How to sew a giant drawstring laundry bag for travelling & camping DIY large santa sack toy tote bag

[@patmaddux.9962]

My daughter wants me to make a lot of gift bags for Christmas presents. With the same idea but different size fabric I think you’ve solved my dilemma on how to,do,it effectively and efficiently. Your amazing. Glad you have customers who are always asking for different things. Really love you and your channel.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Pat. Between customers and viewers suggestions, I don't think I'll ever run out of projects to do😀

[@krisqueen5939]

I like the idea of sewing the outside and lining boxed corners together

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Kris. It stops the bags from looking too huge😀

[@lorainejones2375]

Great tutorial! I thought of adding a front pocket for your phone, and coins for the laundromat.Thanks you for sharing your creativity!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

That's a great idea Loraine. I was actually going to do just that, but I realised too late that I'd forgotten to add it in.😁

[@lorainejones2375]

Christine you’re welcome!

[@fayehendricksen5689]

Oh Christine, you are sharing so many great ideas, at this rate, I will be sewing 23 hours a day just to keep up, thanks again for a great project

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

haha, welcome to my world Faye. What's with the other hour? Surely you won't be resting!! 🤣

[@fayehendricksen5689]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs I need 1 hour to watch your videos 😀👀

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

@@fayehendricksen5689 haha, excellent answer 🤣🤣

[@Hiker_who_Sews]

It does indeed look like a bag that Santa would appreciate!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

haha, I think Santa would actually fit Dannie😀

[@irenedale5256]

This is just what I need - thank you Christine. ❤️

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You're so welcome Irene😁

[@irenedale5256]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs ❤️

[@christinesmutek3856]

Love the tip of attaching the lining. It would be cool to pimp it up and appliqué the word laundry on it or if it’s for Christmas sack maybe the child’s name and a bell or something. Great idea. I love how you teach. So soothing watching you at the machine too lol. 👍👍👍

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Adding the applique is a great idea Christine😀

[@tracyrosales4428]

Great job! I love all your extra little easy sews that make the bag look extra special! You are very good at what you do! :)

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thank you so much Tracy🫥

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

Another brilliant idea. I really liked the topstitching of the sides and bottom. It makes it easier to fold up. Thanks for sharing.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thank Cynthia. This bag was so big, it really needed the sides stitched up😀

[@andrewtopple6163]

Brilliant, I love the way you made the sides.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thank you so much Andrew. It's so big 😀

[@evekankam6744]

That’s a lovely big bag and like you said you could make it into a Christmas sack and toy sack.Thank you for showing us how to make it.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You are so welcome Eve. Thank you😀

[@bridgetplunkett7630]

Wonderful bag. Love the side seams. I will make a slightly smaller one but your tutorial is so detailed and helpful. Thank you.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Yes, this one ended up quite large Bridget😊

[@stephanieschultz3606]

I made this bag!! Great tutorial and easy to follow. Thank you

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

That's fabulous Stephanie. Good job😁

[@vwonsleep]

You give such great tutorials. I always enjoy watching you. You give great tips. I will be making 2 of these for my adult children. Thank you so much.❤

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Veronica. I think a smaller version of this might be great when we take short trips too😀

[@kimberlymathews9341]

I love this! My niece is going off to college soon and I think a cute laundry bag would be a nice addition to her dorm room. :)

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

That's a great idea Kimberly. You could applique her name onto it as well😀

[@allisonsmith2692]

Thankyou for sharing , i've wanted to make a laundry bag for camping for such a long time . Will be giving this a try ❤

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You’re welcome Allison 😊

[@elayned6147]

Now…I’ve got a laundry bag for my couch covers which must be done at a laundromat. I think I might be embarrassed to use it after seeing this. This is certainly more sturdy and beautiful. ❤love it 👍

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

I'm sure yours is just perfect Elayne😀

[@janetsheehan6983]

Great idea Christine, I will definitely be making a few of those. I have a few teenage grandaughters who leave the dirty laundry on the floor. They might learn to throw it in the bag instead. Hmmm I wonder if it will work. I'll let you know. Thanks again.😊

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You're not alone Janet. I have a son staying with us that leaves his stuff everywhere. I'm sure if I made this for him, it would be buried under a pile of clothes😁

[@jennymarshall8340]

You allways teach me so much, thank you!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thank you Jenny. I'm learning more each day as well. Viewers and customers have inspired me to learn more and try different things😀

