Calgary Sews

Courtesy of Calgary Sews member @LadyOttesonSews on Instagram

This is one of those quick projects that uses things that we all have on hand. Maybe you’ve got a ton of shopping bags and don’t need any more … how about making one of these to wrap a gift, or sew some for charity!

We know of one Calgary charity that is always in need of bags like this. Good Neighbour Calgary is a take-what-you-need community store and they need shopping bags for their customers. If you’re looking for a charity project, here’s an easy option. Read about other Calgary charity sewing opportunities here!

You’ll need:

• An old t-shirt (kid-sized shirts work great!) 👕
• Scissors

No-Sew T-Shirt Shopping Bag Instructions. If you have a sewing machine, scroll down for the sewed version.

✂️ No Sewing Version:

1. Cut off the sleeves — Cut just inside the sleeve seams to create handles.
2. Cut off the neckband — Cut a wide U-shape around the neckline to make the bag opening.
3. Snip strips along the bottom — Cut 7 cm (about 3 inches) vertical strips along the bottom hem, front and back layers together. Each strip should be about 2 cm (¾ inch) wide.
4. From the inside – Tie bottom knots — Tie front strip 1 to back strip 2 (tying kitty corner) and continue across. 
5. Tie second layer of knots — To close any gaps, tie knots again—this time tying each strip across kitty corner the *other* direction across the first set of knots.

Now you’ve got a sturdy, upcycled shopping bag—no sewing required!

🪡 Sewed Version:

Same steps 1 and 2, then from the inside, sew the bottom closed. For stability, sew two rows of stitches, or sew then add a row of overlocking.

Have you made these? We would love to hear about your sewing hacks!