Tote-ally Awesome Tote Bags!

Today’s Papercrafting Playdate project makes me tote-ally excited! Most of us get a genuine thrill from getting a new bag – I mean who doesn’t need a new bag, right? Walking out the door with a new purse/bag is akin to a new hairstyle or new pair of shoes. You can’t have too many tote bags!

Today’s pattern will help you create paper tote bags to gift all kinds of stuff in a super cute (I mean tote-ally cute) way. I have a video tutorial you can view to help you create the tote bag and pdf directions to download and save in your files. Then get busy and make some of these easy bags for your friends and family! Think May Day? Think Easter? Think Mother’s Day? Think get well soon? Think birthday wishes?

Paper Tote Bags in 2 Sizes pdf Download

Tote-ally Awesome Tote Bags in 2 Sizes

Tips and Tricks for the Tote Bag

Choose double-sided patterned paper that has coordinating sides because both sides will show.
Choose double-sided patterned paper that doesn’t have a pattern that is directional in one way otherwise one side of the bag will be upside down.
Smaller patterns on the paper are easier to work with.
A bone folder really helps the bag come together by bending the paper in the direction you want it to go.
Use Tear Tape adhesive or Seal+ adhesive for a secure hold.

Step 1: Cut 2, 1″ strips from one side of the 12 x 12. These will be the handles of the bag. Score at 5″ from each side of the remaining piece along the 12″ side. The 2″ space in the middle of this piece will be the bottom of the bag.

With scissors cut along each score line about 2″ from the edge. With bone folder, bend the paper towards the inside side of the paper. Apply Tear Tape to outside side of the bag on small bottom flaps and on ends of handles.

On the inside side of the paper apply Tear Tape on one side along both outer edges.

Take off the adhesive from one side edge and one bottom flap on the same side. Overlap the side edges about 1″ or so aligning the top edge of the bag first then pressing together down to the bottom of the bag. Repeat on the other side. The bottom flaps will just press into the sides of the bag on the inside in a curved manner.

This is the inside of the bag showing how the bottom flaps press into the edges.

This is what the bottom of the bag will look like.

What could possibly be cuter than this tote bag? What about a mini tote bag?????? And a cute mini wallet gift card holder for the inside???

What could be sweeter than a Mini Tote Bag friend??

The Mini Tote Bag gets put together exactly the same way, the dimensions are simply smaller! Download the pdf at the top of this post to get the dimensions.

Once I started making these bags I couldn’t stop!