How to Make Fabric Travel Bags

Use a drawstring bag to pack shoes when you travel.

If you have some basic sewing skills you can make fabric bags in different sizes to suit your travel needs. The bags can be used for protecting your shoes inside a suitcase, for carrying supplies for long car rides or to hold cosmetics. Make the bags using colorful fabrics in dimensions to hold your items and your packing will be simplified.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Sturdy fabric
• Fabric cord
• Large safety pin
• Fabric place mat
• Decorative trim
• Tailor's chalk
• Sew-on snap

Instructions

Drawstring Bag

1. Cut two pieces of fabric for each bag that you are making. For shoe bags, each piece should measure 12 by 16 inches. Determine the size for your bags based on the intended use.

2. Pin the two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing. All edges should be even.

3. Stitch ½-inch seams down both of the long sides and across the bottom. Remove the pins as you sew to prevent sewing over them. Trim the seams close to the stitching.

4. Turn the bag right side out.

5. Form a tunnel for the cording. Fold the top edge under ½ inch and ½ half inch again. Press in place. Stitch close to the bottom edge of the fold.

6. Remove a few stitches along one of the inside seams of your cord tunnel to insert the cord for your drawstring.

7. Cut a one yard length of cord. Tie a knot in one end of the cord.

8. Insert a large safety pin into the opposite end of the cord. Push the pin and cord into the tunnel. Thread the cord through the tunnel back to the starting point.

9. Tie the ends together into a knot.

Cosmetic Bag

1. Choose a place mat in a two-sided decorative fabric. Quilted place mats work well. Decide which side of the place mat you want to use for the outside of the cosmetic bag.

2. Pin a length of decorative trim along one short edge of the front side of the place mat. Sew the trim to the fabric using a sewing machine.

3. Turn the place mat over so that the back side is facing up.

4. Fold the bottom edge of the place mat up 2/3 of the way towards the top (trimmed) edge of the place mat. Pin the sides together.

5. Draw a line along the bottom of the fabric 1 inch up from the bottom fold using tailor's chalk. Turn the fabric over and make a similar line on the back.

6. Fold on the chalk lines as you tuck the bottom edge into the inside making a bit of expansion for the bottom of the bag. Pin the pleat into place.

7. Top stitch close to the side edges of the bag using a sewing machine. Sew slowly taking care when sewing through the extra thicknesses created by the bottom pleat.

8. Mark the position for the bottom piece of the snap on the bag in the middle of the inside flap. Sew a large snap onto the bag.

9. Rub the tailor's chalk from the fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove straight pins from the fabric as you sew to prevent sewing over the pins.

References

• Moms Minivan: How to Sew Your Own Travel Game
• Tip Nut: 18+ Makeup Bags and Rolls to Make