How to make a tote bag with pre-cuts

I’ve put together a new tutorial showing how to turn 24 charm squares into a simple tote bag. Charm packs are great to have on hand, but sometimes they sit in a drawer waiting for the right project. This bag is a good way to use them up—you only need a piece of fabric for the base and you’re ready to go.

If you don’t have a charm pack, you can still make the same bag by cutting your own 5″ squares from yardage or scraps. It comes together just as nicely.

The straps are nylon webbing, which makes things really straightforward. There’s no need to sew and turn fabric handles, and the webbing is sturdy enough to hold a fair bit of weight. It also means the project is quicker to finish.

For the lining, you’ll need a piece of fabric the same size as the outer bag. To make the bag stronger and give it more structure, I added batting. If you prefer, you could use a bag-specific interfacing instead. Both options work well—it depends on what you have available and the look you’re after.

I didn’t add pockets, but you could if you wanted—just sew them onto the lining before putting the bag together.

This is a project that doesn’t take long, but gives you a practical bag you’ll actually use. It’s also flexible enough to make with whatever fabric you have on hand.

Tote bag tutorial

Note on straps

I’ve recently switched to using webbing for the straps on my bags because the handmade straps I used previously tend to wear out much faster than the bags themselves.

They’re inexpensive and you can get them in many colours.

• Heavyweight polypropylene webbing straps
• Heavy cotton webbing

More bag tutorials

If you’d like to explore other bag tutorials I’ve made over the years, here’s a roundup:

1. Expandable tote bag
2. Patchwork beach bag
3. Tote bag tutorial
4. Laptop slipcover with straps
5. Charm pack tote bag with inside pocket tutorial
6.  Charm squares and embroidery tote bag
7. Spirit tote bag

All the tutorials are free.

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Explore all the quilts from the book in real-life projects!