Add a little autumnal flair to your fall wardrobe with this rustic
tree branch tote! This sturdy piece is great for carting daily
necessities on your commute or for more outdoorsy tasks like packing a
picnic or carrying camping supplies. The bag itself features a basic
construction that can be adapted and used with any type of handle, so if
the branches aren’t quite your thing, it’s easy to make fabric straps
instead. Look for nice, straight branches that have fallen from trees in
your local park or woods or, if you can’t find any, check at a floral
supply shop. Let’s get sewing! —
Brett Bara
HOW TO
Materials
- 1 yard heavy-weight fabric, such as canvas (or old denim scraps)
- 1/2 yard coordinating fabric for color blocking (or a collection of saved scraps)
- 2 branches, about 1″ in diameter and 17″ long
- saw
- drill
- twine
- long needle
- sewing machine
- iron
- basic sewing supplies
1. Cut the fabric.
Cut the following pieces from your fabric:
- (2) lining pieces measuring 18″ wide and 20″ long, with a 2″ square
cut from the bottom corner of each (shown above on the right in solid
beige)
- (2) exterior pieces measuring 18″ wide and 20″ long, with a 2″
square cut from the bottom corner of each (shown above on the left). To
make a color-blocked tote, you can seam together two contrasting fabrics
for the exterior pieces — just sew the two fabrics together with a
straight seam, then trim the resulting seamed piece to the necessary
dimensions.
- (4) tabs measuring 5″ wide and 7″ long (shown above on the top right)
Here’s a detail shot of what the bottom corners will look like with a 2″ square cut from each corner.
2. Sew the exterior.
Place the two exterior pieces together with right sides facing, and
pin along the two side edges. Sew each side edge with a 1/2″ seam
allowance, stopping the seam before you reach the cut-out corner.
Next, sew the bottom edge in the same way (again, leave the cut-out corner unsewn for now).
Press all the seams open.
3. Sew the corners.
Here’s what the corners will look like after sewing the side and bottom seams.
Spread the two exterior pieces apart and bring the raw edges of the
corner together, so that the side and bottom seams are meeting up in the
middle, as shown here.
Sew along this edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Trim away about 1/2 of the seam allowance, then turn the piece right
side out and press the corner seam. Repeat for both corners.
The exterior is now assembled. Here’s how it will look at this stage.
4. Sew the lining.
The lining is assembled much like the exterior, except that you have
to leave an opening in the bottom seam. First, sew the side edges just
as you did for the exterior. Next, you’ll sew the bottom seam BUT leave
an opening in the center of the seam. In the photo above, the pins mark
the area that will be left open. Sew the areas on the outside edges of
the pins.
Finally, sew the corner seams of the lining just as you did for the exterior. Remember to press all the seams as you go.
5. Sew the tabs.
Fold each tab piece in half lengthwise, with the right sides
together. Sew the long raw edges together using a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Turn the piece right side out and then press it with the seam centered in the middle on one side.
Top stitch along each long edge of the tabs.
Fold the tabs in half so that the side with the seam is on the
inside, where it will be hidden. Pin each folded tab to the top raw edge
of the exterior piece, positioning the tabs 3″ in from the sides of the
exterior.
Sew the tabs in place using a 1/4″ seam allowance. (Note the 1/4″
seam allowance here, not 1/2″ as we’re using elsewhere. This ensures
that this seam will be hidden later on.)
Here’s how the exterior of the bag will look after all four tabs are attached.
STRAP VARIATION: To make fabric
straps instead of tabs for branches, make two long straps (beginning
with two pieces of fabric measuring 5″ wide and 30″ long), sewing the
straps in the same way as the tabs. Attach one strap to each side of the
exterior, then proceed with the rest of the tote as follows.
6. Join the exterior and lining.
This is hard to show in a photo, but here’s how to join the exterior
and lining. With the exterior RIGHT SIDE out, place the lining WRONG
SIDE out directly over it. The exterior will be completely covered by
the lining, with the tabs sandwiched between them. Align the side seams
of the exterior and lining, and pin the pieces together all around the
top raw edge.
Sew along the top raw edge using a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Next, turn the lining up over the exterior, carefully working it
through the opening left in the bottom of the lining. Sew the opening
closed, then tuck the lining down inside the exterior. Press the top
edge where the lining and exterior meet.
Finally, top stitch all around the top edge, and you’re done sewing!
7. Attach the branch handles.
Using a saw, trim the branches so they are as wide as the tote. Place
the branches inside the tabs and mark the spot where the tabs meet the
branches. Drill two holes to attach each tab. (Note: The easiest way to
cut and drill the branches is to fasten them to a work table with
clamps.)
Using a long needle and twine, sew the branches to each tab with a
few large stitches. (I’m using an upholstery needle here, which is a
handy tool to have in your arsenal for miscellaneous crafty tasks.) Be
careful on this step, as you may have to wrestle with the needle a bit.
Make sure you always have the needle pointed away from yourself.
And you’re done! Take a nice, long walk in the woods (or in my case, the park) and enjoy your new tote!
Photo credit: Angus McRitchie (L'express Bistro) for Canadian House & Home
