The use of handmade tote bags is undoubtedly increasing as more people discover the advantage they offer especially when going shopping or engaging in outdoor activities. Tote bags can be made from different types of materials and the best part of this is that you can make some money by just selling them to your neighbors or friends who’d want to have them for their personal use.
Tote bags can easily be made stylish and used for many purposes including carrying your grocery, reading materials or for storage purposes at home. If you have a sewing machine at home, making these types of bags is always easy and inexpensive if you could follow these best tips designed for beginners and pros alike.
Valuable tote bag making tips
Choose the best material
As mentioned earlier, handmade tote bags can be made from a wide range of fabrics including denim, cotton, nylons among others. As such, it will be good to choose the best material capable of supporting the weight and the pressure the bag is exposed to. If you want a hardy bag for shopping or carrying heavy items, you should consider something like corduroy, jeans, thick polyester or heavy cotton. If you just want a bag for carrying light items, then you could settle for any other material.
Take the right measurements
Tote bags come in different sizes and you have the chance to determine the size you want right from the beginning. As such, you should consider the usage of the bag and take the right measurements before cutting the fabric. This will prevent cases of fabric wastage while at the same time allowing you to make a bag that will serve your needs without overstretching it. Once you determine the desired measurements, you only need to cut two equal pieces of fabric to make your tote bag.
Take care of the seams
While sewing your tote bags, seams are very important and should be done accurately. Failure to sew the seams along the stitch line will change the shape of the bag and end up giving you something different from what you envisaged. As you sew, make sure you do not encroach the edged of your fabric to keep an even balance and prevent unwanted damages when using the bags.
Use strong threads
The firmness of your stitch lines not only depends on how you do it but also the kind of threads you use. As such, it will be important to pick your threads with care and look for something sturdy and capable of withstanding the pressure of whatever you carry.
Match your hardware
It’s important to match your tote bag hardware with the fabric color and decorations if at all you want to any. By hardware we are talking of things such as zips, buckles and rings. Whatever additions you would like to put on your bags, make sure they balance harmoniously for that catchy look.
Tote bags can be made from anything ranging from old T-shirts to heavy-duty unused jeans in your house. So, why not try your hands on one today?
