How To Make a T-Shirt Tote Bag (2 Ways!)

Two ways to make a t-shirt tote bag

So here are two ways to show your grands how to make a T-shirt tote bag for swim clothes or an overnight to Nana’s house! One way takes no sewing, the other way requires one seam on a sewing machine. Take your pick!

Upcycle a favorite t-shirt

Do you have a couple t-shirts in your closet that aren’t getting worn? Or one that has the coolest logo? Well, use it to make a t-shirt tote bag so it will get its second life!

Choose your size, any size...

I used an adult size medium t-shirt for these tote bags. But you can use any size t-shirt from kids to X-Large adults. Of course the size of the bag will be affected, but you can choose the size you and the grands want.

Prep the t-shirt

For either type of t-shirt tote bag you will prep the shirt the same way.

Have your grand lay the t-shirt down on a flat surface. Then they'll line up the bottom edges of the shirt so you can get the whole shirt to lay flat upward from that bottom edge.

Cut away the neck-

Lay a plate on the neck edge of the t-shirt- halfway on, halfway off the shirt. Using the edge of the plate, draw a semi-circle on the shirt.

Let your grand cut on that line using a fabric scissors.

Cut away the sleeves-

Go ahead and cut off both of the sleeves, but leave the actual shoulder seam. This will make the handle of the bag a bit stronger and not stretch as easily.

Choose your option- gather or sew?

Now comes the time to choose which t-shirt tote bag to make. Drum roll... Option one is a tote bag that is gathered on the bottom and takes no sewing. Option two is a tote bag that needs one machine sewn seam across the bottom. Both options are very simple for you and the grands to do.

Option one: A t-shirt tote bag that is gathered on the bottom

Now, turn the t-shirt inside out and gather it into a bunch on the bottom.

Wrap string tightly around this bunched area, close to the bottom hem. Tie it off tightly and clip the string- but leave about 1 inch tails on the string or it will come undone.

Finally, turn the shirt right side out and that’s it, you’re done.

Wasn’t that t-shirt tote bag a “cinch” to make? Ha!

Option two: A t-shirt tote bag that is sewn across the bottom

Turn the t-shirt inside out.

Match the hem edges of the t-shirt together along the bottom edge and pin so it stays together while sewing.

Stitch along the bottom edge of the bag. I used a stretch stitch on my sewing machine so the stitching won't break when the bag is full.

Afterwards, clip the threads, turn the shirt right side out and you are finished. Again, how easy was that for you and the grands?

Tip: If this isn’t the right time to teach your grand how to do machine sewing, use it as a demonstration time. Explain a bit about how the machine works so they are more familiar with the process when you do want to teach sewing.

One more thing...

Obviously, using a tank top t-shirt would make an easy project even easier. Keep that in mind as you are scouting for t-shirts for your tote bags. I made one from a shirt that had a square neckline that didn't need cutting. It worked well and turned out so cute, don't you think?

Wasn't that easy?

I think your grands will be impressed by how easy and fast it was to make t-shirt tote bags!

You had better make yourself a few for re-usable grocery bags because they are pretty handy to keep in the car!

Upcycling is satisfying, don't you think?

What a great way to re-purpose an older t-shirt, by upcycling it to a handy tote bag. I like the word “upcycle”, don’t you? To me it sounds so much more trendy than being called thrifty or frugal. But one way or the other it is very satisfying to create by re-using something and conserving those resources.