Back to School :: Easy DIY Locker Tote

Hey there folks!  I’m so pleased to be participating in this Back to School Ideas series hosted by Emily at The Benson Street.  I’ve got a quick and easy project for an easy DIY locker tote.

If you remember that I attended SNAP! Conference this spring and Emily was my Secret Sister – I left her little gifts each day of the conference.  Sadly, with the commotion and general busyness of the conference, I never met up with her in person.  You can read about the series in Emily’s introduction here.

The project I’m sharing for the series is a cute little tote perfect for a locker, or in my case – a preschool cubby.  Small handles on each side are perfect for looping over the hooks on each side and the boxed bottom helps keep it wide open.

1. Gather your supplies: I made mine with a color blocked canvas base and double thicknesses of home decor weight fabric for the sides. My cuts were 12″x17″ for the base, and 4 pieces at 17″x17″ for the sides. Keep in mind when you box the corners of the base, you’ll lose a couple of inches in width and height. I made the handles from two cuts of the yellow canvas 3″x6″ folded like bias tape and then stitched along both sides.
2. With right sides facing inward, pin and sew two of the side pieces to the base piece along the long side.
3. Open up and press. Stitch about 1/4″ from the sewn edge. Repeat for the other side.
4. With right sides together sew along both sides. Finish the edges using a zig-zag, overcast stitch or serge.
5. Box the corners of the bottom by pulling the sides out and making sure you have a nice right angle and the seam centered and bisecting the two sides. Mark a line perpendicular to the side seam.
6. Sew along the marked line. Repeat on the other corner. Cut the excess and finish the edges, or tack the flaps to the sides or bottom of the bag.
7. (Not pictured) Turn bag right side out. Finish the top edge. Fold the top of the bag to the inside 1″ and sew all the way around.
8. Pin the handles to the sides about 1″ from the side seam. Sew in place with a box and “x” to ensure sturdiness.

There you have it!  This was an easy evening project and now has a home in Hadley’s cubby.

Be sure to check out the rest of the contributions to this Back to School Ideas series in the linky below: