Yesterday I got a very welcome present. I got out of work early! Playing hooky is always fun and some free time to run errands and work on my project list totally made my week. I figured I better make the most of the yucky weather day because the sunshine is expected to return with full force with weekend. Hard to believe that April 1st is was above 90 and yesterday was in the 30′s.

I decided to wrap up my shopping bag project. We’ve been needing some new ones and I had a couple of requirements; durability and easy to wash. There is just something about putting our groceries into bags that are covered in dog hair that I can’t handle. Call me neurotic but really, it’s just gross.

I struggled coming up with a fabric option because like my lunch bag I had planned on fusing plastic bags but I’m happy to report, there is a shortage of good bags. The plastic made from bio-materials doesn’t fuse as well I’ve found. After cleaning out our storage room and coming across some vinyl banners from events I knew I had the ticket. (These are actually really easy to get, your local liquor supplier probably has tons left over from event promotions.)

Step 1: Round up your supplies.

• Ruler
• Pen
• Vinyl
• Scissors

Step 2: Measure out and trace on your pieces. You will need:

(2) Front & Back Pieces 12″ x 16″

(2) Side Pieces 7″ x 16″

(1) Bottom Piece 7″ x 12″

(2) Handles (I used the edge of the sign which cut down on a sewing step)

Step 3: Sew on your handles.

Trust me, start with this step! I really learned the hard way with these on my first two bags. Holy impossible! You will thank me for this.

Measure in how far you want each strap and pin it down. Stitch it down in a square pattern and reinforce with an X through the center.

Step 4: Sew all but one of edges of the bag together.

Sew the two fronts and two sides together but don’t complete that last side. We’ll add the bottom first and then finish the last side. Once again, trust me, it’s easier this way. Not that it can’t be done the other way but you’ll save yourself a lot of agony.

Because I wanted the bag to be super durable I used a zig-zag stitch instead of a straight seam and placed it about 1/2″ in from the edge of the vinyl. If you have serger you could definitely just sew up the edges.

Step 5: Sew on the bottom.

I used the same stitch as for the edges. Instead of stitching all the way around the bottom, because the vinyl was so bulky I made a separate seam for each side. Not the fastest but it looks really sharp.

Step 6: Stitch together the last edge.

Just like the other three, stitch together the last edge and tada! You’re done!

Total time: 45 minutes    Total cost: $0 other then my time.

Aren’t easy, cheap projects fun?! One April project (or a left-over March project) down, a few to go. Now to hit the grocery store in style!