Hit the beach in summery style with this DIY drawstring bag
It’s officially summer! Time for barbecues, afternoons reading in the sun and, of course, trips to the beach. As soon as the temperature starts rising, I find myself daydreaming about digging my toes into the sand and bravely venturing into the water for a dip—oh, and wearing something involving tropical fabrics. I’m a sucker for kitsch, and there’s something about a vintage tropical print that makes me giddy!
I was lucky enough to find just such a fabric at the store recently. It inspired me to make an appropriately beachy craft: a drawstring bag, just the right size to hold gear for a day at the shore. But even if you don’t live near a beach yourself, you’ll find that this bag makes the perfect summertime accessory!
Materials:
- Fun patterned fabric
- Cording
- Thread in a corresponding color to the fabric
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Ruler
- Straight pins
- Large safety pin
- Sewing machine or basic sewing needle
- Iron and ironing board
- Ballpoint pen or tailor’s chalk
Craft away:
- Iron the fabric. Measure out and draw a large rectangle onto the wrong side of the fabric, 37-inches long by 18 1/2-inches wide. Cut out the rectangle.
- Turn in the edges of the fabric all around the rectangle. Iron and pin the folds to set them in place.
- Using a sewing machine or a needle and thread, stitch the folds down.
- Fold one of the long sides in 1-inch, towards the back of the fabric. Iron the fold to set it in place.
- Sew along the edge of the fold to make a channel, keeping your stitches close to the edge of the fabric.
- Fold the fabric in half, short end to short end, with right sides touching. Pin the fabric together along the bottom and sides, but leave the top with the channel you just stitched open.
- Sew along the pinned sides of the fabric, keeping your stitches 1/2-inch in from the edge and starting your stitches right below the channel. Again, leave the top open.
- Flip the bag right side out and iron it to set its shape.
- Cut a 40-inch piece of cording. Attach the safety pin to one end.
- Using the safety pin as a guide, thread the cording through the stitched channel at the top of the bag.
- Tie the ends of the cording together in a firm square knot. You can let the ends fray—it’ll add some fun texture.
- Fill your cute new bag with necessities—sunglasses, sunscreen and a fun book—and hit the beach!
Check out more awesome DIY projects, here.
