Sew a tote bag with zipper with free pattern

Today, my sewing tutorial is about how you can sew a tote bag with a zipper. In 2021, I introduced the first version of the tote bag on the German blog. It was well received, but the request for a zipper came up more and more often. Since a closable bag is advantageous for shopping trips and many other situations, the tote now gets a zipper sewn in. I’ll show you how to do it in the following tutorial.

Sometimes, you will see different bag designs in the photos of the tutorial; this is because I gained new insights during the work on the pattern and adjusted the design accordingly.

Tote Bag with Zipper – What’s New

I had to make a few changes to the original 2021 tote bag pattern, as sewing in the zipper also changes how the strap is attached. Additionally, there are now two darts on the body and lining of the bag to emphasize the shape of the tote.

Since there are quite a few changes to the previous tote, I recreated the pattern entirely from scratch. You’ll find the free download link for the pattern PDF further below.

What’s New

The zipper
Narrower bag strap/belt, either in two parts (56 cm x 7 cm) or one part (112 cm x 7 cm). The length can be shortened or lengthened as needed.
Depending on the material of the outer bag, the strap is sewn differently
Darts on the bottom of the bag

What Stayed the Same

Shape and size of the tote
Optional inner pocket
Total length of the strap

Free Pattern Download

You can download the free pattern for the tote bag via the following link:

Tote bag with zipper pattern

All pattern pieces are drawn with a 0.75 cm seam allowance. Simply click on the link, download the pattern as a PDF, and print it at actual size, making sure to check your printer settings. You can verify that you printed the correct size by measuring the 3 cm x 3 cm control box on the tote bag with zipper pattern.

Below is a glueing guide to help you assemble the pattern pages:

Please note for part 2 (the strap) that you can sew the strap either in two parts or one. If you want to sew it in one piece, using both outer and inner fabric, then cut the strip on the fold at the top. This is not included in the pattern, so here’s a reminder.

How big is the bag?

At its widest point, the bag measures 37 cm, and in length, from the base of the strap to the bottom of the bag, it measures about 33 cm.

The straps are 6 cm wide, and the finished tote bag measures about 86 cm from the highest point to the bottom of the bag.

With my height of 1.70 meters, the tote can be comfortably worn over the shoulder, as well as by my stepdaughter (1.75 meters). Of course, body size also plays a crucial role in whether the bag fits well with this strap length. It’s best to test if the length works for you or if adjustments need to be made.

What Material for the Tote Bag?

In the photo below, you can see a tote bag with a zipper on the left, which I sewed from water-resistant softshell fabric, and on the right, a bag made from woven fabric with a floral print. The first bag, made with sturdy fabric, doesn’t need interfacing and is relatively quick to sew. For the second bag, I lined both the outer fabric and the strap with a lightweight iron-on interfacing.

You can certainly sew this tote bag from denim, cork fabric, or soft faux leather, and a patchwork version would also look fantastic!

Materials

In total, you will need about 60 cm of fabric for the outer sides and about 75 cm of lining fabric, with the standard fabric width. Or you can recycle an old pair of jeans and a bedsheet, or sew a great scrap bag.

Fabric for the outer sides
Fabric for the inner sides/lining fabric
Fabric for zipper parts A, B, and C
Fabric for the straps
Optional inner pocket, possibly an inner pocket on each side
Continuous zipper, approx. 32 cm
Pins
Fabric clips
Turning tool
Fabric scissors
Paper scissors
Printer
Adhesive tape
Volume fleece H630
Iron
Various sewing needles
Sewing threads
Sewing machine, of course
Seam ripper

With Volume Fleece or Without Volume Fleece?

For regular woven fabrics, by that I mean cotton fabrics and patchwork fabrics, I generally reinforce them with a medium volume fleece. I usually use H630, which I’ve listed in the material list for you. If you are sewing with softshell or faux leather, I wouldn’t use volume fleece because the fabric is stable enough and the straps would be difficult to turn later. You’ve probably experienced this before, haven’t you?

Below, I’ll show you how I sewed the zipper into the tote bag. Depending on the material you use for the tote bag with a zipper, the outer side of the straps will be sewn differently.

If you’re using cotton, the strap is sewn without a division. If you want to sew the bag from sturdier materials, like softshell or other heavier fabrics, you should sew the strap in two parts.

If you prefer to sew this tote without a zipper, you can check out this sewing tutorial: Sewing a tote bag – Free pattern and tutorial. For all non-German speakers on this blog, you can use Google translate to read the instructions.

