Cotton Canvas Lunch Bag

Supplies:
Cotton canvas tote bag (13 1/2″ 13 1/2″ x 3 1/2″)
Scissors
Sewing machine
Coordinating thread
Fabric Paint
Round sponge (or just paint a circle on)
Embroidery floss
Hand-sewing needle
Pins
Iron & ironing board

Seam allowance: 1/4″

Directions:
1. Iron the bag to remove any major creases. Cut off 1 1/4″ from the top of the bag (including the handles), and 2″ off both sides of the bag.

2. Fold down the top 1/4″, press, and fold another 1/2″, press and pin in place. Sew across the entire length.

3. Sew down the entire length of both sides of the bag.

4. Box the corners by pinching each corner with the right sides together and aligning the sides seams with the bottom seam. With a fabric pencil and ruler, mark a line perpendicular to the side seam that is about 1 1/2″ from the corner and 3″ long. Pin, sew along that line, and cut the seam alliance. Repeat for the other side.

5. Insert a piece of palette paper into the bag and paint on your design. Allow to dry completely, then iron design (with a scrap piece of fabric over it) to heat set in place. Add extra touches with some embroidery. Iron your bag with the sides and bottom folded in to create the crease that brown lunch bags have.

If you have a serger, I recommend using it to sew the bag. If you don’t have one, use a zig zag stitch to enclose the seam allowance/fabric edges inside the bag to give it a more professional finish.

We’re waiting to hear word if Soul gets approved to start TK (transitional kindergarten) this year. If she is approved, we get to send her off (one day a week with her sisters) and this will be her lunch bag. The other girls use their own fabric lunch bags and I love that they are reusable, and I can just throw them in the wash to get cleaned with the rest of the laundry.

This post is part of the Michael’s Maker’s Series.