How to Make a Tote Out of Plastic Canvas
Plastic canvas is a great material for reusable tote bags, which are sturdy bags you can use for shopping or for carrying things. Tote bags also have a large capacity and are useful. They are a green alternative to regular shopping bags because you don't need to use a plastic shopping bag from the story. If you have some plastic canvas, you can very easily make yourself a bag which you can use and re-use for shopping.
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Things You'll Need
- Two 18- by 4-inch plastic canvas strips
- Iron
- Thick canvas needle
- Thick canvas thread
- Two 20- by 18-inch plastic canvas sheets
- Transfer paper
Instructions
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1
Orient one strip of canvas so the narrow end points toward you. Fold the right-most 1/4 inch of the strip toward the center. Fold the left-hand third of the strip into the center as well.
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2
Use a low-setting iron to steam these pieces down.
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3
Fold the right-hand edge of the strip to the center, so that it overlaps the left side slightly. Iron the strip down again.
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4
Sew the strip down the center, and along the sides of the strip. Repeat this whole process with the other strip to form a second handle, and set them aside for now.
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5
Hold a sheet of canvas with the long edge facing you. Fold the top 1/2 inch of the sheet down toward you. Iron it in place.
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6
Place one of the handles on the folded hem in a U-shape at about 4 inches in from either side of the bag. Fold the top 1.5-inch of the bag down over this handle, and iron down.
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7
Sew along the handle hem to keep the piece in place. Repeat these steps to make a second side panel for the bag.
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8
Fold the handles up over the hem. Sew a box-shaped stitch onto the bag at each point where the handles meet the hem. First a square over the edge of the handle, then an X inside that box. Repeat with the other panel.
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9
Place the handle sides of the bag face-to-face. Sew the bottom and side edges of the bag together. Make the seam about 1/4 to1/2 inch in from the edge.
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10
Turn the bag inside out. Sew the edges a second time to create a thicker seam.
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11
Turn the bag inside out again.
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12
Print off a label from the website listed under Resources onto some transfer paper. Sew this label onto the side of the bag.
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