Making Reversible Tote Bags from Old Fabric

Why a Reversible Tote Is Worth Making

A reversible tote bag is one of those projects that quietly earns its place in the hall cupboard. You get two looks from one bag, no lining to wrestle with, and a finished seam that holds up to tins of beans, library books and wet swimming gear. Best of all, it costs almost nothing if you cut into fabric that is already sitting in your airing cupboard.

The method is genuinely simple: two rectangles, four handle strips, one long seam around the top, and a gap to turn everything through. Once you have made one, you will be sizing up old curtains and duvet covers with a fresh eye. This is a lovely project to sew with older children too, as the straight stitching and forgiving shape make it hard to go badly wrong.

Choosing Fabric That Will Actually Hold Shopping

The fabric does the heavy lifting here, so pick something with a bit of body. You want a woven cloth that does not stretch and is not worn thin at the fold lines. Give everything a hot wash and a press before you cut, because old textiles shrink and you do not want a bag that puckers after its first trip to the greengrocer.

• Excellent choices: old cotton curtains, cotton canvas, linen, corduroy, denim, heavyweight pillowcases, cotton drill workwear.
• Good with care: duvet covers (use two layers for the bag body if it feels flimsy), vintage tea towels, sturdy tablecloths.
• Avoid: jersey and other knits, satin, anything with holes along the fold, and very heavy upholstery fabric that will blunt your needle.

Aim to match the weight of the two sides reasonably closely. A linen panel paired with a cotton curtain works nicely, but a delicate cotton lawn against thick canvas will drag and look lumpy at the seam. A size 90/14 needle and a polyester thread in a neutral shade will see you through most combinations.

Measuring, Cutting and Preparing Your Panels

For a generous shopper that sits comfortably on the shoulder, cut two rectangles measuring 45 cm wide by 45 cm tall. That gives you a finished bag of roughly 42 cm by 42 cm once seam allowances are taken up. If you want a slimmer book bag, drop the width to 38 cm.

For the handles, cut four strips of 65 cm by 10 cm if you want fabric handles in both fabrics, or just two strips if you are happy with webbing. Fabric handles feel softer on the hand and let you show a contrast colour when the bag is turned inside out, so I usually make all four.

• Cut with sharp dressmaking shears and a rotary cutter if you have one, using the grain of the fabric for straight edges.
• Press each handle strip in half lengthways, then fold the long raw edges into the centre crease and press again.
• Fold in half once more so the raw edges are hidden, press firmly, and topstitch close to both long edges.
• Mark the centre of each bag panel's top edge with a pin so you can position handles evenly later.

Sewing the Bag: The Reversible Trick

Place your two bag panels right sides together and pin along the sides and bottom. Stitch with a 1.5 cm seam allowance, backstitching at the start and finish of each line. Press the seams open, then snip the bottom corners diagonally — this removes bulk so the corners turn out crisply.

Now pin the handles to the right side of one panel, raw ends level with the top edge and the loops hanging down towards the middle of the bag. Position them about 8 cm in from each side seam and baste them 6 mm from the raw edge. Keeping the loops inside stops them being caught in the seam.

Lay the second panel over the top, right sides together, so the handles are sandwiched between the two layers. Pin around the top edge and stitch all the way round with a 1.5 cm seam allowance, leaving a 12 cm gap in the middle of one side for turning.

Turn the whole bag through the gap, poke the corners out gently with a chopstick or the blunt end of a pencil, and press the top edge well. Finally, topstitch 5 mm from the top edge all the way round — this closes the gap and gives the opening a neat, professional finish on both sides.

Strengthening the Base and Adding Extras

Two small tweaks turn a nice bag into a workhorse. First, box the corners: with the bag inside out, pinch each bottom corner so the side seam sits on top of the base seam, measure 5 cm down from the point, and stitch straight across. Trim away the triangle. This creates a flat base so the bag stands up when you set it down.

Second, reinforce the handles. Stitch a small square with an X through it at each handle join, right through the topstitching. It takes two minutes and prevents the handles pulling away from the bag after a few heavy shops.

• Add a patch pocket to one side before assembly — perfect for keys and a phone.
• Use a contrasting fabric for one side so the bag really does look like two bags in one.
• Scale the pattern down to 30 cm panels for a child's library bag.

Using and Caring for Your Finished Bag

These totes wash beautifully. Turn them inside out and machine wash at 30°C with similar colours, then reshape while damp and air dry. A quick press with a warm iron keeps the topstitching looking sharp, though avoid pressing directly onto any iron-on interfacing you may have added.

Keep a folded one in the car boot or by the front door — they squash down flat but open up to carry a surprising amount. Made up in a favourite old shirt or a curtain that hung in the family home for twenty years, they also make thoughtful, practical gifts that cost nothing but an afternoon at the sewing machine.