Here is my step-by-step tutorial to teach you how to sew a reusable cloth grocery bag. This is a great, earth-friendly project for the novice sewer. I’ve helped my ten-year-old daughter sew these bags for herself! These bags are completely reversible and the cut out handles are very strong.

Materials:

Fabric Non-stretchy fabrics are best. I’ve recycled old curtains, bedsheets, and pants to make many of my bags. Most fabric stores have little “end pieces” of fabric that they sell cheap, and thrift stores are good for scrap fabric too.
Scissors
Thread
Sewing needles, or a sewing machine
Iron

Here are the measurements of the bag pieces. Cut two from your main fabric, and two from your secondary fabric.

Here are the measurements of the handle pieces. Cut two from your main fabric, and two from your secondary fabric.

You’re now going to draw a rectangle inside each of the handle pieces. Draw it on the “wrong” or unpatterned side of your fabric. The rectangle will be 5×3 inches. I find it easiest to make the rectangle out of paper, and then trace it onto the fabric. When the rectangle is properly centered it will be 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the fabric on all sides.

Now inside the rectangle you made, roughly sketch a few lines like the drawing below. They don’t have to be perfect. It looks a bit like an envelope.

We’re now ready to get sewing! Always remember to sew fabric RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER.

On each bag piece center a handle piece along the top. You can measure to check the center; the edge of the handle piece will be 5 inches from the bag edge.

Sew along the lines of rectangle that you drew on the handle piece. Don’t sew the inside lines, just the rectangle. Now you’re going to cut the inside lines of the rectangle, through both layers of fabric. Cut right to the corners of the rectangle, but don’t snip through the stitches!

Now you can pull the handle fabric through the hole you just cut, and the cut-out handle has been created! Iron it to make it look spiffy. Repeat the handle procedure for all your bag pieces.

Whew! We’re about halfway done.

Now, grab two matching bag pieces. Place them right sides together. Sew them together along the sides and the very bottom. Those little square bits on the bottom are left unsewn, so you’ll kind of have two holes in the bottom of your bag at this stage.

OK, this is the hardest part to explain. You’re going to open those holes in the bottom of the bag so that the end of the side seam meets the end of the bottom seam. You’re going to sew the corners together like this, this will make the bag have a nice flat bottom.

Oh my goodness, it’s starting to look like a bag now! Sew your other two matching bag pieces together the same way. Essentially you now have two bags; the next part puts them together. Together they will be stronger and reversible!

Turn one bag inside-out, and set inside the other bag so that RIGHT SIDES ARE TOGETHER. Match up the seams and handles as best you can. Pinning helps hold it all together.

Sew a seam along the tops of the bags, but leave about four inches unsewn. Remember to sew two layers together, don’t sew all the layers together! When you’re done you can pull your bags apart and they look like this (notice the hole?).

Alright, time to bring the right sides to the outside. Push and pull the bag pieces through that hole you left. Tada! It’s a beautiful, reversible, reusable fabric bag! To finish the bag, the top seam and match up the handles. Sew the hole closed, and sew the handles together on each side. I like to make another seam across the top of the whole bag, just to make it lay flat.

Your bag is done. You can add beads, stencils, buttons, or any other decoration you can think of. You can use the principles here to make smaller bags, bigger bags, bags with different handles, bags with pockets. Get creative!

Most importantly, always let your cat help.

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