Creating a handbag at home using fabric strips is a fantastic way to showcase your creativity and use up fabric scraps. It results in a truly unique bag with a beautiful textured, striped, or even patchwork effect. This guide will walk you through making a simple yet stylish tote-style bag with vertical fabric strips.
How to Make a Unique Handbag at Home with Fabric Strips
This method involves sewing various fabric strips together to create custom "fabric panels" for your bag's exterior. It's a great project for using up leftover fabric scraps in different colors and patterns, giving your bag a truly one-of-a-kind look.
I. Planning Your Striped Handbag
Before you start cutting, consider the overall look you want to achieve:
Bag Size & Shape: A simple tote bag is easiest for this technique. Decide if you want a small everyday bag, a medium project bag, or a large market tote.
Strip Orientation: Will your strips be vertical, horizontal, or even diagonal? Vertical strips are generally easiest to work with for a first-time striped bag.
Color Scheme: Gather fabric scraps or purchase new fabrics in a coordinating color palette. You can go for a rainbow effect, a monochromatic look, or a mix of prints and solids.
Handle Style: Fabric handles made from your strip-pieced fabric, contrasting solid fabric, or store-bought webbing.
II. Gather Your Materials
Fabric Strips: This is the star of the show!
Scrap Fabric: Dig through your stash for various cotton, linen, or lightweight canvas scraps. Aim for pieces that are at least 2 inches (5 cm) wide and long enough to span the height of your bag (plus a bit extra).
Pre-cut Strips (e.g., Jelly Rolls): If you don't have many scraps, "jelly rolls" (pre-cut 2.5-inch wide fabric strips) are perfect for this project and offer a coordinated collection of fabrics.
Lining Fabric: About 1/2 to 1 yard (0.5 to 0.9 meters) of lightweight cotton or poly-cotton. Choose a color or print that complements your stripes.
Interfacing (Recommended): 1/2 to 1 yard (0.5 to 0.9 meters) of medium-weight fusible interfacing (like Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex). This gives your bag structure and durability, especially important when working with pieced fabric.
Fabric for Handles/Straps:
Self-Fabric (from your strips): You can piece extra strips together to form longer pieces for handles.
Contrasting Solid Fabric: About 1/4 yard (0.25 meters) of a sturdy cotton or canvas.
Webbing: 1.5 to 2 yards (1.4 to 1.8 meters) of 1-inch to 1.5-inch (2.5-3.8 cm) wide cotton webbing for sturdy, ready-made straps.
Thread: All-purpose polyester thread that matches or blends with your fabrics.
Basic Sewing Supplies:
Sewing Machine
Fabric Shears or Rotary Cutter and Mat (rotary cutter is great for strips!)
Quilting Ruler (essential for cutting straight strips)
Fabric Chalk or Mark-B-Gone Pen
Plenty of Pins or Fabric Clips
Iron and Ironing Board
Seam Ripper (just in case!)
.jpg)
III. Planning & Cutting Your Fabric
Let's aim for a finished bag size of approximately 14 inches wide x 16 inches tall x 4 inches deep (35.5 x 40.5 x 10 cm). We'll use a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance throughout.
A. Create Your Striped Panels (Exterior Bag Pieces):
Determine Strip Size:
Height of Strips: For vertical stripes, your strips need to be at least the finished height of your bag (16 inches) + 1 inch (for top/bottom seam allowances) + a few inches extra for trimming. So, cut strips that are at least 20 inches (51 cm) long.
Width of Strips: This is your design choice!
For a consistent look, cut all strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
For a more "scrappy" or varied look, cut strips in varying widths (e.g., 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3").
Total Number of Strips: Your finished bag exterior panel will be roughly 14" wide. If you use 2-inch wide strips (which become 1.5" after seam allowances), you'll need around 10-12 strips per panel. You need two such panels. So, you'll need a total of 20-24 strips, each at least 20" long.
Sew Your Strips Together:
Arrange your cut strips in the order you want them to appear for one bag panel.
Place the first two strips right sides together, aligning one long edge. Pin.
Stitch along that long edge using a 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) seam allowance.
Press the seam open or to one side (consistently choose a direction for all seams to reduce bulk evenly).
Add the next strip, right sides together, stitch, and press.
Continue until you have a large pieced fabric rectangle that is at least 15 inches wide x 20 inches high (38 x 51 cm). The extra size gives you room to trim and square up.
Repeat this process to create a second identical (or coordinating) striped panel.
Trim Your Striped Panels:
Lay your pieced striped panel flat, right side up. Use your quilting ruler to square it up.
Cut 2 rectangles, 15 inches wide x 17 inches high (38 cm x 43 cm). This will be your Main Exterior Panels.
B. Cut Lining & Interfacing:
Lining Panels: Cut 2 rectangles, 15 inches wide x 17 inches high (38 cm x 43 cm) from your chosen lining fabric.
Interfacing: Cut 2 rectangles, 14 inches wide x 16 inches high (35.5 cm x 40.5 cm) from your fusible interfacing (slightly smaller than your exterior panels to avoid bulk in seams). Fuse these to the wrong side of your Main Exterior Striped Panels according to the manufacturer's instructions.
