I had one last shirt from my big brother, so I decided to make a tote bag. Like you, I already have a million tote bags acquired from here and there, but you can never have too many bags!

For this project, you will need a t-shirt and 2 yards of webbing for the straps.  (Webbing comes in a variety of colors and sizes and is about $1 to $2 dollars per yard.)

The shirt I used is from my brother’s trip to China.  I liked the interesting design on the front and back.

The first step is to separate the two sides and remove the sleeves.

Next you have to make two rectangles to sew together. Use a ruler and some fabric chalk or a pencil to draw straight lines down the right and left side. Then make your cuts.

Do the same along the top. Make the line as high up as possible so you leave yourself with enough fabric to work with.

At this point, you should have two rectangles. If they are not the same size, trim them until they are.

Place the two pieces together with the graphic sides on the inside. Sew the bottom together. Then start at the top of one side (where the arrow is) and sew down to the bottom. Repeat on the other side.

Now you need to finish up the top of the tote. Turn down the top about 1/4 or 1/2 inch.  Iron it flat and sew it down.

To give it a bit more stability, sew your webbing over the hem you just made.

Sew once along the top and one in the middle or bottom of the webbing.

Take the rest of your webbing and cut it in half for your straps. My straps were about 20 inches each. Pin the straps where you think they should go and “try on” the tote before you sew to make sure they are in the right place.

Sew down the straps once along the top of the tote fabric and once along the end of the strap.

Turn the bag rightside out and that’s it!

Tags: tote bag

Categories: DIY, My Style, Purses