If you’re looking for a tutorial to make something useful, the DIY Reusable Grocery Bag will give you the easy steps to follow to make a foldable grocery bag.
As a sewer you might love to make some easy to make projects but at the same time projects that make your life easier and better.
Why to buy a grocery bag, if you can make it by yourself with a pretty fabric!
Most likely you might have everything you need for this sewing tutorial at home already, and this is the time you were waiting for to use that pretty fabric you have been saving to make something pretty and useful
DIY Reusable Grocery Bag
Foldable, Reusable Grocery Bag Needed Supplies
- 1 piece of fabric (A) of 38 1/4 x 15 3/4 inches, color A
- 2 pieces of fabric (C) of 46 x 3 inches, color A
- 1 piece of fabric (D) of 8 x 1 1/2 inches, color A
- 1 piece of fabric (B) of 12 x inches, color A
- 1 piece of fabric (B) of 12 x inches, color B
- 1 button
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Pins
- Patchwork ruler
Reusable Grocery Bag Step by Step Tutorial
Step 1 – Cut Out All The Pieces For The Reusable Grocery Bag
When cutting all the fabric to make the reusable grocery bag, you can lay the fabric on a table and use the patchwork ruler to trace a cutting line with a pencil, follow the measures for each piece listed on the supplies list to cut out each piece.
You can choose any print on the fabric you will use to make the reusable bag, in case it has a print with a direction, remember one side of the bag will get the print in the right direction and the other side of the bag will get the print upside down, you can sew on the small pocket on this side, as it will be almost covered by the small pocket.
Wash, dry and press the fabric before cutting all the pieces.
Step 2 – Sew On The Small Pocket
Lay on a table one piece of fabric B, pretty side up, and lay over it the second piece of fabric B, pretty side down.
On one end of one of the pieces B, with a pencil or a marker for fabric mark a rounded corner on each side.
Pinch a few pins on both pieces and sew on all around the piece, leaving 2 inches open on one side to turn the piece out.
Trim the two squared corners and make a few small cuts on the rounded corners, turn the piece out and press.
Top stitch all around the piece and sew a buttonhole on the center of the rounded corners side
Step 3 – Sew On The Wrist Handle
I added a wrist handle to the reusable grocery bag as it will be more practical to take it when you need to go to the grocery store and it will help you to hang the folded grocery bag at home when you don’t use it, if you don’t need to add this wrist handle, skip this step.
Fold each side of piece D 1/4 inch, then fold the piece to meet the two sides, top stitch to close the piece.
Step 4 – Sew On The Two Handles For The Reusable Grocery Bag
On the picture below, you can see the two handles, one shows step 1 to make it, and the number 2 shows step 2 to make it.
The first thing you need to do is to fold the piece pretty side inside to meet the two sides of each piece, sew on 1/4″ all along this side, turn the piece out and press. Do the same step with both pieces.
Top stitch on both sides of each handle.
Step 5 – Hem The Top Edges Of The Bag
The first thing you need to do is to fold back 1/4 inch on each top of the bag, press. Then fold back again each top of the bag 1 inch, press.
With the patchwork ruler and with a pencil, trace a mark to help you to place the handles in their place, each mark should be 4 3/4 inch from the side edge of the back to the center.
Place one handle on each top of the bag and pinch a pin. Keep the handles like its shown on the picture below.
Top stitch the fold on each top of the bag.
Take both handles up and pinch a pin on each side of the handle and top stitch on the top edge on each top of the bag.
Step 6 – Sew On The Pocket On The Grocery Bag
The pocket has two tops, one with squared corners and this top should go to the top of the grocery bag, the pocket top with the rounded corners should go to the bottom of the grocery bag, mark a fold of 1 1/2 inches, you can mark it up with a pencil, I just pressed it. Pinch a few pins to keep the pocket in its place as you sew on the pocket to the bag.
Sew on the pocket to the bag leaving open the straight top.
When sewing on the pocket to the bag, don’t forget to add the wrist handle folded on one side of the pocket.
Don’t forget to reinforce the stitching on the top of the pocket on both sides.
Step 7 – Sew On The Reusable Grocery Bag
On your working table, lay folded in half the fabric, right side facing out, pin alongside edges, sew on both side edges, don’t forget to reinforce each side stitching on the top and on the bottom.
The blue dot on the picture below, shows how I reinforced the top. Trim the seam with your scissors.
We will create a French Seam on both sides of the bag, turn the bag out and press each side, stitch on each side 3/8 inch, don’t forget to reinforce stitching on top and bottom on each side of the bag.
