Instructions for sewing small canvas bags: 2 simple styles that are easy to do

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This article was co-written by Mia Danilowicz. Mia Danilowicz is a professional seamstress, film and red carpet designer based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, Mia specializes in bridal accessories, garment re-design and custom design. Mia has worked at the Oscars, Grammys, SAG Awards and Gpden Globes. Her clients include a long list of leading entertainment and fashion companies, major fashion magazines, luxury consumer brands and popular media companies. Mia trained at the Fashion Business and Design Academy, holds an AA degree in fashion design and a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.

If you’ve been wanting to practice sewing and are looking for something easy to make, make a mini canvas bag! You don’t need a lot of materials and will learn useful sewing skills. You can use scraps of fabric to practice sewing cute little bags. This article will guide you step-by-step to sew a drawstring and button-down duffel bag. Just blink and you’re done!

Table of Contents

Simple drawstring bag

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Cut a piece of fabric into a rectangle measuring 18cm x 46cm. This is a medium size, but you can make the bag as big or as small as you want. Use fabrics such as cotton, canvas, or felt. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If the fabric is wrinkled or has creases, you will need to iron it before cutting it into a rectangle.
If you are new to sewing, you should practice sewing drawstring bags with old fabric. You can even cut out a pillowcase to practice sewing!
To prevent chafing at the edges, you can use serrated fabric scissors available at craft stores and online.

Fold the fabric in half, right side inside. The side must be the colored or printed side of the fabric. Fold the two short sides of the fabric together and line them up. ^{[2] X Research Source}

The rectangle will now be 18cm x 23cm. This is the approximate size of the bag after sewing.

Pin the knot along the 2 long sides of the rectangle. To keep the fabric from shifting while sewing, pin a knot through both layers of fabric to keep it in place. Pin a knot along the 2 long sides of the rectangle, pin a knot every 2.5 cm. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you don’t have a pin, you can also use forceps.

Sew along both stapled edges, stopping 4 cm from the top edge. Place the stapled fabric on the sewing machine table and sew a straight stitch, starting from the folded edge of the rectangle upwards, along the two pinned edges. Leave a seam of about 1.3cm and stop when sewing to 4cm from the other end. This is the space for you to sew the drawstring slot on the top of the bag. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Do not forget to re-stitch before starting the straight stitch and before finishing the seam so that the stitch does not come loose.
As luck would have it, remove the knotted needle so as not to accidentally damage the sewing machine when tripping over the needle.

Fold the top edge of the bag twice and then fold it. To sew the drawstring slot, you will fold the top edge of the bag down about 1.3 cm around the mouth of the bag. Then fold one more time down to about 2.5 cm and iron down to make a crease. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Fold the mouth of the bag twice to prevent the edge of the fabric from chafing and to make the seam more beautiful.

Sew a straight stitch along the folded edge to make a drawstring slot. If sewing small bags, remove the optional part of the sewing machine. That way, you can slide the bag on the machine to sew around the drawstring slot – you don’t want to accidentally sew the top of the bag! Sew a straight stitch around the edge of the folded fabric. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Remember to re-stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Turn the bag right side out and cut two ribbons about 66cm long. If you don’t want to use ribbon as a drawstring, you can use a leather strap or any other small, strong fabric like denim or canvas. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

The shoelace or drawstring of an old bag is also an option.

Insert the needle into the ribbon and thread it through the drawstring slot . Insert the tape needle into the end of a drawstring and push it through the small opening of the drawstring slot – you’ll find it on the side of the bag, near the seam. Push the needle through the drawstring slot until it returns to the original opening and tie the ends together with a knot. Repeat the above action with the second drawstring, but this time through the gap on the opposite side. Now you can pull the two drawstrings to tie the top of the bag! ^{[8] X Research Sources}

You can also use a drawstring – the bag still seals, but not as tight as a bag with two drawstrings.
It is important that you knot both ends of the drawstring, or it may slip back into the drawstring slot.

Small canvas bag with lid

Cut a piece of felt fabric into a rectangle. If you want to sew a small bag, you can choose a rectangular piece of fabric 10cm x 20cm. Felt is a great material for beginners, because it doesn’t bleed and is quite thick so you don’t need an extra lining. However, you can also choose any fabric you like. ^{[9] X Research Source}

If you’re using a fabric like cotton or acrylic, you’ll need to cut a piece of fabric with glue and use an iron to stick it to the fabric. The build-up fabric will help the bag stand more upright and last longer.
Cut a wider rectangle if you prefer a larger bag.

Sharpen one end of the rectangle if you want the top of the bag to have a pointed shape. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise and cut a triangle at one end of the rectangle. Unfold the fabric – you’ll see one end is pointed like the top of an envelope, and the other end is flat. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Skip this step if you prefer horizontal bag flaps.

Fold the bottom edge over the bottom of the bag flap. If you are going to sew a pointed flap bag, simply fold the two corners of the bottom edge up, reaching the two corners at the bottom of the flap. If the two ends of the fabric are still in place, fold one end up until it is more than 4cm away from the top. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Pin the sides of the bag and sew a straight stitch on either side. Pin 2 or 3 knotted needles along each edge of the fabric to prevent it from coming apart. Place on the sewing machine table and sew a straight stitch as close to the edge of the fabric as possible. Repeat the above with the opposite edge, then just fold the flap down and you’ve got a new bag! ^{[12] X Research Source}

If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can easily sew by hand – try a buttonhole or zigzag stitch.

Add buttons, buttons or Velcro if you like. You don’t need to attach additional buttons or tape, but if you do, the bag will seal better. Just sew a button or snap button to the back of the bag flap, then cut a small slit to button or attach the other half of the button on the front of the body of the bag. If you prefer using Velcro, you will cut a piece to attach to the back of the bag flap and the corresponding piece to attach to the front of the body of the bag.

Some types of Velcro tape require stitching to the fabric – check carefully before you buy.

Advice

You can sew by hand if sewing very small canvas bags, but if you want a sturdy canvas bag, you should use a sewing machine for strong, even stitches.
If you’re confident with your sewing skills, try your hand at Sewing a Zipper Cloth Bag.
Use your DIY mini bags as gifts, makeup bags, coin purses or costume accessories.
Embroider or decorate to personalize the canvas bag.

Things you need

Simple drawstring bag

Fabric
Drag
Irons and irons
Ruler or tape measure
Pin
Sewing machine
Rope or ribbon
Pin
Serrated fabric scissors (optional)

Cloth bag with lid is easy to make

Draper
Ruler or tape measure
Drag
Sewing machine (optional)
Buttons, snaps or spiked tape (optional)

Steps

Simple drawstring bag

Small canvas bag with lid

Advice

Things you need

Simple drawstring bag

Cloth bag with lid is easy to make

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