How to Make Canvas Recyclying Totes
Carrying your recycling tote bag has come in style with the green movement. People are opting to put their groceries and commercial products in reusable tote bags instead of asking for a paper or plastic bag. Recycling or reusing shopping bags cuts down on waste and pollution. You can make a simple recycling bag out of cotton canvas using a sewing machine.
Things You'll Need
- Unbleached cotton canvas 60 inches x 1 yard
- Scissors
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Cotton thread
Instructions
-
-
1
Roll out or spread the canvas on a flat surface. Cut the canvas to 23 inches with a scissors, making the dimensions 60 inches long by 23 inches wide.
-
2
Turn on the iron and set it to the high cotton setting. Iron the canvas flat if desired since folded canvas will have deep creases. Skip this step if the canvas was purchased from a roll.
-
-
3
Fold the canvas in half so that the dimensions are 30 inches by 23 inches.
-
4
Sew the fabric together on both sides of the bag with your sewing machine and cotton thread, but leave the top open. Sew a second line of stitching next to the first line to reinforce the joint, making it strong enough to hold groceries. Leave a 1/2 inch of allowance between the stitching and the edge of the fabric.
-
5
Cut one 8-inch strip off the remaining canvas with scissors, then cut it in half so that the strips are 8 inches by 30 inches.
-
6
Fold the 8-inch strips in half long ways and pin the unfolded edge together, making the strips 4 inches wide by 30 inches long. Sew the folded fabric together with two lines of stitching like in Step 4. These will be the tote bag straps.
-
7
Turn the straps inside out so that the seam in on the inside and cannot be seen. Sew the straps at the top bag using a large X seam.
-
8
Iron all seams, then turn the bag inside out so that all of the seams are inside of the bag.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
This design is great for the beginner.
Get some eco-conscious friends together and have a fun group activity making your own reusable shopping tote bags.
Print an image on the canvas before assembling the tote bag, or buy an iron on transfer kit to use with your home ink jet printer, then simply iron the printed image onto the canvas.
