February 2026 gift sewalong: lined tote bags

 Happy February and welcome to another gift idea sewalong!

This month I decided that a lined tote bag would be a fun idea.  In addition to being lined, these tote bags also have BOXED corners to make them nice and roomy in the bottom. 

You could gift one of these on its own ( perfect for shopping trips), or you could use it as a GIFT bag that holds something special!

And if you are looking at the word "lined" and "boxed" and thinking "oh no", no worries, I have got you covered! If I can do it, YOU can do it, and it turns out that it is really pretty simple :).

{ I based my tutorial on one I found online at the Seasoned Homemaker and then tweaked some of the instructions. Also, please be aware that I use affiliate links in my post and if you purchase something through one of my links I will receive a small commission at absolutely no extra cost to you.}

This is what you will need to make ONE lined tote bag:

2 pieces of complimentary or contrasting fabric,   3 if you want your handles to be a different fabric.

You can get creative with your bag front and use an orphan quilt block, or add applique shapes...or you can just use a cute fabric print. In this tutorial  you will see photos of the two different tote bags I made...one with a quilt block, and one with just a cute print.

This is a very open-ended tutorial so that you can make a tote bag that fits YOUR needs, but the directions are all exactly the same.  So cut your fabric pieces for the SIZE that you want/need!

For convenience sake I am going to tell you exactly the size that I made, but again, size up or down as you wish.

For OUTSIDE of your bag, cut 2 17x17" pieces of fabric. Set aside for now. ( NOTE: If you want to use an orphan quilt block like I did, sew strips of fabric around your block until it is the correct size).

For LINING, cut 2 17x17" pieces of fabric. Set aside for now.

For your handles, cut 2  4" wide strips of fabric by WOF ( width of fabric). You will probably want to trim these down, but it is easier to start with the longest possible.

Take your 2 handle pieces and fold them in half horizontally, wrong sides together, and press.

Unfold and fold each half to that center fold line. Press again. 

Fold the resulting strip on top of  the other side. Press. Then topstitch close to the edge to sew the open edge down first, and then repeat on the other edge.

Set the handles aside for now.

Grab your OUTER fabric pieces, place them RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER and sew along 3 edges with a 1/4" seam, leaving the TOP OPEN.

Repeat with lining fabric, again with right sides together and 1/4" seam and leaving the top open.

Press your seams open as best as you can and grab a pencil or washable marker and mark a dot on the unfinished top edge,  3" away from the side seams on both the left and right  sides of the lining and the outer bag. DO THIS ON BOTH SIDES. These dots will guide you with handle placement a little later on. ( IF you made your bag much WIDER than mine, you probably want to move your handle placement a little further away, and more  towards the center of your bag!)

Now it is time to make your BOXED CORNERS. No need to be scared here, it is really not difficult at all.  

In order to make boxed corners ( which makes your bag bottom just more roomy), you basically have to cut a box-shaped corner at the bottom corners of your lining and bag. You can do this manually or with the Accuquilt Boxed Bag die ( click). ( I will not cover how to use this die in this post because it is already long enough as is. But I will tackle it at some other point and dedicate a post or video just to this die).

MANUALLY: ( Your lining and outer bag fabrics should still be right sides together!)

Grab a ruler and erasable marker and mark a dot 1.5" away from the stitched side seam on BOTTOM of bag.

Repeat this on the other edge. Do this for both the lining and outer bag.

This next part is a little hard to explain in words, but hopefully the photos will help.

Grab one of your marked dots and , while folding a triangle in your fabric, align the bottom edge with your side seam. 

Press that down and then grab your ruler and erasable marker again to mark a vertical stitching line 1.5" away from corner. Pin, stitch on that line, and then trim away the excess. Repeat this on the other corner and then do the lining the exact same way with the exact same measurements.

Turn your LINING right side out.

Insert your lining IN your outer bag fabric so that your fabrics are right sides together and the raw edges are lined up.

Pin at the side seams to keep those aligned. 

Now is the time to decide how long you want your handles to be. Aiming for a length of around 20-26" makes sense, but if your bag is smaller or bigger, adjust the length and trim both your handles to your desired size.

Next, take one of your handles  and pin it in place at one of you marked ( 3" ) dots. There should be 2 dots to guide you, one on the lining and one on the outer bag fabric. You want your handle to get pinned IN BETWEEN your 2 layers! Pin one side of your handle in place and then, without twisting your handle, pin the other end in between your layers at the other marked dot.

Pin the raw edges, and then repeat this process on the other side of your bag with the remaining handle.

Now your entire bag top and lining should be pinned together and your handles are down inside the layers.

Stitch with a 1/4" seam all the way around the top of your bag, BUT LEAVE A 4" OPENING ( I left mine in between my handles on one of the sides).

Use that opening to turn everything right side out. 

Now stuff your lining into the outer bag and press the top seam, pressing that opening you used for turning with a 1/4" seam to the inside. 

Then topstitch close to the top all the way around your bag to stitch the remainding opening closed.

And there you have it! Your LINED,  BOXED bag is all finished!

And remember, this method works the same for WHATEVER size bag you want to make! You could make a giant beach bag or a cute little gift bag. And don't forget that these bags would be perfect for using up some of those orphan blocks, just add some extra border fabric so your block edges stay visible after construction.

If you are using plain fabric you could use some cute applique shapes, which you would stitch down BEFORE sewing your seams together, and just make sure to not place them too close to where the seams will be.

I hope you have fun making some bags! I actually ended up making a whole bunch, once I tried one, so just be forewarned that these can be a little addictive!

As always, if something is not clear, please ask!

Happy creating and see you in March for another gift idea!

Monique