https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/cornishware-ruffled-shopping-bag • Posted by Julie from Sum of their Stories
Do you have freebie promotional tote bags in your collection? Here's how to make them pretty.
Do you have freebie promotional tote bags in your collection? Here's how to make them pretty.
Rip or cut your fabric into strips about 1.5 inches wide. It's hard to say how much you need, it depends on how much of the bag you want to cover.
Take your old promotional (or plain) tote bag and pin the handles up out of the way.
In pencil draw a horizontal line on the tote bag where you want the ruffles to start. Pop the bag under the sewing machine needle, right side facing, starting at a side seam. Line up with your pencil line, grab one of your strips of fabric, pop it under and do just a few stitches to hold it in place.
Now you just pleat as you go, the photo show it best. I folded under about 1/4 inch every inch or so, you can do more or less, it's up to you. The more you fold the more strips of fabric you will need, and the more frilly the bag will end up.
When you get to the end of a strip, just pop another one under with a bit of an overlap and carry on. When you get back to the beginning, just cut off any of the fabric strip remaining and get ready to join the next layer along side.
I overlapped the strips very slightly as you can see. I kept the same thread colour, for speed and because I think it looks quite nice! That's it, just keep going round and round as many times as you want. I stopped when all the writing on my bag was covered.