Tutorial: Adorable Bunny-Ear Drawstring Tote Bag
Supplies Needed:
all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance
Step 1
apply heavy interfacing to the bottom corners of the bag
Cut out to two heavy interfacing triangles (you only need scraps) and apply them to the bottom corners of one side of the bag bottom piece.
Step 2
Apply interfacing to two of the bunny ears
Step 3
Optional: apply lace to the other two bunny ears
Cut out lace or a pink overlay for the inner bunny ears. Baste it around the sides of two of the bunny ear pieces.
Step 4
sew the rabbit ears together
with right sides together, sew the two sets of bunny ears around the perimeter.
Step 5
turn the ears to the right side
Clip the curve around the tip of the ears and turn them to the right side. Press them flat for a neater finish.
Step 6
fold the bunny ears and baste the ends
Fold the two sides of the bunny ears in to create a 3-dimensional shape, then baste the base of the ears. Fold both sides to the circle indicated on the pattern.
Step 7
Baste the ears to the top of one of the bottom bag pieces
try to space the ears evenly along the edge.
Step 8
Clip the fabric 2 inches down from the top
Clip to the circle notation indicated on the pattern.
Step 9
fold over the seam allowance and make a narrow hem
Make a narrow hem with the seam allowance at the top of the bag. This will be the drawstring casing.
Step 10
fold over the top to create a casing
Fold the fabric over to create a tunnel that you can put the string through and stitch the casing along the bottom.
Step 11
attach the upper bag to the bottom bag
With right sides together, sew the bag top to the bag bottom over top of the bunny ears. Repeat for the back of the bag.
Step 12
Press the top of the bag up to create a neat seam
Step 13
sew the front and back of the bag together
Finish the seam to prevent the bag from fraying over time.
Step 14
Clip the corners and turn the bag to the right side
Press the bag to give it a neat look.
Step 15
sew a triangle on the bottom corners
Make a line connecting the points that are 2 inches in from the corners and sew them.
Step 16
Poke a hole in the bag inside the triangle section
I start by using an awl to poke a hole, and then use small scissors to enlarge the whole a little bit.
Step 17
insert a grommet into each hole
Grommets are made with two pieces, the front and the little flat washer piece. Insert the front through the hole, and then place the washer on the back and press the two together.
There are many ways of doing this, but I prefer to use a grommet presser (pictured below). It doesn’t require as much grip strength as other methods that I’ve tried.
Step 18
Sew a white pom pom to the bottom of the bag
Hand sew the bunny tail to the bottom of the bag
Step 19
insert the string through the casing and through the grommets
You need two pieces of string and they both need to go all the way around, through both casings. One string you’ll insert through the left side, thread it all the way around so it comes back out the left. The other will start on the right side and go all the way around so it comes back out the right.
Then you want to thread both strings through your grommet holes and tie a big knot to hold them in place.
Finished!
