Easy Sew Grocery Bag

My niece asked if I could sew her some reusable grocery bags. She didn’t like the ones you buy at the grocery store. I don’t blame her. They are thin and the handles constantly rip off. I decided to try making some that would hold up way better than store bought cheapies.

I found some checkered canvas on sale for $7.99 a yard so I grabbed it.

One bag takes quite a bit of fabric.

2 outer pieces at 20″ x 21″

2 inner pieces at 20″ x 21″

2 pieces the handles at 5″ x 22″

The 21″ is the height.

Optional – 7″ x 13″ iron-on stabilizer for the bottom.

I used a light canvas for the outside and handles and a quilter’s cotton for the inside.

First, I washed and dried the fabric. Wouldn’t it be nice if fabric was already washed and dried before we purchased it? I swear I lose a few inches of fabric to shrinkage after washing it and then I have to iron it.

Cut the fabric.

Put the right sides together of the outer fabric and sew either a quarter inch or half inch seam along the bottom. I did a quarter inch but I think a half inch might have been easier because the next step is to iron the seam open.

Iron the seam open.

Optional – Place the stabilizer, with the rough side down, centered onto the bottom so the seam is in the center and iron it on. I could not get it to stick all the way down no matter how much I tried with my iron so I ended up sewing it down on the sides. I was so annoyed by this that I forgot to take a photo.

Sew the sides closed.

The next part is tricky. Fold the corners of the bottom on each side into triangles. They will measure about 3 ish inches.

Draw a line across and pin. If you used a stabilizer, the line is the outer edge of the stabilizer.

Sew over the line.

Cut the triangles off about a half inch from the seam.

Put the right sides together of the inner fabric and sew the sides and bottom.

The liner does not use a stabilizer so you will gave to measure the corners to match what you did on the bottom of the outer fabric. Mark it, pin it and sew it. Then cut the corners off.

Fold under the top of both the liner and outer bag an inch and iron.

Make the handles

Iron the fabric for the handles lengthwise in half.

Unfold it and iron each side towards the middle and then fold it all in half.

Sew down each side of each handle as close to the edge as possible.

Measure 6″ in from each side of the inner bag and mark it. Pin the straps on the insides of the marks. Do this on the inside where the top is ironed under.