- 1). Roll out your paper and plan how large or small you want your shopping bag to be. Remember to account for the seam allowance (see References below). Use the yard stick as a guide for your measurements, and use it to draw straight lines. Draw a rectangle onto your rolled paper and then cut it out. Lay it down on top of a new piece of paper and trace around it. Cut out the second rectangle and set the two identical papers aside.
- 2). Lay your fabric out flat with the side you want the world to see facing up. Grab your straight pins and paper templates (the paper rectangles you just cut). Pin the papers to the fabric. Leave enough room between the two rectangles so you can cut them out.
- 3). Cut the fabric carefully, as close to the paper as you can. You should have two pieces of fabric pinned to paper now. Remove the pins. You can put the paper templates away now that you are finished with them. Lay the two pieces of fabric one on top of the other with the "show" sides facing each other. Grab your pins again. Pin the two pieces of fabric together, making sure the edges are lined up as perfectly as possible.
- 4). Get your sewing machine ready or thread your needle if you choose to hand sew. Sew all of the edges together, leaving one of the smaller ends of the rectangle open. Turn the fabric so the "show" side is on the outside and the seams are on the inside. Fold the top down so the raw edges are inside of the bag. Sew a small seam around the edge to make the bag look tidy and finished.
- 5). Make handles by repeating steps 1 to 3 twice, this time using long skinny rectangles instead of large fat ones. You should have a total of four strips of fabric pinned together. Now sew them together, leaving the small side of the rectangle open. Turn the fabric inside out so the "show" side is outside and the seams are on the inside. Sew the ends shut. Measure for the handles, then place two marks on the top of your bag, one on the left and one on the right. Repeat on the opposite side. Make sure the marks and handle placement mirror each other. Add a zipper or buttons if you want to be able to close the bag (see References below). Use fabric paint to paint a design or use dye to create a tie-dye effect.
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