C. Cut Handle Fabric:
If making fabric handles: Cut 2 strips, 4 inches wide x 20 inches long (10 cm x 51 cm) from a solid coordinating fabric, or piece together more strips if you want striped handles.
If using webbing: Cut 2 pieces of webbing, 20 inches (51 cm) long.
IV. Let's Start Sewing!
Important Tips for Sewing:
Consistent Seam Allowance: Especially when piecing strips, consistency is key for accurate results.
Pressing is Your Friend: Pressing seams after each step makes a huge difference in the final look of your bag.
Backstitch: Always backstitch at the beginning and end of your seams to secure them.
Step 1: Prepare Handles
If using webbing: Skip this step.
If making fabric handles:
Take one 4" x 20" fabric strip. Fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
Open it up. Fold each raw long edge in towards the center crease, and press again.
Fold the strip in half along the original center crease. You now have a handle that is 1" wide with no raw edges. Press firmly.
Topstitch down both long sides of the handle, about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) from the edge. Repeat for the second handle.
Step 2: Attach Handles to Exterior Panels
Take one Main Exterior Striped Panel (right side up).
Place the raw ends of one handle (or webbing strap) on the top edge of the panel. Measure in from each side. For a 15-inch wide panel, you might place the handle ends 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) in from each side, leaving a gap in the middle. Ensure the handle is not twisted.
Pin the handle ends securely to the panel.
Stitch the handle ends in place within the 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance. Reinforce with an "X-box" stitch (a square with an "X" inside it) for durability. Repeat for the other Main Exterior Striped Panel and the second handle.
Step 3: Construct the Main Bag Body (Exterior)
Place the two Main Exterior Striped Panels right sides together, aligning all edges. Your handles should be tucked neatly inside.
Pin along both side edges and the bottom edge.
Using a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance, stitch down one side, pivot at the bottom corner, stitch across the bottom, pivot, and stitch up the other side.
Press your seams open to reduce bulk.
Step 4: Box the Corners of the Main Bag (Optional, for Flat Bottom)
This gives your bag a flat, structured bottom. If you prefer a simple flat tote, skip this step.
Lay the main bag body flat. At one bottom corner, bring the side seam and the bottom seam together, aligning them perfectly. This creates a triangular shape.
Measure from the tip of this triangle inward along the seam line a distance equal to half of your desired bag depth (e.g., for a 4-inch depth, measure 2 inches / 5 cm).
Draw a straight line perpendicular to the seam at this measurement point.
Stitch along this line, backstitching securely.
Trim the excess fabric from the corner, leaving about a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance.
Repeat for the other bottom corner of the main bag. Keep the main bag wrong side out.
Step 5: Construct the Lining Bag Body
The lining is constructed almost identically to the main bag, with one crucial difference for turning.
Place the two Lining Panels right sides together, aligning all edges.
Pin along both side edges and the bottom edge.
Using a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance, stitch down one side.
CRUCIAL: For the bottom seam, you MUST leave an opening! Stitch approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) from one side, then leave a 5-6 inch (12.5-15 cm) unstitched gap in the middle. Stitch for another 3 inches (7.5 cm) to the other side. Backstitch well at the start and end of the stitched sections around your opening. This opening is vital for turning the entire bag right side out later.
Stitch up the second side seam.
Press your seams open.
Box the Corners of the Lining Bag: Box the corners of your lining bag using the exact same method you used for the main bag (refer back to Step 4). Keep the lining bag wrong side out.
Step 6: Join Main Bag and Lining (The "Bag-in-a-Bag" Method)
This technique hides all raw seams at the top of your bag for a clean, professional finish.
Ensure your main striped bag body is right side out.
Ensure your lining bag body is wrong side out (and still has that opening in its bottom seam).
Carefully insert the main striped bag body into the lining bag body. The right sides of both bags should now be facing each other. Your handles will be sandwiched between the two layers.
Align the side seams of the main bag with the side seams of the lining bag.
Align the top raw edges of both bags all around the entire opening. Pin securely all the way around this top edge, matching seams precisely.
Using your 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance, stitch all the way around the entire top opening of the bag. Go slowly, especially when going over the handle attachment points.
Trim & Clip: Trim the seam allowance at the top down to about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) to reduce bulk.
Step 7: Turn Bag Right Side Out & Finish
The exciting moment your unique handbag comes to life!
Reach through the opening you left in the bottom seam of the lining.
Slowly and carefully pull the entire bag through this opening until it is completely right side out. Take your time, gently pushing out all the corners for a crisp, well-defined shape.
Close the Lining Opening: Go to your ironing board. Press the raw edges of the opening in the bottom of the lining under by 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) so they meet neatly. Align these pressed edges and pin them together. Stitch this opening closed by machine (sewing very close to the folded edge for a neat finish) or by hand using an invisible ladder stitch for a truly seamless look.
Now, push the lining down into the bag.
Final Press & Topstitch: Carefully press the entire top edge of the bag. Make sure the lining is fully tucked inside and isn't peeking out over the top edge of the main fabric. For a professional and durable finish, topstitch all around the entire top edge of the bag, about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) from the edge. This final topstitching secures the lining, helps the bag hold its shape, and adds that polished touch.
Your unique, striped fabric handbag is now complete! What will you fill it with, and where will you take your one-of-a-kind creation?
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment