How to Make Oilcloth Totes

Oilcloth Tips and Instructions

I've seen a resurgence in demand for my oilcloth tote bags. The new oilcloth is so versatile and durable; it's not really surprising that clever designers are finding more and more uses for it and creating more and more vibrant patterns.

This is definitely a craft trend rather than a fad.

Take a bag like this to the market or the beach. Use it to carry your craft projects or baby supplies.

Be sure to add comfy shoulder straps of sturdy webbing and a reinforced base for stability and ease of packing. For a unique touch adorn one of the straps with matching flower buttons.

To reinforce the bottom, cut a rectangle of sturdy cardboard the size of the base.

Cut a rectangle of oilcloth about four inches wider and four inches longer. Wrap the oilcloth over the cardboard and tape with duck tape, making sure you cover the entire cardboard so that it will be waterproof.

Here is a tip for squaring the base's corners.

Lest you think I only tell you my positive experiences crafting for profit, I did have one customer bring her bag back after two years and ask me to repair it. She admitted to dragging it along when it was too heavy to lift. Oilcloth is durable, but there are limits!

Of course, all four corners of the base are torn and tattered. She said, "Can't you just tape some matching pieces over the holes?" Oh well ...

Oilcloth Bag Tips

The pansy bag above is flat and perfect for carrying notebooks and papers. Some of my customers use it as a stylish briefcase.

The design was inspired by the fabric. What other shape bag could one make with these wonderful big blocks of pansies? The pansy blocks run in two rows down the center of the bolt and a coordinating stripe (used for the handles) runs down both edges.

The little sunflower bag is a lunch bag, perfect for toting to school or the office. Note that the top is not hemmed but rather edged with pinking shears.

You can do that with oilcloth and not fear that it will fray. This technique should only be used on bags that will not bear a lot of weight.

Tips for Sewing with Oilcloth

Proper sewing machine tension is probably the most critical factor for stitching a clean straight line. It's very important to get it right the first time because any stitching which must be pulled out will leave little holes.

Practice on scraps until you get the tension right.

Top tension settings vary significantly with oilcloth. I normally use a setting of 3 when sewing two thicknesses; all the way up to a tension of 4.5 when sewing the top edge of a market tote (three layers of oilcloth plus the webbed straps).

Along the same vein, use as few pins as possible because the holes will show. Smoothing them down hides them almost completely.

For more sewing tips, techniques and patterns, visit our Sewing Index page.