How to Make Reese Witherspoon’s Sold Out $155 Tote Bag
If you missed the announcement in early May, southern bell Reese Witherspoon has officially launched a lifestyle brand. Draper James is an e-commerce site filled with clothing and accessories for the girlie girl. Adorable as their line is, their prices are not so cute. But not to worry! We’ve got a DIY Copycat that will cost you a fraction of the price. Today we’re going to show you how to make your very own version of the Totes Y’all bag. We’ve even got a printable to make it extra easy on you :)
Materials:
– cotton fabric
– canvas fabric
– piping
– B+C Totes Y’all printable (printed on iron-on transfer paper)
Tools:
– sewing machine
– iron
– pins
– measuring tape
– fabric scissors
Instructions:
Cut out five rectangles of canvas with the following measurements: two 15 x 16-inch rectangles, two 16 x 6-inch rectangles and one 15 x 6-inch rectangle. Repeat with your cotton fabric. Decide which fabric to use for the exterior and lining.
Following the instructions on the iron-on transfer paper packaging, print and iron your text to one of the 15 x 16-inch pieces of exterior fabric .
Place the liner on top of the exterior fabric and iron the top hem.
Measure and cut your piping to fit the top edge of the bag. Pin and sew the piping in place.
Pin your bag together with the liner facing out. Then sew the bag together.
Cut out two long rectangles to make the straps. Fold each one in half, sew along the cut edges to create a tube and then flip it inside out. Iron your straps before sewing them to the bag.
Pin your straps to the inside of your bag. Stitch in place by sewing a rectangle on the bottom edge of each strap.
Flip the bag right side out.
Get two fabrics you love. We recommend getting one canvas and one cotton fabric — the canvas will provide the bag with strength and stability. Start by cutting out five pieces of canvas. Two will be the front and back of the bag, two will be the sides and one will be the bottom. For a sturdier bottom, add a piece of plastic (like one of those thin plastic cutting boards).
Cut out a second set of rectangles from your cotton fabric. At this point you can decide which fabric to use for the liner and which will be the exterior. We used the canvas for the front and back and the striped cotton for the sides and bottom of the bag.
Print your B+C Totes Y’all printable onto iron-on transfer paper. Be sure to read the instructions on the package. Some iron-on transfer paper requires you to reverse your image before printing, which is what we’ve done for you on the printable.
Place the matching piece of liner on the exterior fabric and fold over the top edge to create a hem. Iron in place. Do this with all pieces except for the bottom of the bag.
Cut, pin and sew your piping along the hemmed edge.
Pin all of your pieces together inside-out, including the bottom of the bag. Sew along the seams.
At this point, your bag will look like this :)
For the straps, cut two long, skinny rectangles. These can be as long as you want. Fold each rectangle in half, sew along the cut edges and then flip the straps right side out.
They will be wrinkly, so put a hot iron on them to flatten them out. Pin them to the inside of the bag (this will actually be the outside of the bag since we still haven’t flipped it right side out). Stitch a rectangle at the bottom of each strap to secure them. Flip your bag right side out and give yourself a round of applause!
Totes Y’all!
Pretty good, eh? We think Reese would approve. (via @draperjamesgirl)
This is the perfect carry-all to take to the beach, the gym or out for a shopping trip. We love it!
What other Draper James products do you want to copy?
