Learn how to make a beautiful DIY tote bag, perfect for shopping the farmers’ market or grocery store. Made out of linen, these bags offer a beautiful look and high-quality feel. This is a great project for the beginning sewer, and with this tutorial, you’ll be adding the finishing touches to your fourth bag in no time at all.

I love the look and feel of linen. Linen offers such an organic texture, with the slightest wrinkling throughout, beautifully soft colors, and an impressive durability. It’s one of my all-time favorite materials. 

From curtains, to pillows, bed skirts, aprons, and more, I just adore using linen for so many projects. It’s versatile, it’s lovely, and I find it to be easy to work with, as well.

For this project, linen is not only beautiful, but it is the perfect, sturdy fabric for a DIY tote bag. Whether you’re heading to the weekend farmers’ market or this is your usual trip to the grocery store, you’ll find these reusable bags will be perfect for carrying around all of your produce and pantry staples.

As the temperature is starting to warm up, I’m inwardly leaping with joy thinking about being able to not only grow our own food, but head to all the wonderful farms in the area to pick up some of their bounty, as well.

Winters here are beautiful and offer their own reward, but the produce and bounty of spring and summer effectively take first place in my heart.

It takes a lot of food to feed our large family, and as we continue to grow our homestead and our growing operation, we still need to purchase food from other places. It is really difficult – almost impossible, perhaps – to be able to provide everything one would need on seven acres.

We sure do try our hardest, though! I will add, though, that relying in part on other farmers and producers does build relationships and beneficial partnerships.

So, we focus on what’s important to us and we pursue those things on our homestead, while picking up (see our Azure Standard order) a few other things along the way.

DIY Tote Bag Tips:

• While linen is my preferred choice for this project, you could easily use another fabric. Cotton, grain sack, probably even drop cloth … each fabric has potential, but will lend itself to a different look and stability. 
• For more storage, you could even add a nice, deep pocket on the the front of the bag. That would be a great place to store your phone or wallet. 
• Are you new to sewing? Make sure to check out my free sewing course, where I show you the basics to get you started.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Materials And Tools You Will Need:

1 yard of linen, or linen blend, fabric

Sewing machine

Pins

Iron

Sewing sheers

How To Sew A DIY Tote Bag:

Measure, cut, and press fabric. Cut two 16” x 18” pieces for the main sections of the bag, and two 4” x 28” pieces for the straps.

Prepare the Straps

Take one strap piece and fold it in half, right sides together, down the long side.

Sew a ¼” seam down the long side, leaving the strap ends open.

Place a large safety pin in one corner of the strap and push it through to turn it right side out. 

Press the seam flat with an iron. 

Sew a topstitch down the two long sides with a very narrow seam.

Repeat with the other strap.

Attach The Main Tote Bag Pieces

Lay the two main 16” x 18” pieces with right sides together, ensuring the sides are lined up perfectly.

Sew together the two longer sides and one shorter end, leaving one of the shorter ends open. 

Use a serger or zigzag stitch to finish the raw edges.

Putting It Together

Turn the bag so the right sides are out. 

Fold the top raw edge over one inch, towards the inside of the bag. Press. 

Fold over the edge one more time, about a half inch, to tuck the raw edges inside, and press.

Add The Straps

Take the raw edges of the straps and place underneath the pressed fold at the top of the bag, about 3.5″ from each side seam. Pin in place. The space between the straps should be about 6.5”. 

Repeat with the other side.

Sew the top hem of the bag, making sure to sew down the straps as you go.

Pulling the straps up, topstitch around ¼” from the top of the bag making sure to sew the straps so they lay nicely up.

Iron, if needed.

Find More Easy Sewing Tutorials

• DIY How To Sew A Half Apron
• DIY Pot Holders
• How to Make a Scrunchie Bow
• How To Make A Baby Bonnet
• DIY Flannel Blanket

If you try this project and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!