post office bag tutorial
August 6th, 2008
Now that I have an etsy shop I find myself at the post office more than ever. Along with all the packages I have to carry I have a stroller to push and a toddler’s hand to hold. The packages are always weird sizes and never seem to fit in a paper bag, so I came up this handy dandy post office bag. It’s just a long piece of fabric with some handles and pockets, but it works like a charm. The pockets are sized to fit a long envelope and there is one on each side. I put my receipts, my stamps, and my custom forms in the pockets so they don’t get lost in the bottom of my purse or the diaper bag (which they usually do). I figured since there are so many etsy sellers there must be a lot of you who have this package transport problem (kids or no kids) and so I wrote a simple tutorial for this super easy bag. It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours from start to finish. And if you make one drop me a line so I can see!
post office bag tutorial
materials
- 1 1/2 yards heavy duty fabric (I used some home dec fabric I had on hand, but canvas, denim, corduroy, or even twill would work)
- a little more than 1/2 yard interfacing (somewhat stiff)
- thread to match
directions
CUT:
- two 18″ X 40″ pieces of fabric
- one 18″ X 40″ pieces of interfacing
- four 3″ X 18″ pieces of fabric for the handles
- two 7″ X 12″ pieces of fabric for the pockets
SEW:
- fuse or sew the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the large pieces (this will be the lining)
- with wrong sides facing sew each of the two handles together
- turn out and press
- find the middle of one of the handles and fold the long sides in to meet and pin
- continue the fold 4″ out from the middle on either side and pin
- do this to the other handle and press both
- your handles should have a 8″ folded part in the middle and the ends will still lie flat
- sew concentric rectangles on the folded area to anchor it down
- stop to admire your work
- take the two pocket pieces and fold the short sides in 1/4″ and press and 1/4″ again and press
- do the same on the top and bottom
- sew the across the top of both the pockets
- pin the pockets 5″ inches from each short side of the outside piece.
- sew the pocket on and reinforce the top two corners (with an X or a triangle)
- pin the handles to end of the lining, right sides facing (you should see the fold line)
- place the outside piece on top of the lining right sides facing (pocket should be down) and sew all
- around with a 1/2″ seam, leaving an opening for turning out
- trim the seams, turn out and press
- topstitch all around
- create a bottom by stitching large concentric rectangles equidistant from both the handles
- that’s it! you’re done! off to the post office…
To see any of these pictures in more detail, please go to my flickr site. If there are any problems with this tutorial, please tell me . It turns out it’s much harder to explain how to make this bag than it is to actually make it!
fan-frickin-tastic!! now you don’t have to juggle a kid on your hip, boxes on the other and STILL forget your mortgage check in your pocket!?
I really love it. Thanks for sharing, I can only hope that my version would look anywhere near as chic as yours. Lovely.
Thank you for the tutorial!!!
Such a smart bag… all of the people in the post office line will be jealous!
ok seriously…i need to make one of these…i don’t own an etsy shop, i just want one of these!! brilliant idea!
brilliant!
Oh this is perfect. Exactly what I need. I lug my post about in the gross green shopping bag…am needing some street stylin’!
what a marvelous idea. marvelous.
How darn cool and clever is that?? I’m totally making one.
leslie, I don’t even know how you make it to the post office. wheelbarrow, maybe?
What an awesome idea!! I don’t even go to the post office that much but I want to make one. hee hee!
That bag looks like the solution to my postage problems, too…..
I’m bookmarking your tute for when I have some time – I’ll show you when I actually make it!
Thanks for sharing….
Leah xxx
Brilliant. Thanks you are a life saver.
Brilliant idea! Thank you!
It looks great! I love your use of stitching to define the bottom. Thanks for the tutorial.
Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea. Seems like a perfect project for some of Amy Butler’s new upholstery-weight fabric… YAY!
Meg, I LOVE that! What a great idea, and so generous of you to share it!!
Ack!!! I don’t sew (I suck). Would you take a custom order request??????????????
This is absolutely GENIUS!! Thank you so much for sharing this idea and tutorial. I must must one of these!
Wow! Great design…I so need one of these! Thanks for the tutorial…
Heather
[…] for free tutorial click here. […]
Gorgeous bag. What a great idea. But, if you go to http://www.usps.com you can pay for your postage and schedule a carrier to come pick up your packages at your home — for free! No more waiting in line!
Thanks for the pattern!
great idea. fantastic tut. thanx.
[…] bag for getting Etsy packages to the post office for delivery. She was nice enough to share a tutorial for the post office bag so we can make our […]
This is such a great idea. I am gong to try to do this eventually. We don’t really have a place to put out packages for our mail man to pick up and since we do Paperback Swap, sometimes we have quite a few packages to put out. I am thinking that this would be a great solution to trying to wedge them in the mailbox so they don’t fall down. :)
Thanks for posting this tutorial!