Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Tutorial - How to make a Tea Towel Drawstring Bag


I have another tutorial printed in the Weekly Times today.


Below is the full version with photos.

Whether you're heading off for an overseas trip, or just a weekend away, making a drawstring bag for your shoes is a great way to keep them separated from the lovely clean clothes in your suitcase.

Of course, drawstring bags have a multitude of uses - so make as many as you like. They're fabulous for kids toys, keeping puzzles together, and storing precious collections.

Download the PDF


Step 1

Gather your supplies:
Tea towel
Twill tape
Large Safety Pin
Pins
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Ruler or Tape Measure
Drawstring Cord (or a piece of ribbon)


Step 2

Fold the tea towel in half lengthways, with the right sides facing together.


Step 3

Using your sewing machine, stitch a straight line down both side seams. The top remains open.
You will now have what looks like a large inside out tea towel pocket.


Step 4

Turn the tea towel back out so that it is facing the right way.


Step 5

Each tea towel will be slightly different is size, so now you will need to do a little maths.
Measure the width of the tea towel envelops and then double it (this is to calculate the length of twill tape that you will need to use).

Cut the piece of twill tape to the required length.

Fold over the edge of the twill tape on either end and run a couple of lines of stitching along to ensure that you have a neat edge on both ends.


Step 6

Pin the twill tape right around the top edge of the tea towel envelope and stitch along the top and the bottom to create a channel for your drawstring.


Step 7

Using the previous twill tape measurement, add on 30 centimetres, and then cut a piece of drawstring cord (or ribbon)  to this length.

Attach one end of the drawstring cord (or ribbon) to a safety pin, and thread it through the drawstring channel.


Step 8

Once the drawstring is evenly threaded through on both sides, tie a knot at either end to prevent fraying.

To prevent the drawstring from being removed, run a line of stitching down the side seam at the opposite side to the drawstring opening.


Step 9

Pop in your favourite pair of shoes!

36 comments:

Michelle said...

We love our drawstring bags for travelling, especially when backpacking! I've made them for dirty laundry, to hold our travelling odds and ends, and to seperate the knickers from the socks.

I love the idea of making a bag out of a tea towel! And I love that it uses twill tape! Congratulations on being published yet again - you're a rock star, I tell you!

Tania said...

You're so famous you're going to have to start demanding curtsies (or purtsies as the youngest demands)...

Drewzel said...

Love it! I think I need to make myself one for bathroom supplies when travelling. Yay you!

yardage girl said...

Yay for tea towels and yay for crafty Curlypops! Nic

Sandi said...

Congratulations!! Great tutorial, Cam. Clever use of a teatowel.

Libster said...

excellent idea!! that would be great for the kids to take their plates and cutlery on school camps... they wouldnt need to dry them lol.
I like the twill tape idea too...very neat

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Great work & gorgeous tea towel to work with, fabulous idea!! Love Posie

bubbachenille said...

Awesome !

beachvintage.com said...

This is so beachy. Love it.

zoesquid said...

Yay for you Cam! Another great tutorial in print!
Cheers
Libby

Sarah-Jo said...

How awesome are you!!!

love the bag and the tute well done :)

hope my goodies arrived xxx

Fran said...

Great tutorial Cam, love the print on the teatowel! Congrats for having it in the paper.

Megan.K. said...

You're a legend Cam! Love this tutorial.

Gypsy said...

Love it Cam, congrats on being published again!

Liesl said...

Ooooh, nice work on being published again. Your tutorial is more exciting that the dogs lift-out that we got last week!

Very cute use of a teatowel.

Miss Muggins said...

Very stylish indeed. When is the book coming out?

ZippyZippy said...

Congratulations! Great print on the tea towel too.

Kylie said...

How very clever! Congratulations on being in print.

Anne said...

What an awesome bag! I'm lovin' the print on your tea towel!

I blogged your tutorial over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-drawstring-shoe-bag-from-a-tea-towel/2010/02/03/

--Anne

dymphna said...

i love it! Thanks for sharing

The Creative Beast said...

congratulations on getting the tutorial in print!

this seems like the beginning of a "CurlyPops Book of Crafts"... =-)!

teddybearswednesday said...

Congratulations Cam, and thank you too, it's a great pattern.

sewfunky said...

Woohoo Girl - you're in print! I shall be able to say I knew you (well read your blog) at the beginning of your fame! Well Done!

MooBear Designs said...

Toy storage bags...wooohoo!! The possibilities are endless. Who would have thought a tea towel could have more than one function.

Xo Steph

Gina said...

That's fabulous Cam - both the tute and the fact that it's been published. I love your idea of using tea towels and twill tape. Two of my favourite things!

byebyebirdie said...

Great tutorial! and using the twill tape too. I really like the orange colours of the tea towel you used. My 9year old got a mini sewing machine for Christmas and this would be a great project for her. I could see her making them for presents too! Thanx for sharing.

sophie said...

How exciting - love the bag, what a beautiful tea towel!

Unknown said...

Great Idea for travelling..Great Tutorial..Thanks.
cheers

Tania - Jet Designs said...

Congrats on the publication - and excellent tea towel as well!

Christy Amular said...

beautiful tutorial! thank you!

Cathy {tinniegirl} said...

All praise for tea towel craft, and that beautiful draw string bag. I will definitely be taking it on an international trip.

Becky said...

I have a few tea towels that this will be perfect for! Thanks :)

Anna Bartlett said...

Thanks for that great tute. You're a very generous lady!

almulcahy said...

I've been making tea towel bags for some time now but these are quick and simple and look fantastic! Thanks for the tutorial :)

The O's said...

At last, an idea for my mum! She has a drawful of tea towels that she won't use because they are too nice. She also has a lot of shoes. I think it is a match made in heaven. And a use for the bag after bag of twill tape we were left with when my MIL sadly passed away... Thanks!

Zane Wooder said...

I'd love to use this bag to store my work out shoes. It's always hard to hold on to your workout shoes and your workout cloths without some type of bag for either of them.


-Zane of ontario honey