How to Make Tote Bags from Hand Towels

This easy sewing tutorial teaches how to make tote bags from hand towels. Use Dollar Tree towels and straps to make cute carry-all bags!

Tote bags are cute and handy; the best part is they're easy to sew too!

You can use any fabric to sew a tote bag, but we're taking a shortcut today and learning how to make tote bags from hand towels. 

Simple solid colored hand towels work well, or you can make colorful tote bags with fun towels, or special bags to support your favorite cause like these DIY breast cancer support totes!

Here's how to make them!

How to Make Tote Bags from Hand Towels

Step 1: Gather Supplies

Supplies Needed:

• Hand Towel - ours came from the Dollar Tree
• Webbing for Straps 
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Pins or Sewing Clips

Step 2: Fold the hand towel in half, with the right sides together.

Clip the sides to hold it in place.

Step 3: Sew along each of the two sides.

One side (the bottom in the photo below) should be open.

The other side (the top in this photo below) should be where the fabric is folded.

Step 4: Turn the towel right-side out.

Step 5: Cut two equal lengths of webbing to make the straps.

These straps are each about 20" long (10" when folded in half.)

Use a lighter to safely burn the ends of the webbing to stop it from fraying.

Step 6: Decide how you want to sew the webbing straps on.

You have two options for sewing on the webbing straps.

You can sew them to the OUTSIDE of the bag as pictured below.

Or you can sew them to the INSIDE of the bag, like the photo below.

Step 7: Clip the straps in place.

I like how it looks to be able to see the strap on the outside, so I decided to sew them to the outside of the tote bag.

Once you decide how you want to sew the straps on, clip them in place.

Do the same for the strap on the other side of the bag.

Step 8: Sew the end of the strap to the tote bag.

I sewed a large rectangle around the end of the strap.

You can also add a big X in the middle of the rectangle you sew if you want to make it extra strong and add a little extra visual impact.

Repeat for the other end of the first strap, and then for the two ends of the strap on the other side of the bag.

And you're done! Your tote bag is ready to use!

The gray bag below has the straps sewn to the outside, and the light green bag has the straps sewn to the inside.

Either way works; it's just a different visual.

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Sewing a hand towel into a tote bag is an incredibly easy sewing project because the towel is already the perfect size with hemmed edges.

All you need to do is sew the two sides, flip it right side out, and add straps. Five minutes max and you're done!

You can even take it up a notch by adding a flat bottom to the DIY tote bag if you want!