Here’s a super quick and easy sewing project that will take you 10-15 minutes once you know how to do it. Seriously! I’ll be showing you how to sew a grocery bag holder using a tea towel. So that means no finishing off raw edges, as it’s already done for you. Definitely a great sewing project for beginners!

These grocery bag holders would make perfect little gifts to sew up, as everyone could do with one of these.

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I’ve popped the YouTube video at the end of the instructions if you would like to watch that video instead!

What You’ll Need to Make a Grocery Bag Holder

Materials:

• Tea towel (old or new)

• 25”(50cm) Ribbon

• 11” (23cm) Elastic

• Sewing machine thread

Tools:

• Sewing machine

• Sewing machine needle (Universal 80/12 or 90/14 will be fine)

• General scissors

• Lighter or flame of some sort

• Pins or Fabric Clips (check out my tutorial for this cool Fabric Clip Wrist Holder)

• Safety pin

You can also purchase the $1 USD THANK YOU Edition of the PDF to say thanks for creating the tutorial. I greatly appreciate all of your purchases and support. 

How to Make a Grocery Bag Holder

Step 1

Start by laying out the tea towel with the wrong side facing up.

Fold over the short ends of the tea towel to make a ‘channel’ for the ribbon and elastic to be threaded through.  Sew along the folded over end to secure.

Ensure the ‘channels’ are wide enough to fit the ribbon and elastic even after you have stitched the ends down. (I used pins on one end and clips on the other just to show that you can use either one!)

Step 2

Place the long sides of the tea towel together with the wrong side of the tea towel on the outside.

Sew the long sides together. Make sure you do not sew over the ends that were folded over and sewn in the previous step.

Step 3

Turn your grocery bag holder right side out.

Step 4

Melt the ends of the ribbon with a lighter or flame of some sort to stop the ends from fraying.

Step 5

Attach a safety pin (or bodkin) to the end of the ribbon and thread the ribbon through one of the ‘channels’ created in step 1.

Tie the ends together.

Step 6

Attach a safety pin (or bodkin) to the end of the elastic and thread the elastic through the other ‘channel’ created in step 1.

Ensure the hole at the bottom is big enough to pull the grocery bags through and then tie a knot in the elastic or sew the ends together.

Tuck the knot into the ‘channel’ to hide it away.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this easy sewing project! I definitely enjoy making them and I’ve even made some to sell in my local Arts and Crafts shop.

I’d love to see you photos if you make one of these!

Watch the Step by Step Video Instructions

or watch it on YouTube

Until next time, happy sewing!

Domenica