Step 8 – Sew On The Bottom Of The Reusable Grocery Bag
To make more practical the reusable grocery bag, fold the bottom of the bag 2 inches to one side, pinch a pin on each side.
Stitch on the seam and reinforce the stitching on top of bottom, do the same step on both sides of the reusable grocery bag.
Turn out the bag and the bottom should look like it’s shown on the picture below.
Step 9 – Sew On A Button and Open The Buttonhole
Sew on by hand a button on the straight top of the pocket and with the help of a sharp pair of scissors or the hem ripper, open the buttonhole.
You can read: How To Make A Buttonhole here.
Step 10 – Fold Up the Reusable Grocery Bag
Lay the bag on a table, pocket facing down, and fold the reusable grocery bag, button up the pocket to keep the grocery bag folded.
Voila! The Reusable Grocery Bag is folded and ready for the next visit to the grocery store!
FAQ DIY Reusable Grocery Bag
Who Can Make The Reusable Grocery Bag?
This is a sewing project easy to make that I’m sure beginners and more advanced sewers will love to make, as it has some basic sewing steps to follow, it will help beginners to get more skilled.
This is also a sewing project that can be made with any type of fabric, which it makes it a good project for beginners to practice a sewing projects with different steps to work on that can be made with a cheap fabric, so they can feel comfortable as they work on this project and they won’t get the pressure to make it right from the first time and ruin an expensive fabric.
How Much Time Does It Take To Make The Reusable Grocery Bag?
I’m a sewer with some experience sewing different projects, and it took me 1 hour from choosing the fabric to make this project to finish the grocery bag. I must add this was the first time I was making this project, so I had to check all my notes (measures and instructions) which it takes more time, but I think this is a project that can easily be made in less time when you make the second or third grocery bag, maybe to have a few of them or maybe to give them as a present to your family members or to your friends.
What Sewing Machine Is Needed To Make The Reusable Grocery Bag?
As this is an easy to make project, you can make it with any sewing machine you have at home.
What Type Of Fabric Is Recommended To make The Reusable Grocery Bag?
I used a thin fabric (cotton and polyester) and as this grocery bag is made with French seams, it looks sturdy enough to carry a few groceries in it.
You can use also a cotton 100 % fabric, and you also can use a thin upholstery fabric.
DIY Reusable Grocery Bag Closing Thoughts
As I look for more easy to make tutorials for beginners and more experienced sewers, I wanted to make the reusable grocery bag, as this is a basic sewing project any sewer will love to make.
I’m sure once you make the first one and see how easy is to make it and how well you can fold it up, you will be making more than one for yourself or to give it to your friends or family members as a present.
As today, we all pay more attention to help the planet to be more sustainable, I’m sure you will love to have an easy tutorial that will help you to make many of these reusable bags.
If you have any question, write it on a comment and I will reply to you shortly!
Happy Sewing!
You can read more sewing tutorials here:
- DIY Mini Tote Bag – An easy sewing tutorials to make a small tote bag for small shopping or if you need to carry just one or two things with you!
- 15 Easy Steps To Make A Drawstring Reversible Bag –
Thanks so much for reading my blog today!
This is such a great DIY idea! Where I can I LOVE to use grocery bags instead of wasting plastic or paper ones. I even sometimes use them as travel bags and purses haha! And they’re great to take to markets. Your steps are very thorough and helpful as I would be considered a beginner. Thank you so much for sharing this idea!
I like this post a lot. You make it seems so easy to make a grocery reusable bag! I like the step by step guide which gives me the confidence to go about making one for myself. What I am not sure about is the strength of the handles. How do I know how much weight can the bag handle? I am worried that it will break.
Hello Alex, Thank you very much for your tutorials on making a foldable grocery bag. I never imagined it wouldn’t be so difficult judging from the nature of the pictures of the grocery bags. I have bookmarked this already so I’d make one for myself. I just started learning how to sew about 5 months ago. Thanks for your help once again.
Wow! Alex! Seriously wow! How could I Forget how well you write and how deeply you inform? I am really glad to have come across your article again. Thanks for sharing this step by step tutorial on DIY Reusable grocery bag. I am sharing this right away, you never know who might find this helpful.
Wow, as a creative person, I always love things like these and coming across this really felt like a blessing I must say, the diy reusable bag is indeed a nice thing to create. Me and my wife along with the kids would definitely make this on our spare time. Thank you for sharing this here.
Hello there, thank your for this really amazing article and I have been thinking about these reusable grocery bags for a while but I wasn’t really sure of hygienic it can be be that’s why I decide to see a review on it before making. a move for it. Seeing a all that you have said here, I feel so happy and I’ll be willing to give it a try at least.