Sewing: A Tote from 2 Rice Bags

Rice Bag Tote

I made this for a friends birthday, although I ran out of time before her birthday so I have yet to give to her.

This is very easy to make. All you need is:

2 Empty 5 Kilo Rice Bags, preferably Cloth rather than Plastic.

1 metre of Cotton Fabric

Thread

Sewing Machine (with an overlocking stitch if possible)

An Iron + Ironing board

About 4 hours free time (Depending on your sewing speed)

So first you un-pick the rice bags, remove the zipper (save them for another project) and the handles.

Next, lay them flat, press them and then pin the centres together so you have almost a square of material.

Sew them together at about half an cm from the edge, then overlock the edges. Press the seam flat and sew it down on one side.

Next lay out your material, you can use your rice material as a template and cut out a piece the same size.

Pin the far edges of the square and the cotton together, leaving the top and bottom open. The dont have to be pinned inside out.

Sew the edges where the square is pinned to the material. Overlock as well.

Fold the bag in half Downwards. Press.

Pin the sides together inside out. Sew. Overlock the edges.

This forms the basis of the tote.

With the left over material, Measure the length of the straps you want.

Cut two strips 4 times the width you want your strips to be then press them in half, and then open and press each side in half again.

Press each strip in half once again and sew the outside edges together.

Pin the Straps inside the open Edges at the top of the bag then pin the top edges together and sew around the top of the bag.

You’re almost there!

Finishing steps:

Reinforce the straps by sewing crosses onto the straps where they are sitting inside the top of the bag.

Turn the Bag inside out and fold each corner of the bottom of the bag in toward the middle. Pin across this line and sew on each side.

This makes the bag sit open a bit better.

And then you’re done! Enjoy your new bag!

I’m hoping to collect more of these bags to create these bags, so if you have any around your house that you might have been going to throw out, please feel free to contact me and I’ll happily take them from you and put them to good use!

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