Next, scrunch the ribbon together by holding one of the threads on the end of the ribbon and pushing the ribbon down. Ruffle the ribbons to be the same width as your beach towel. Fold your beach towel in half, and pin your ruffles about 4” and 6” from the folded edge of the towel. This will end up being on the bottom part of your bag.
Now, sew your ruffles onto your beach towel.
Now, take the hand towel and fold it in half (hamburger way). Then sew 1 line right down the center to create 2 pockets.
Pin the hand towel to the inside of the beach towel. Sew along the side edges, and the bottom piece to create 1 large pocket and then the 2 smaller pockets in the front. This will be a pocket that will be in the inside of your bag!
Next, create ruffles with the thin ribbon. Sew it to the bottom of the small wash cloth.
Pin the wash cloth to the front of the towel, a few inches above the wide ruffles. Sew the 2 sides and bottom of the wash cloth to create an outer pocket.
Lay the beach towel out and take the thick ribbon and lay it out on the edge of the towel. Fold the towel over and pin it so that it is wide enough to go over the ribbon. Take the ribbon out. Do this on both sides of the towel. These will be your straps. The bag will cinch on the sides.
Sew the sides that are pinned.
Melt the edges of your ribbon so that they don’t fray and put a safety pin on the end and feed it through the sides of the towel. Do this on each side.
Pull the ribbon and tie it together in a bow. Tie the two front pieces together and the two back pieces together. These will make your front and back straps.
Here are my inside pockets! I put the smaller items in the small compartments, and my book in the bigger compartment.
This is my outside pocket. Full of the things that I will need to find at a moment’s notice! Like my keys and phone!
sheena
shut up! that is so freakin’ cute!
you are always whippin’ out cute things!
casserole
What a cool idea!! I linked to your tutorial over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-make-a-swimming-tote-that-unfolds-to-a-beach-towel/2010/07/03/
–Anne
Margaret
Thanks for the tutorial
Kisses
Margaret
bellazntwins
great idea, i’m excited to make one!!!! i ill also make one for my daughter
Rick Bayless
What a cool idea!! Thanks for inspiring us! I’m really really looking forward to one of your workshops.
Beach Bag
Erin
This is a geourgious idea and so luxurious I cant wait to make one for myself and special friends who will appreciate it! oatesthreemom
Kymmie
SO CUTE!
sarah
I totally LOVE multi-purpose homemade items!!, and this takes the cake! CUTE, FUNCTIONAL , and STYLISH.. Thanks for the pattern. I have searched everywhere for a decent beach bag, and this is definitely one of a kind!!! I’m going to try to make a male version also-for my 2 boys. I’ll send pics your way when I figure out the right amount of boyish touch.
McKenzie
I would love to see the boy version! Thank you for your sweet words!
Kitty
Saw this at all free sewing, and it sounds like a good idea but I don’t understand it, how are you closing the sides so the stuff doesn’t fall out? if as I think I understand, the sides are folded over and gathered I assume it is a sort of gathered side but still open? sorry, I can’t picture it.
McKenzie
The sides will bunch up when you have items in the bag and you hold it by the handles.
Verlene
Cute! I am making one for my sister for her birthday. I made a “trial one” first with just a bath towel. It turned out really cute too – Yellow, red and black. Thanks for the tutorial.