[@sguhl4089]

Thank you! What a great tutorial for ANY size bag but this one is great. Thank you for sharing your design measurements, it’s so helpful to know your thought process. Now I can make any size bag I want. AND! Knowing how to secure the boxed corners is genius. Thank you soooo much.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You are so welcome. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it😀

[@annekent7350]

I love all the thought you’ve put into it - the way you boxed the corners and your technique for making the drawstring channel. It looks really professional!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks so much Anne😀

[@lucilledaub5991]

Great laundry bag.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Lucille

[@giovannacasadio9600]

This is a fantastic bag. Thank you 😊.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Giovanna😀

[@user-vm4fv6oy9u]

Your boxed corners are so perfect! Every time I make them they never line up without a nick in the corners. It’s been hidden in the seam allowance but I haven’t figured out how to get better at it. I’ve never actually attached the boxed lining to the corner like that either, If I can get my boxed corners “cleaner” then I am going to try it! I have some old old old Thirty-One fabric laundry “baskets” that have seen their better days, I am tempted to try these for their replacements! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

I still have days where my corners just won't line up. The best technique for me is to "lock in" the seams by having them line up in opposing directions. I think I mention this is most of the videos. 😁

[@gc_914]

Now I’m interested in that laundry bag

[@sharonandrews4910]

My husband travels for his job, and always totes his ancient, ratty-looking, Army laundry bag. So, this laundry bag is something I’ll make as a replacement. No need for a lining or contrasting top for him; a simple fold over will do. Also, I want to use sturdy grommets and I think I have that part figured out. I have some good, heavy-weight, cotton canvas fabric which I will construct the bag with, using French seams. He can abuse that thing until he retires, and as it’s cotton it can go in the wash. Thanks for this pattern!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

That sounds like a perfect solution for your husband Sharon 😃

[@joyfuljoy5711]

O M G I missed this one 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃💓💓💓💓🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃😉

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

haha, glad you found it Joy😀

[@bettyw.6402]

Would love to see a bag to hold a sleeping bag in. Love your detailed instructions on sewing bags.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Betty, if you follow the circle and main bag instructions for my latest "Bingo" bag video, you can make a cover to suit the size you need😁

[@elketeeuwen3594]

Great make! Thank you Christine

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thank you too Elke😀

[@kathleenrefling9034]

It turned out very nice!! Thank you!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Kathleen😀

[@atticusk8548]

Update after making 3 of these bags. Bag 1 as laundry bag: Used home dec fabric so didn't do full lining and just did 16" casing at top to provide stability and space for ties. Bag works well but is too heavy when filled for ease of use for disabled people that it was intended for. They preferred 2 smaller bags instead so I scaled down the pattern by roughly 1/3 and it worked fine when filled. The square shape and boxed bottom functioned well. Bags 2-3 used as duvet and bedding storage bags using heavier weight sheeting and 16" casing rather than full lining: Worked perfectly for the intended purpose. I did drawstring on one and then did zipper on the other and for duvet and pillow storage I prefer the zipper. Boxed corners and sides made it easy to fold up duvet and keep it flat and the handles allow for hanging in closet or storing flat. Summary: like the design with the boxed corners and sides for ease of use for storage but think bag is too heavy to use as a laundry bag if you have to lug to laundromat or any distance but that is just me and the disabled people that I made the original bag for as a gift. Kudos to Christine on another great design that can be used imo as a template for a million other purposes! Thanks Christine!

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks for sharing your experience making these bags. At the time, this was a customer request, and I agree, it is too large for its intended purpose. At my age, I wouldn't be able to lift a full bag either 😀

[@atticusk8548]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs I was making the laundry bag for 2 disabled folks. But, the design is perfect and very adaptable but I still fail to get my calculations right when making boxed corners. The boxed corners impact the width in a way that seems like its greater than the size of the box (ie. 5" box results in I think 6" loss of width on each side for some reason). IDK, guess I just don't understand how to do the maths for boxed corners. Will try again and see if I get it right the next time. Thanks for the pattern idea though!

