Make a Grocery Tote Bag from a T-Shirt

Shopping bag from T-Shirt

Anything made of fabric that is old or unwanted can be reclaimed and reused. Larger items can be harvested to create large amounts of fabric... but small items can also be used. If my house is like yours, you have a LOT of T shirts. Some of those T-shirts are stained. I keep a few old T-shirts around for house painting and other messy projects, but let's face it, even with all our crafting, how many messy day T-shirts does a person need?

We have a bag law in DC. Any business that sells food or drinks is required to charge 5 cents per bag. The grocery store, the pharmacy, the gas station, the convenience store, department stores that sell gift chocolates, office supply stores and other stores that sell sodas are all subject to the bag law. No more free bags. I was always pretty good about reusing bags, but the bag law gives me extra incentive. Bottom line: I carry a lot of bags in my purse.

Like scrap fabric, old T-shirts are great items to upcyle into shopping bags.

Adjustable strap for t-shirt shopping bag

Tools
Fabric scissors
Rotary cutter
24 x 36 self healing mat
6x24 quilting ruler
Embroidery scissors
Sewing Machine or Serger 

Materials
Serger thread or sewing thread
Needles

Step 1
Place the T-shirt on a cutting mat or flat surface. Cut off the sleeves, the hem and the neckline of the T-shirt. Save the hem. Continue cutting until you created two 18 x 20 inch rectangles or the size needed for the T-shirt you have and the bag you want to make. Cut one more piece of 2 x 26 inch cloth to act as a strap.

Step 2
Place the right sides of the cloth together and align the two 18 x20 inch rectangles. Sew or serge three edges, leaving the top open. We used a 3 thread rolled hem stitch with our serger in a contrasting color thread to sew the two side seams and the bottom seam. We left the hem exposed so it looked like piping. You can use a sewing machine with a tight zig-zag stitch, press the seams open and then sew a zig zag or overlock stitch over the edges of the fabric if you do not have a serger.

Add depth to bage

Step 3
Turn the bag inside out. Give the bag depth by folding the two bottom corners out and sewing across the corner at a 45 degree angle. Again, we used a 3 thread rolled hem stitch on our serger so the excess fabric was trimmed as we sewed. If you do not have a serger, you can use a sewing machine with a tight zig zag stitch, cut off the excess fabric with scissors or a rotary cutter, press the seam open and then sew a zig zag or overlock stitch over the edges of the fabric.


Step 4
Fold the 2 x 26 cloth you cut for the handle in half. Press the cloth with an iron. Serge the cloth on the long side using a 3 thread rolled edge.  If you do not have a serger,  use a sewing machine and a standard hem for the handles of your bag.

Straps serged in place; lettuce edge

Step 5
Turn the bag right side out. Pin the strap for the handle to each side of the bag just above the side seam. Hem the top of the bag. We used a 3 thread rolled stitch with the same contrasting thread on our serger to hem the top to create a lettuce edge. The handle was serged into place as we sewed the hem. If you do not have a serger, you can use a sewing machine and a hemmer foot to create a rolled hem with a sewing machine or select a standard hem for your bag.


Further Reading
Make a Grocery Bag from Scrap Fabric
"Refashioned Bags: Upcycle Anything into High-Style Handbags"; Faith Blakeney, Justina Blakeney; 2009.