Forget about “Paper or plastic?” It’s time to make your own canvas shopping bag.
Materials: We used unbleached cotton canvas, which you can buy or order at your local fabric store. Organic cotton would be even cooler. We used oil-based ink, because we wanted to make bags that people could machine-wash. Non-toxic ink would be even cooler.
Instructions:
- Cutting the cloth: The cloth comes folded in half. Cut a 23″ wide piece of the folded cloth. Cut a 4″x5.5″ rectangle out of each of the two corners of the cloth that are along the fold. The 5.5″ side of the rectangle is parallel to the fold.
Now, unfold the cloth.
- Printing your design: We used a linoleum block.
- After the printed image has dried, fold the cloth “inside out,” so that the image is not visible.
- Sew the edges together that will be the sides of the bag. Don’t sew the part where you cut out the little rectangles. I used a flat-felled seam (howto sew it) with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
- Turn the bag right-side out. There will be three holes: one at the top, and two in what should be the bottom. Pin the cloth of each bottom hole together and sew. I used a 1/4″ seam allowance. (In the first picture I’ve added some small pleats to make the two sides line up properly.)
- Turn the bag inside out. Push out the bottom as much as you can. Sew along what were the holes, again. I used a 3/8″ seam allowance. The raw edge will be hidden inside this seam.
- The top edge of the bag should be the finished edge of the cloth, so you don’t have to hem it. But I did. Fold the top over 1″, pin, and sew to make a simple hem.
- From your bolt of folded-over cloth, cut a 4″ width. Cut this in half by length to make two pieces, each 4″x?”.
- Fold each of these in half by width. Press the crease with your fingers. You could pin it, but you don’t have to. Sew the two edges together to make a tube. I used a 1/4″ seam allowance.
- Turn each tube inside-out. This may take a minute. Press flat with your fingers. Sew along the first seam. I used a 1/4″ seam allowance. This will keep the tube flat.
- The two tubes are the two handles of the bag. I folded one end of the tube about 1″, then sewed it inside the bag, stitching a big square with an X inside. Then I sewed on the other side of the handle. If you don’t like where you sewed on the handle, you can remove the stitches and try again.
Now you have a canvas bag.
Liberals say: “Hey! The homeless aren’t being fed. Let’s march on City Hall.” Radicals say, “The homeless aren’t being fed. Let’s feed them.”
Liberals say: There are too many plastic bags, so let’s tax them. Radicals say: There are too many plastic bags, so let’s make a bunch of cloth bags and give them away.
Our friends helped us make dozens of bags, and we held a bag giveaway at our local supermarket. We had to contact people up the store’s corporate ladder to get permission, but they were all enthusiastic about the idea. The local paper ran a short article annoucing the giveaway, and people showed up that morning brandishing the article.
Several people who took a bag told us: “Everyone in Europe uses cloth bags.” I look forward to the day that people can say the same thing about Worcester.
Customer Robert F. Kelly and Big Y employee Julianne Thomas display a bag.
Mary Wernholme.
See also: How to Knit a Plastic Bag
If you found part of this “howto” confusing, please post a comment, and I’ll clarify the step.
Those are beutiful, it would be interesting to do a howto on the silk screening process.
David Gardner
Los Angeles Catholic Worker
Those look great!
Mike B — if you’ve got any left, tell me what the house needs in trade and we’ll excahnge for Xmas.
Lookin’ good!
I got one for Christmas from Mr. B, and it is excellent. Not only that, but I get a $0.03 discount every time I use it.
Everything adds up.
Thanks, now, what do I use to give the bottom of the bag body?I don’t want everything falling together in one spot.i’d like a square bottom.
Thanks for your reply
JoAnn
i find the steps so confusing can you please send me on my e-mail the more clarify and less complicated steps on how to make it.i really like that kind of bag and i want to make a different designs of it.
thank you in advance.
This is great! I’ve already made several bags for myself through the years, but I have a lot of scrap fabric that I’m about to turn into bags, and I found this entry while looking for a different pattern to try. I’m making a few small, simple, rectangle-to-rectangle drawstring bags, too, for produce, as well as a few bigger bags to give to friends who have admired mine.
To the person who wanted a sturdier/flatter bottom on the bag, you can topstitch (sewing on the outside/’right side’ of the bag once it’s been built) all around the bottom of the bag, and that will add a bit of body, probably enough to keep your goods from lumping together in the middle (the way the bag is filled can also prevent this). The heavier the fabric, too, the sturdier the bottom, and you can also cut a piece of cardboard to line the bottom with (and if you’re really inspired, you could cover the cardboard with fabric).
