Winter has me craving cozy sewing projects that can be done on chilly days and with a hot tea at hand. Crafting homemade items is a perfect way to pass these bleak winter days! In the past I’ve worked on these projects: DIY How to Sew A Half Apron, How to Sew Cafe Curtains, How to Sew a Pillow Case, How to Sew a Pot Holder, DIY Bunting Garland, and much more!
I hate the thought of using plastic snack bags in my kitchen. I feel as if they can’t be good for my family (what kind of chemicals might be on them?) and they are incredibly wasteful! I decided to sew up a few reusable snack bags as a solution to this issue.
Learn how to sew a reusable snack bag with this simple sewing tutorial. Ditch the wasteful plastic baggies with this homemade alternative! Step-by-step instructions and detailed pictures included. Find a list of more sewing projects at the very end of this post.
How to Sew a Snack Bag
Sewing Terminology
- Right Side: The side that you want showing on the bag (also called the front side).
- Wrong Side: The side of the fabric that you don’t want showing on the bag (also called the backside).
- Seam: A line of junction formed by sewing together two pieces of material along their margins.
- Topstitch: To make a line of stitching on the outside of (a garment) close to a seam
- Backstitch: To move the stitch in a backward motion at the end of a seam. Sewing machines will have a small button or lever for this function.
Needed Supplies:
- 2 panels of cotton fabric that is washed, ironed. These should measure at 5″x12″
- Vinyl, iron-on interfacing (optional)
- Pins
- Iron
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Coordinating thread
- Button, velcro, or hook and loop strips (based on your preference)
Instructions:
1. Cut two pieces of vinyl interfacing so that they are about 1/4″ smaller than the main panels of fabric.
2. Fuse the vinyl interfacing to the wrong-side of the fabric (instructions for fusing should come with the vinyl, so follow those for this step).
3. After applying the vinyl to the fabric panels, pin the two panels with right-sides together. Make sure to pin very close to the edge as we’ll be sewing a 1/4″ around the edge.
4. Sew a 1/4″ seam around the border of the pinned fabric pieces. Remove the pins as you reach each one. Make sure you DO NOT sew one of the short ends. We want it left open for turning the bag right-side-out.
5. Trim the two sewed corners of the bag to remove extra fabric (leaving this can make the end result bulky on the corners).
6. Flip the bag right-side-out and and iron flat. Ironing will make it much easier to sew a topstitch around the edge.
7. Fold and pin the short, raw edge over 1/2 inch. Sew to create a clean edge.
8. Fold the fabric over on itself as shown here. Leave about 2 inches at the top for the flap. Pin into place.
9. Sew along all the edges of the bag. Be sure to backstitch at the end.
10. Add a securing object to the top flap. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which you’d prefer to use. Options include snap buttons, velcro, or button and loop. Choose which you prefer and follow a helpful resource in applying it to the bag.
Notes:
- The inner vinyl lining is totally optional! It would aid in cleaning the bag out after each use, but it isn’t necessary. I left this lining out of my snack bag and simply throw it into the wash after a use. Please note that, as of right now, we do not utilize snack bags often (I’m sure this will change as kids age), so a few of them are sufficient and we don’t miss them when they’re in the laundry hamper. This may be a different set of circumstances for you.
- For securing the flap, I must say that I prefer the look of a button, but it isn’t the most practical for preventing spills. Velcro is probably best for tightly securing the flap.
- The size of this particular snack bag is not large, so feel free to experiment with bigger options. Even make one large enough to fit a sandwich inside!
If you make this project and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you used it!
More Simple Sewing Projects
- How to Sew a Button
- How to Sew a Pillow Case
- DIY Banner for Nursery With Lettering Template
- DIY How to Sew A Half Apron