What you need to make a tote
Outer, lining, interfacing, thread and a sturdier needle.
- About 1 m (1 yard) of outer fabric such as canvas, duck, denim or quilting cotton.
- About 60 cm (5/8 yard) of lining.
- Mid-weight fusible woven interfacing.
- All-purpose polyester thread.
- A 90/14 universal or denim needle.
- Cutter or shears, ruler, clips, marker and iron.
Watch
The Perfect Tote Bag Tutorial! - Learn to Sew Series (15:19)
By Melanie Ham · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 15-minute video from Melanie Ham on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.