[@janetschram3552]

The bag is awesome. Thank you for an awesome tutorial. I was thinking about making something for our RV but I don't think we need one that big. Love the idea! When i make cosmic bags or other bags, i attach the squared corners so the inside wont come out. Watching other tutorials ive never seen it done.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Janet. I actually really enjoy doing the corners like that. It saves so much time, and keeps the corners in place😀

[@atticusk8548]

Christine, do you have any suggestions on how to do a smaller unlined version of this one for a single person? This one is more family sized imo and if you use home dec/heavier fabric then lining isn't needed for a single person sized bag. Thanks and love your channel! I also wondered if you have experimented with fold over boxed corners vs the cut out boxed corner type for this bag? I'm seeing alot of laundry bags using the fold over boxed style and I wondered if it would be stronger and more durable? Curious what you think? Thanks.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

I've made fold over corners before Atticus, but am personally not too fond of them. For no other reason than I like boxed corners. To make this laundry bag, you can take several inches off the length and width keeping in mind that the corners that you cut out for boxing will reduce the height and width of your bag by the amount of cut out. I'd still make it the same way, just smaller😁

[@atticusk8548]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs Thanks much! I will give it a try. Making 2 of the original version first to gauge how much the boxing impacts dimensions.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

@atticusk8548 that's a good idea. Once you've done that, you can fold the bag across the centre in both directions until you have the size you like, and make those adjustments to the smaller bag 😀

[@berniecelee5062]

This is timely! I need 4 travel laundry bags. I had one bought in 1990’s , made of mesh with drawstring, boxed corners , web handles …a lot smaller than this . Couldn’t find it ever again to buy more . Perhaps we can encourage you to make a smaller version for one week to two weeks clothes travel laundry capacity ? You’re so much better than me trying to reverse engineer this version to make it a smaller version. Thank you for sharing your creativity. I hope you will consider my request for a smaller version…. Please and 🙏🏻 thank you .

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Hi Berniece. Sorry for delay in responding. I had hoped to find some time to do another smaller version of this video for you, but that hasn't happened yet. Would you want it about half the height and width of the current bag? I can measure mine, and give you some alternate measurements to work with😀

[@berniecelee5062]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs . Thanks for replying! I would like a bag finished bag measures about 19 inches width and 24 inches tall . I would like to have two handles to carry like a tote bag handle , just in case it gets too heavy so I don’t use the drawstring to carry it . Drawstring to close up the opening but handles to carry it. You go work your magic and let me know how much fabric to cut and how far down to fold the drawstring channel and attach a Handle without it hindering the movement of drawstring. … I would use webbing for handle. Challenge? Thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@evafisher9436]

Great idea 💡

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Eve😀

[@pammeinzer6757]

Great idea. Thanks

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

You are welcome Pam. Thank you😀

[@norma6743]

Christine thank you for the tutorial. Quick question, when you topstitch the sides and bottom is the lining caught inside the seam also? Thanks

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Yes Norma. I think I mentioned it in the video somewhere to run your hand in along the side to make sure your lining sits in to the edge before you sew the sides😀

[@norma6743]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs thanks

[@creationsbycjdesigns7197]

Curious if you made more and if the customer who sparked this project liked the finished product?

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

CJ, I've only made the one bag. The customer loved hers, and suggested i make them to sell as she thought others would love them too, but I think they're too specific an item to do well in the shop. They're also too big to have as a display item, and take up too much space. I'd much rather make lots of smaller products to give customers more variety to choose from😁

[@theresajudge8883]

What are you using for the lining?

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Theresa, I've used a cotton for the lining`😀

[@frankjanvari8650]

hello very beautiful sewing machine very nice sewing skills please kindly film how to operate the industrial sewing machine foot pedal how its used to sew please kindly let me know ok?thank you very much 😊

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Thanks Frank😁

[@SparkyOne549]

I’m staying somewhere for 3 weeks, where I can’t do laundry, this may work for me.

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

It should just about hold 3 weeks of laundry RG😀

[@SparkyOne549]

@@ChristinesHomeAffairs I just now found out that I can use a neighbors washing machine lol

[@suewalsh4216]

Omg Christine, you could hide a body in that bag! Awesome job, but I think for practical reasons of weight I would make it smaller. At the original size that would easy fit 4 large loads of washing weighing an enormous amount. 😂😅

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

Haha, I considered hiding Coco in the bag. It'll be interesting to see what the customer thinks when she comes in next😀

[@Marlahanna]

Did she like it?

[@ChristinesHomeAffairs]

I won't know until she comes back to the shop next week Marla. I'll pin a comment to the top once I know🙂