After designing the “easiest crossbody bag” and the easiest “eyeglass case”, I decided to release the easiest handbag pattern. This pattern requires only one piece to be cut from the main fabric, lining, and interfacing.
You can easily make it from a rectangular piece of fabric. Just a few cuts here and there, a few straight-line stitches, and voilà—you have a clean, nice, boxy handbag with a handle! Can you believe it? Let’s see how.
Supplies Needed:
Medium- weight cotton fabric for the bag outer- 1/3 yard.
Medium- weight cotton fabric for the bag lining- same as above.
Heavy- weight fusible interfacing- 1/3 yard
Sewing Notions.
KAM Snaps.
One lid from a bottle or any circular object, about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. This is to round the corners of the closure flap.
**The seam allowance is 3/8- inch throughout, unless otherwise specified.
The Easiest Handbag Sewing Pattern You will Find
The approximate finished measurements for the bag is given in the picture.
Gather your supplies.
Cut 18.5- inch x 10- inch pieces from your bag outer, lining and interfacing pieces.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the bag outer, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Next, we need to cut the closure flap and cut the corners to box the bottom of the bag.
Keep the bag outer and lining pieces layered, aligning the edges. This is to make the cuts uniform on the outer and lining pieces.
Measure 4.5” from the top edges and 1” from the side edges. Mark rectangles on both the sides of the bag pieces and cut out the rectangles.
Next, fold the opposite edge by 7” and mark two 1” x 1” squares along the corners of the fold. Cut out the squares.
To round the closure flap, keep the bottle lid along the corners, mark and cut along the curves.
Your bag outer and lining would look like this now, once opened.
Let’s prepare the strap.
1) Cut one piece 17” x 3.5” from the main fabric and the interfacing. 2) Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the strap piece. 3) Fold it in half lengthwise and press 4) Open and fold the two long edges towards the center crease and press. 5) Fold it in half once more and press to set. 6) Sew the strap shut along the edge of the fold.
Take the bag outer and fold it up, lining up the side edges and the corner squares. Pin and sew the side edges shut. Press the seams open.
Let’s box the corners.
Open the corner at the bottom of the bag, align the side seam with the bottom seam and put clips to hold them together (picture for illustration purposes). Sew a line ½ – inch from the edge as shown above. Make sure to reinforce the stitches at the start and finish. Repeat on the other corner.
Turn over to the right side and this is how your bag outer would look like now.
Next, box the corners of the lining in the same manner you did for the bag outer.
Let’s attach the strap.
Pin the short edges of the strap, just next to the closure flap, on both sides of the top edge of the bag.
Sew on both sides to attach.
Next we attach the lining to the bag outer.
Keep the lining on the wrong side and the bag outer on its right side. Slide the outer into the lining. Line up the raw edges and pin all along. Sew along the pinned edges, leaving a 2- inch opening to turn the right side out.
Clip the seam allowance to reduce the bulk. Bring the right side out through the opening.
Push the lining into the bag neatly.
Topstitch around the edges, to close the opening and to make the edges clean and crisp.
Attach the KAM snaps 1/2- inch from the edge of the flap along the center. Close the flap, mark the point for the complimentary snap and attach it too. Your Bag is done and ready!
The seam allowance is 3/8- inch throughout, unless otherwise specified.
Alaska Raven
Wednesday 19th of June 2024
PERFECT!!
but...
If you could include the finished dimensions, it would help.
Now? I will estimate to resize for the 1.5 year old & the 4 year old granddaughters, both of whom are obsessed with purses right now.
this is the perfect shape & type of bag I want to make for them!
and you make the making look easy!
Thank you!
Surayya
Wednesday 19th of June 2024
Thank you! Glad you liked the pattern. I have added the finished measurements in the tutorial :)
Carol Coleman
Tuesday 13th of August 2024
What is the seam allowance please?
Carol Coleman
Wednesday 14th of August 2024
@Surayya, Thank you 😊
Surayya
Wednesday 14th of August 2024
The seam allowance is 3/8- inch throughout, unless otherwise specified.
Alaska Raven
Wednesday 19th of June 2024
PERFECT!!
but... If you could include the finished dimensions, it would help.
Now? I will estimate to resize for the 1.5 year old & the 4 year old granddaughters, both of whom are obsessed with purses right now. this is the perfect shape & type of bag I want to make for them! and you make the making look easy!
Thank you!
Surayya
Wednesday 19th of June 2024
Thank you! Glad you liked the pattern. I have added the finished measurements in the tutorial :)