And to the person who asked about the printing–this isn’t screenprinting (more complicated and requiring more equipment), but rather block printing, which is described pretty well at http://www.kinderart.com/printmaking/lino.shtml.
I hope you do not mind my including this link on my blog. The Buddhist Society in my neighborhood will find it a very useful idea for their earth day trip for the kids in April.
I will be buying canvas off a roll so need to know how deep to make the bag. I assume the 23″ refers to its width. Thanks.
Yes, it is 23 inches wide. The cloth comes off the roll folded in half. I’d guess the unfolded cloth is around 40″ long. There’s probably some standard side for bolts of cloth, but I don’t know it.
Hello,
I also find the instructions a bit confusing, would you mind emailing me a more detailed instruction? I am looking forward to making these to give away in our community as well. I have a seven month old baby, and I need something to clear my mind, while he is napping..this would be perfect.
Thanks
L.
Hello,
I too find the instructions a bit confusing, would you mind emailing me a more detailed instruction? I would gladly love to make these and hand them out for free at our Walmart store along with detailed instructions on how to make them. I just found out that there are so many plastic bags floating in the Atlantic ocean that it is the size of TEXAS and growing! Good God, please everybody vote for new government and get the republican cronies and oil barons out of office!!! Thank you so much and peace for the planet.
These are the most detailed instructions I have. If you can point out the step where you start to get confused, I can rewrite that step with more details.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Congratulations for the great idea it help the enveronment to reduce the use of plastic bags, may i request for clear pattern of canvas bag and pictures or drawing of how to sew, i will teach Filipino Deaf community to have livelihood through making canvas bag
thank you very much
Thanks for the instructions! While a little confusing to me (I am lucky I know how to turn the sewing maching on), they are about the best I’ve found for this type of bag. I plan on making several out of an old canvas couch cover that still has life left in it; added bonus of reusing!
Thank you for doing this! Have you seen http://www.morsbags.com?
LOVE IT! What kind of paint did you use to hold up in the wash? Has anyone tried this with used clothing (e.g. old khakis, jeans, etc.)?
I think the paint is an old-based ink. The staff at your local art supply store can give you tips.
Awesome, but I’m confused at step 5 — are we to sew along both sides of the cut out, with the bag laying flat as it’s shown in the first pic under step 4? Or are we supposed to pin it together in another configuration?
The seams in step 5 are perpendicular to the ones previously sewn. I’ll think of a better way to show this.
I made your bag from the instructions. I used a ‘normal’ size 54 in bolt of bargin bin linen with an embroidered edge. The bag is large and very useful!! Thank you so much for your website – I will not be using plastic bags anymore.
-Christina from Madison WI
Hi,
Wonderful to see your using canvas to make bags, We are a industrial fabric wholesaler and carry a wide variety of natural canvas fabric that can be used for tote bags, if your interested, it is usually available in 36,48,60,72 inch widths, for more information please give us a call 510-786-1666. We are located in Hayward, California.
I recently purchased some canvas to sell from my store from http://www.besttotebags.com/ and i was out of stock in just 4 days. I am going to buy more now.
Be Green :)
So glad to have found this site. With its easy to follow instructions I’m inspired to attempt making my first bag as soon as possible. Thank you for taking the time to set up this web site and pass on your skills and knowledge. I’ll let you know how I succeed.
Here’s a place you can buy all the components to make your own wine, gift or tote bag. Though you can buy a bag outright, at winebags.com you can build your own inspiration! Tote bags, wine bags and more you can pick your own fabrics and create your own personalized gift.
For more details go here: http://www.winebags.com or email them at wine@winebags.com
These are awesome! Great looking and for a GREAT cause! Very very cool
I am going to make some of these! Good idea!
http://supportprojectperu.blogspot.com/
Lexington, KY
Could you please send me directions to my email address.. these look like what I have been looking for thank you so much…
Susan
Thank you for the instructions. I just changed the drapes in my living room. The old ones are cat-snagged all over, and so unusuable as drapes,but they the insulated type. I plan to make shopping bags out of them, figuring that they would be great for frozen groceries. Literally COOL.
You list how wide to cut the cloth but how long is the cloth? Thanks!
Cutting the cloth: The cloth comes folded in half. Cut a 23″ wide piece of the folded cloth.
