to cut two pieces around 13″ x 15″ each. In the past I have made a single layer bag, but this time I wanted to make it a bit more sturdy. So I found the pink striped material and cut it to the same dimensions. Because I had more of the striped material, I used that to make my straps! (Another idea for fabric scraps is a tie wreath!)
I began by sewing one princess and one stripe fabric together. First, I placed them right sides together and sewed a 1/4″ seam around 3 sides. Next, I turned them right side out and ironed the unfinished side to create a finished look. I like to fold the fabric down 1/2″ and iron it. Then I fold it from the raw edge 2 times. The first fold is to the iron fold and the next fold completely hides the raw edge. (I repeated this process for the other side of the bag.)
Sewing Straps for the Tote Bag
Making straps for the kids tote bag diy. I would recommend making your straps wider than mine! I cut my fabric 2″ wide and by the time I had stitched them wrong sides together, it was extremely difficult to turn them right side out! My favorite way to turn a strap is to fasten a safety pin to one edge and pull the safety pin through the fabric tunnel. It helps to have something to hold onto, but pull gently so you don’t tear the fabric!
I pinned one strap inside each panel before I sewed the finished edge of the panel. In order to make sure the straps laid correctly, I laid out the panels and pinned them at the same length. I also checked to make sure they didn’t have any twists in them!
Sewing the bag together
After sewing in both straps, I was ready to complete the bag. I started out by laying them right sides together, I wanted the princess fabric on the outside of the bag and the stripes on the inside. I pinned the 3 edges of the bag together and sewed it up.
This kids tote bag diy turned out super cute! The little girl went and filled it with her favorite toys right away! If you have a solid color of fabric and want to decorate it with vinyl, you could use one of these cute SVG designs!
Here is a picture of the baby blanket I made. While I am skilled in many other hobbies, reading crochet patterns is not my strong suit. So I basically just stitch rows… so this super chunky variegated yarn is awesome for my simple blanket!
Here is an adorable tooth fairy pillow for when your little one starts losing their teeth!
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