Easy Reusable Reversible Grocery Bag

As we see how plastic and other disposable grocery bags pollute our environment, let’s take a few steps forward to using reusable eco- friendly bags for our grocery shopping.

Let us be responsible humans and show good examples to our kids and reduce the use of things that harm our ecosystem.

Though I sew a lot, I love easy and quick projects to sew. I take a few hours off from designing dresses to sewing simple things that give me great joy and satisfaction. I try to choose colorful and vibrant fabrics that make the end product pretty enough.

This easy reusable reversible grocery bag sewing pattern is one such DIY project I love. This is a very easy bag tutorial, that will give you double the results for the time you spent on sewing it.

This reversible grocery bag is a fun project that is sure to lift up your spirits this season. This market bag comes with optional pockets, that is again a bonus. You can add pockets to just one side (as I did) or both sides.

This is a quick- sew tote style bag, that requires a few rectangular pieces of fabric and a few straight line stitches. Doesn’t it sound like a perfect beginner sewing project?

You can make this bag by recycling your clothes, bed sheets, or pillowcases. Just cut the pieces in the given dimensions and sew as directed. Change the dimensions of the fabric pieces to be cut and you can make it in different sizes.

If you would like to have a look at other easy things to sew, click on the pictures below:

Easy Drawstring Bag

Reversible Basket

Easy Reusable Reversible Grocery Bag

Supplies Needed:

Medium- weight cotton fabric in a desired print and color for the bag outer and straps- ½ yard.

Medium- weight fabric in a coordinating color and print for the bag lining- ½ yard.

Fabric for the pocket- You may use any fabric piece from your leftover stash, with the dimensions given below.

Sewing Notions.

The measurements given below would give you a finished reversible grocery bag that is 17- inch tall and 15- inch wide. Change the length and width to sew the bag in different sizes.

Cutting Dimensions:

Two pieces 18- inches long and 16- inches wide from the main fabric.

Two pieces, 18- inches long and 16- inches wide from the lining fabric.

One piece, 11- inches long and 10- inches wide from the pocket fabric.

Two pieces, 12- inches long and 3- inches wide for the straps.

Your bag body, lining, and strap pieces will look like the picture above. Let us call the white printed fabric as the bag outer and the brown fabric as the lining for convenience.

Sewing:

Keep the two lining pieces layered, with the right sides together and aligning the edges. Sew the two long edges and one short edge shut, leaving a seam allowance of ½- inch.

Before we sew the two bag outer pieces together, we need to sew the pocket.

Take the pocket piece, fold the two short edges and one long edge towards the wrong side by ½- inch and press to set.

The remaining long edge forms the upper edge of the pocket. To hem the upper edge, fold it twice by ½- inch and press to set.

Sew the hem along the edge.

Let’s sew the pocket to the bag outer.

Take one bag outer piece, fold it lengthwise in half and finger press to form a crease along the center.

Similarly, fold the pocket in half lengthwise, with the hem on the upper side and hand press to form a crease along the center.

Place the pocket on the right side of the bag outer piece, matching the creases and 6- inches from the upper edge of the bag piece. * Note that the right side of the pocket is facing out. Pin the pocket all around, leaving the upper edge open.

Sew the pocket to the bag, removing the pins as you go.

Next, we do the straps.

Take the strap pieces, fold the two long edges towards the wrong side by 0.75 inches and press. Fold in half lengthwise and press to set. Sew the straps shut along the edge of the folds.

Let’s attach the straps to the bag pieces.

Place the short edges of the strap, 5- inches from the side edges, and pin. Note that the short edge of the straps should extend the edge of the bag by about ½- inch. Sew the straps to the bag piece. Repeat with the other strap on the other piece of the bag outer.

Next, we need to sew the two bag outer pieces together.

Keep the two outer pieces layered, with the right sides together aligning the edges and sew along the two side edges and the lower edge, again leaving a seam allowance of ½- inch.

Let’s box the bottom of the bag.

Pull the front and the back pieces apart at the bottom of the bag and align the side seam with the bottom seam. Sew a line 2” from the corner as shown above. Make sure to reinforce the stitches at the start and finish. Repeat on the other corner.

Your bag outer would now look like this, with a boxed bottom. Repeat the same with the bag lining.

Next, we need to sew the bag outer and lining together.

Keep the lining on its wrong side, with its upper edge facing the bag outer. Place the bag outer on its right side, with its lower edge facing the lining. Slide the bag outer into the lining.

Align the upper raw edges of the bag outer and lining together and pin all around. Leave a gap of 3- inches to turn the right side.

Sew the two pinned edges together, leaving the gap open.

Bring the right side out through the opening.

Keep pulling the whole of the right side out to make it look like this.

Push the lining into the bag outer.

Press the upper edge to set.

Topstitch along the upper edge to make it clean and crisp.

Sew small rectangles with two diagonals, just below the point where the straps are attached to make it strong and sturdy. Make sure to catch the ends of the strap in the rectangle.