Overview of the Sewing Steps

Prepare the zipper
Outer side
Inner side and inner pocket
Sew the zipper into the bag
Prepare the straps
Sew the straps into the bag
Done 🙂

1. Prepare the Zipper

Once you’ve read through the instructions, you can get started.

After cutting and preparing all the pattern pieces, it’s best to start by preparing the zipper.

Below you can see my layout: Part A and B, as well as the parts C. Each of these parts was cut twice from outer fabric and twice from inner fabric.
The parts with the outer fabric are reinforced with ironed-on fleece interfacing H630.

Many Ways…

You might be wondering why the zipper isn’t simply sewn to the body of the bag? I tried that at first, but I didn’t like the result. Here’s a picture of the first attempt:

There is a lack of extra width for the straps, which are sewn into the tote bag differently in this version. What I mean by this will become clearer later, as I will come back to this point.

So, I used a seam ripper to remove the zipper and decided to widen the insert.

The Tote Bag Gets a Zipper

First, place Part C with the outer fabric, short side down, on the zipper. Then place Part C with the inner fabric opposite. The zipper is in the middle, like a sandwich. Secure everything well with fabric clips and sew it in place with the sewing machine.
Sew both parts in place
Fold both sewn-on parts C outwards
Iron and topstitch the folded parts C close to the edge

Place Parts C on the Zipper “Sandwich”

Topstitching

Now, place the prepared zipper on Zipper Part A and secure it with fabric clips. You could already place the inner lining here, but it’s easier to do it in two steps, as fabric layers tend to shift.

First, sew Part A (outer part), then place the lining Part B on the zipper, with the attached Part A, and sew it in place. It’s best to turn the whole piece over and sew along the seam from the previous stitching.

This is how the prepared zipper should look now.

In another bag I made afterwards, I even serged the prepared zipper part all around with the overlock machine. This has the advantage that the fabrics don’t fray and are easier to sew to the body and the inner pocket.

2. Outer Side of the tote Bag

Before the zipper is sewn in, we will focus on the main part of the bag, the body.

Now, you have cut the outer parts of the bag and ironed them with fleece interfacing H630, and cut the darts according to the pattern.

Place both outer parts right sides together, secure everything with a few fabric clips, and sew the pieces along the edges. Be sure to stop at the dart cutouts and secure the seam at each one.

Afterwards, place the darts together and topstitch them.

How this dart is sewn has been shown in the sewing instructions for the Children’s Tote Bag. Here, you can also see the photo from those instructions.

Sewing a dart

3. Inner Side of the Tote Bag

The inner bag is sewn using the same principle as the outer bag. If you want to add one or two inner pockets, they should be prepared at this point.

The first two tote bags I sewed with a zipper didn’t have an inner pocket, but I quickly realized I missed it. If you, too, like to have your phone or keys within easy reach, I recommend sewing at least one inner pocket. It’s best to sew a pocket on each inner side, as this will keep your bag more organized. That’s how I made my next bag, and I’m very happy with it.

Quickly Sewn Side Pocket

If you’d like, you can also sew an extra zipper pocket inside, but since the tote bag is already closed with a zipper, it’s not necessary.

2x fabric pieces of 26 cm x 17 cm (W x H)

In the pattern, you will find template part 3 with the optional inner pocket, a side pocket. You can either copy the page twice or directly cut two fabric pieces of 26 cm x 17 cm (W x H) using a ruler and cutter.

Place these two fabric pieces right sides together, and sew around the edges, leaving a small opening for turning. Then turn the fabric right side out, shape the corners, and press it flat. Now, you can position it on one of the inner fabric pieces, ideally about 5 cm below the center of the inner lining of the tote bag.

How Do I Find the Center?

Even though the center is not marked in the pattern, you can easily find it by folding the inner lining in half and finger pressing along the fold. Do the same with the sewn inner pocket, and you’ll have the center for proper positioning, and you can sew the pocket in place.

Once you have finished preparing the inner lining, you can sew it together. Remember to leave the side opening for turning, and secure the beginning and end of the seam with the sewing machine.

4. Sewing the Zipper into the Bag

For the tote bag version with a zipper, I thought for a while about the best way to sew it in.

Place the first side of the zipper piece on the outer bag’s body and sew it in place. Make sure not to fold the bag’s curves. It has proven to be better to sew the strip with the zipper onto the bag rather than the other way around.