I found the instructions a little hard to follow. Could you please, e-mail me a more detailed set. I am beginning to sew and would love to give these to the teachers at my grand daughters elementary school. Thanks Kathy
Well, you can tell Mike Baxter that this liberal really appreciates your “how to” instructions, and plan to make several bags.
Valerie in Los Angeles, CA
Hello Mike,
Thanks for the detailed info. Blessings!
Step 5, I don’t really get the way that you sew the square patches (holes, rather). Do you sew them square as they are…please clarify.
I await your comment.
Thanks.
I’ve been preparing to make some cotton canvas bag for myself and friends. I regularly buy fabric and am familiar with the rising costs. I purchased a cotton canvas drop cloth (the type to cover the floor &/or furniture) at a home imporvement store for around $22.00. There’s a ton of fabric, great quality and very econimical.
this is awesome! thanks so much. i’m opening a gallery/store soon and wanted to have handmade canvas bags!! thanks again, sarah from wisconsin
Hi, finally I found a usefull website. I really appreciate all your info, could you please tell me how to o the actual printing , I want to do a couple of bags for my daughters school as a fundraiser.
Thank you for a helpful website. I am going to make about 16 bags for Christmas and use them as gift bags and then they will be part of the gift as well.
GO GREEN!!!
I absolutely love these bags, how can I get one?? I love the block print! Will someone tell me where I can get one of these specific bags?
People are funny that they want you to email them specific instructions when you already wrote out the whole thing with photographs and everything! Thanks for posting this. I have some drapery fabric that I hope to make into a nice stash of reusable bags for a Christmas gift. I better get started sewing!
You can use plastic canvas in the bottom of the bag,,,,it lets the bag stay open and stand up. I always make a pocket of the material and cut the plastic canvas just a little smaller slip in the pocket,so up the open end and lay in the bottom of the bag.
To make the bottom of the bag stiffer: I was recently shown a grand idea, a section of plastic slat window blind like the long, 4-6″ wide ones that hang vertically over patio doors. The slats can often be found as castoffs or trash, are usually white/ecru, and are stiff enough, yet easy enough to cut-to-fit the bottom of any bag or purse. They can be covered; sewn in; removable; whatever you want to do with them. A great, cheap fix for the ’sloppy bag’ problem!
How do you make a Linoleum Block for Printing?
Re: Linoleum block. This is something you can buy at a craft store. You draw your pattern on the block, then cut it into the block with a sharp knife.
am inspired..in uganda we use alot of plactic and its ugly
Love it! Yes, these are the easiest instructions I’ve found for bags online. I used a thriftstore table cloth. So there were lots of finished edges to make it really easy. Thanks for keeping it simple!
i am a native of panama. i think that this is a great idea. we do have a ” non admited” problem with plastic bags all over our city. i think that this will be a great incentive to help since we dont have an in-place recycle plan for plastic bags.
So I was thinking of sewing some canvas totes for my out of town guests for my upcoming wedding and I came across your website. I couldn’t stop laughing with excitement because I won a coloring contest with the Big Y grocery chain in Northampton, MA when I was 6 years old. And I won a canvas gym bag that I still have to this day! No joke, it was an Easter coloring contest. You are doing such a wonderful thing, and I’m proud to say that I spent many wonderful summers in beautiful Monson. God bless and keep up your efforts, they are not done in vain!
I think it would be helpful if you had a few more pictures to show how to sew up the bottom corners of the bag. I was a little confused as to how to sew up those corners. Great bag design, by the way. From Honolulu, Hawaii…
Hi,
Even for someone with a little “experience” I did find the instructions a little confusing. I think what threw me off was that I had such wide canvas to start with. Perhaps if you gave a simple drawing of your pattern it would be really helpful. That’s what I wound up doing and it worked like a charm. Or maybe, I’m just of the old school and that’s the only way I know how to sew! Anyway, thanks so much! I just finished my first one for my daughter in California and I’m on my way to mail it.
I thought it a little confusing at first, too. So I read it again and looked at the photos, trying to visualize it. It made sense. Cutting while folded is just like when you place your pattern along the fold and have to cut 1 – and the depth of the bag depends on whether your fabric is 36″(bag will be 16″ deep), 45″ (20.5″ deep) or 55″ (25.5″ deep). I plan on picking up some fabric this afternoon to make several of these today. If I am wrong on the depth, I’ll add another comment, but, I think I understood it.
I have also seen handles where you fold them in half, press. Then fold the edges in toward the crease and press again. Finally topstitch it closed. Those who struggle with turning the tube rightside-out, or want thinner straps may find this easier.
I got confused at sewing the bottom where the holes were cut.