SUPER large Summer Tote tutorial..cheap too

As Featured on Be Different Act Normal 5/10

Ruffles and Stuff 5/11 "Daily Feature"

I really don't like that when I go to the park, the beach, or whereever, I have to take 2-3 small bags AND carry things like blankets and towels in my other hand. While also trying to keep the kids from running in front of cars. YET, I don't want to buy the huge bags for lots of money.

I was looking for interior fabrics in the back of JoAnn's when I saw a teeny tiny section of "utility fabrics" They had 2-3 beautiful fabrics that look and feel a lot like the $1 reusable bags from the grocery store. So my brain started turning.

The best part is, these fabrics are HUGE and CHEAP. $2.99 a yard to be exact. The bag I made used a whole 3/4 of a yard. pretty sweet huh.

I thought I would just show you how I made this basic bag, you can change the dimensions, do whatever you want. and once you have this down you can make any bag and with any material. oh baby, go crazy.

I took my 3/4th's a yard and cut off the bottom, STILL FOLDED 3 inches. Cut it at the fold and you will have 2 3x30" strips

UnFold your lot of fabric and cut on the fold so you should have to symmetrical rectangles. about 24x30"

On both pieces turn the top down 1/2 inch (I didn't need to iron, it bent really well)

Then turn it down 1 inch and pin, sew on both sides of the hem.

Place the fabic right sides together and sew sides and bottom. Top open.

Now comes the tricky part. Take the bottom corners and "box" them. You do this by creasing it the opposite way it currently lays. So that the seams are kissing each other and it forms a triangle.

Pin in place.

Now measure 4 inches down (up to you really, I did 4 inches) and drew a straight line.

Sew across this line.

Cut the top of the triangle.

Let your kids play with the triangle houses :)

yeah, you did it! so easy huh. Now just have the handles.

Fold in half, right sides together.

Sew and flip.

I like to flip by pinning and turning the pin down pulling through. works magic.

I ironed these and with the seam in the middle.

Fold each end of the handles same as the top hem. 1/2 inch then 1 inch.

Measure from outside seam. I liked 8" in from the outside. pin on the inside (make sure the handle seam in pointing inside too) and sew a box with a X in the middle. This will help keep it strong for ALL the goodies soon to be going in.

And your done! don't you love how small it rolls up.

Here to help put in perspective how big it is....all those beach towels...

**CARE** tonight I spilled salad all over it! blast. The instructions on the fabric bolt said to just wipe clean, but this was too messy. SO I put it in the wash on rinse/spin cycle with a drop of dish soap and it worked great. it wasn't too rough on the fabric or ruin the colors.