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How to sew tote bag handles

Today I will show you how to make a tote bag handle that is one inch wide and 22 inches long.

Cut a strip of fabric 4 inches by 22 inches.

Fold the fabric in half the long way, wrong sides together. Iron along the fold to make a straight line at the center of the fabric. Open the fold.

HandlesStep1
Fold the fabric in half along the long edge.

Fold one long edge of the fabric down to the center line, wrong sides together. Iron the crease. Fold the second long edge up to the center line and iron.

HandlesStep2
Fold the top and bottom edges to the center line.

Fold the top down again along the center line. You should now have a one inch wide strip of fabric.

HandlesStep3
Fold in half one more time to close the handle.

Pin the handle together, including the short edges. Sew along the edge, starting at the short end, along the long, open side, and up the other short end. I found that the key to keeping my fabric together while sewing was to pin the short edges in place. Otherwise, my fabric starts to unfold as I’m sewing the long edge, and it’s a mess by the time I get to the other end.

HandlesStep4
Pin and sew around the open edges to finish the handle.

There you have it! A clean, sturdy handle for a tote bag!