How to Make a Small Over-the-Shoulder Bag With a Front Flap

Use the sewing machine's guides to sew straight lines.

If you're having trouble finding the right over-the-shoulder bag, you might want to make your own. With basic sewing skills, you can create an over-the-shoulder bag with a front flap in less than a day. For a sturdy bag, select a heavy fabric, like denim or canvas. If your everyday bag is usually lightweight, choose any tightly-woven fabric you like.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• 1 1/2 yards fabric
• Dressmaker pins
• Sewing machine needle
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Instructions

Cut and Pin the Fabric

1. Use scissors to cut a rectangular piece of fabric measuring 15 by 11 inches. This is the bag's front piece.

2. Cut a piece of fabric measuring 16 by 22 inches. This is the bag's back piece, which contains the flap.

3. Rotate the back piece so that the shorter sides are at the top and bottom, and the longer sides are on the right and left. The fabric's right side should be facing you.

4. Cut a rectangle that's a half-inch wide and 10 1/2 inches long out of the bottom-right side of the bottom piece.

5. Cut a rectangle that's a half-inch wide and 10 1/2 inches long out of the bottom-left side of the bottom piece.

6. Place the front piece on top of the back piece with the front piece's wrong side facing you. Align the bottom of the top piece with the bottom of the bottom piece. The top of the bag – its opening – is located where the bottom piece extends beyond the top piece, and the longer part of the bottom piece is the bag's flap.

7. Pin the two pieces of fabric together along their perimeters with dressmaker pins, leaving 1/2 inch of space between the pins and the bag's opening. Do not pin the bag's opening or the flap.

8. Fold 1/2 inch of fabric at the top of the top piece toward you, and then pin the fold in place.

9. Fold 1/2 inch of fabric under the left, right and top sides of the flap, and then pin the folds in place.

Sew the Bag

1. Install a sewing machine needle appropriate for the bag's fabric in the sewing machine.

2. Install thread that matches the bag's fabric in the sewing machine.

3. Set the sewing machine to a zigzag stitch.

4. Place the top piece's folded edge under the sewing machine's presser foot. The raw edge should be under the needle.

5. Sew along the fold's raw edge, and then remove the fabric from the sewing machine.

6. Flip the bag over so that the wrong side of the bottom piece is facing you.

7. Place the folded edge on the left or right side of the flap under the presser foot with the raw edge under the needle.

8. Sew along the raw edge, and then turn the fabric to continue sewing along the bottom of the flap. When you reach the end of the bottom portion, turn the fabric again, and continue sewing until you reach the end of the flap.

9. Continue sewing until you reach the bottom of the bag, and then turn the fabric to sew along the bottom of the bag. When you reach the end of the bag's bottom portion, turn it again, and sew until you reach the second seam on the bag's flap.

10. Remove the bag from the sewing machine, and then turn it inside out.

Make the Strap

1. Cut two pieces of fabric that measure 1 1/2 by 40 inches each.

2. Pin the two pieces of fabric together along their longer sides with the right sides of the fabric facing each other.

3. Sew along the pinned sides using a zigzag stitch.

4. Turn the fabric inside out so that the right sides are facing you.

5. Fold the bottom part of the strap inward so that it's inside the strap, and then repeat on the other end of the strap. When you're done, you shouldn't see any raw edges on the strap.

Attach the Strap

1. Pin one end of the strap to the left side of the bag. The bottom of the strap should be 2 inches below the top of the bag and centered along the bag's seam.

2. Pin the other end of the strap to the right side of the bag. The bottom of the strap should be 2 inches below the top of the bag and centered along the bag's seam.

3. Set the sewing machine to a straight stitch.

4. Place the pinned part of the strap and the fabric it's pinned to under the presser foot.

5. Sew along the left, bottom, right and top sides of the pinned part of the strap to secure it to the bag. Sew the opposite end of the strap to the bag in the same manner.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the size of the bag according to your preferences.

• If you don't want to sew a strap from scratch, use webbing.

• Add a button or fabric fastener to the flap.

• Sew pockets on or in the bag to increase its storage space.