Please Open the Zipper Now!

Next, place the opposite inner bag on the zipper and sew it in place. It’s best to secure the fabric with fabric clips, turn everything to the other side, so you can sew along the previous seam.

At this point, you should open the zipper to allow the bag to be turned inside out after sewing.

Now, repeat the same steps with the second side of the zipper piece.

Here, you can see that both the outer and inner bags are sewn to the zipper piece.

Now, you can turn the bag inside out through the side opening, and then once more through the zipper of the outer bag.

5. Sewing the Bag Strap

This tote bag is sewn with just one strap, so you can wear the bag crossbody.

If you’re making your tote bag out of cotton, you can sew the strap entirely from one fabric strip, about 112 cm x 7 cm. However, you should reinforce the outer fabric with fleece interfacing H630.

After reinforcing with fleece, place the outer and inner fabrics right sides together and sew along the long edges. Then turn the strap inside out, which can be done quickly with a turning tool, and press it flat.

Topstitch the turned strap along the long edges close to the edge. Nowadays, I prefer to do this with the Edgestitch Foot #10, which allows you to sew beautifully straight edges!

Edgestitch Foot #10

Excellent for topstitching edges, hems and pleats ✓ Ideal for sewing on lace or ribbon ✓ For reinforcing edges ✓ The guide lets you sew perfect seams and hems running parallel to the edge ✓ For 5.5 mm and 9 mm machines ✓

Learn more

When using sturdier outer fabric, it’s better to sew the strap in two parts, as it makes turning it inside out easier. On the pattern, you’ll see two markings that you should follow when sewing, so you have enough room at the top end for sewing. If you sew the strap in one piece, simply cut the template along the fabric fold at the top.

Since I don’t want to rewrite the instructions for the tote bag without a zipper, please click the link and check out steps 10 to 11, where I explain exactly how to sew the two-part strap.

6. Attaching the Strap

Unlike the method used for the tote bag without a zipper, the strap is sewn in separately here.

As mentioned earlier, I sometimes switch the photos of the sewing examples, so don’t be surprised if you see the red bag at one time and the blue one at another.

In this bag, you can clearly see how it should look in its finished state. On both the right and left sides, you’ll see the two open ends for the straps. Since this tote bag is made of woven/cotton fabric, I cut the strap from one piece, rather than two like I did with the softshell bag.

However, the method for sewing the strap in remains the same.

To sew the straps into the bag, fold the side open ends inward. Then, insert the straps through these openings, one on the right and one on the left, so that they align with the edges. Secure everything with fabric clips to prevent the strap from slipping out.

This is how it looks on the red tote bag. You can see that the ends are turned to the left side through the outer fabric.

Side open bag ends are folded inward

And this is how it looks on the blue tote bag made from softshell:

It’s important here to position the strap so that the outer fabric of the bag and the outer fabric of the strap face each other. It’s also crucial to ensure that the strap isn’t accidentally pinned twisted!

Now, the straps are sewn in place on both sides. Depending on the fabric thickness, use the appropriate presser foot. For thick fabrics, I like to use the Jeans Foot #8 along with a thicker jeans needle, but often it’s enough to use my favorite presser foot, the Reverse Pattern Foot with Clear Sole #34

Reverse Pattern Foot with Clear Sole #34

For forward and reverse-feed stitches ✓ The clear sole ensures a good view of the sewing area ✓ The red markings allow accurate and careful sewing ✓ For 5.5 mm and 9 mm machines ✓

Learn more

Jeans Foot #8

For straight stitching over thick seams and on multilayer materials ✓ For denim, canvas, travel bags, etc. ✓ For optimal results, use the straight-stitch plate ✓ For 5.5 mm and 9 mm machines ✓

Learn more

After sewing the strap in place, turn the strap ends back out, and topstitch them from the right side, ideally with the Jeans Foot # 8D. If the fabric layers become too thick, you can use a height compensation tool.

The tote Bag with a Zipper is Finished

All good things come in threes, and after sewing three tote bags with zippers, you’ll realize it’s not difficult at all to make them.

Thank you for following along with the instructions to the end. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial for the tote bag with a zipper. If you have any questions about the sewing instructions, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Perhaps someone would like to share their bag in a blog comment or in the community section of the blog – I would be delighted!

If you want to see more of my creative activities, visit my channel on Instagram!

Warm regards,
Katharina / RaabArt