Twelve tote bag patterns you can cut from measurements alone, grouped by how the bottom is built. The bottom decides whether the bag stands up, how much it holds and how hard it is to sew, and almost nobody sorts totes that way.
Quick answer: Three bottoms cover every tote. Flat (two rectangles sewn round, no depth), boxed corner (cut a square out of each bottom corner, sew it shut, and the bag gains depth equal to the square you removed), and separate base panel (a fourth piece sewn in, which gives a bag that stands). Start with a 15 x 16 in flat tote in quilting cotton, then add a 2 in boxed corner to the same pattern.
All twelve below are rectangles. There is nothing to print, trace or tape together, and every measurement includes a 1/2 in seam allowance unless it says otherwise.
Fabric First, Because It Decides More Than the Pattern
When we read 1,300 posts from sewing forums, only 163 of them named a fabric at all. Eight in nine people describe what they want to make without ever saying what they will make it from. For a tote that is the wrong way round: the same cut list in canvas and in quilting cotton produces two different bags.
- Quilting cotton. The most named fabric in the sample by a wide margin, 59 mentions. Easiest to sew, holds a press, and makes a soft bag for light loads. Line it or interface it if you want shape.
- Canvas or duck. Stands by itself with no interfacing. Needs a 90/14 jeans needle and a longer stitch, around 3.
- Denim. 14 mentions in the sample, and it makes an excellent tote, especially cut from old jeans. Heavy at the seams where layers stack.
- Linen. 29 mentions. Beautiful and it frays fast, so every raw edge needs enclosing or zigzagging.
Interfacing is the other variable. Fusible woven interfacing on the outer pieces turns a floppy cotton tote into a structured one without changing a single measurement.
Group One: Flat Bottom Totes
Two body pieces, straps, sewn round three sides. No depth, so the bag lies flat when empty. Easiest to sew, and the fastest.
1. Basic flat tote
Two body 15 x 16 in, two straps 24 x 4 in. Finished about 14 x 14 in with a 22 in strap drop. Hem the top edges first, attach straps 4 in in from each side with a square of stitching, then sew the sides and bottom.
2. Market tote
Two body 18 x 20 in, two straps 30 x 4 in. Finished about 17 x 18 in. Same construction, scaled up for groceries, and worth doing in canvas rather than cotton because of the load.
3. Mini tote
Two body 10 x 11 in, two straps 18 x 3 in. Finished about 9 x 9 in. Small enough to use up a fat quarter, and a good first tote because every seam is short.
4. Lined flat tote
Two outer 15 x 16 in, two lining 15 x 16 in, two straps 24 x 4 in. Sew outer to outer and lining to lining separately, leaving 5 in open in the lining bottom. Pin the straps to the outer’s top edge, drop the outer inside the lining right sides together, sew round the top, pull through the gap. No hemming at all, and the top edge comes out crisp.
5. Reversible tote
Identical to the lined tote in two contrasting cottons, with the straps made from one pair of 24 x 4 in strips in each fabric sewn back to back. The only change is that the topstitching round the mouth has to look deliberate from both sides.
Group Two: Boxed Corner Totes
The bag gains depth. Sew the body as a flat tote, then at each bottom corner match the side seam to the bottom seam so the corner forms a triangle, measure across, and sew straight across at the width you want.
The arithmetic is worth writing down once. Sewing across a triangle at a width of W gives the bag a depth of W. To do it by cutting instead, cut a square of W/2 plus your seam allowance out of each bottom corner before sewing.
6. Everyday boxed tote
Two body 16 x 17 in, two straps 26 x 4 in, 3 in boxed corners. Finished about 14 x 14 x 3 in. This is the tote most people actually want, and it is the flat tote plus one extra seam at each corner.
7. Deep shopper
Two body 18 x 21 in, two straps 30 x 4 in, 5 in boxed corners. Finished about 15 x 17 x 5 in. In canvas it carries a full shop.
8. Lunch tote
Two outer 11 x 12 in, two lining 11 x 12 in in a wipeable laminated cotton, two straps 16 x 3 in, 3 in boxed corners on both outer and lining. Finished about 8 x 8 x 3 in.
9. Boxed tote with pockets
Everyday boxed tote plus one lining pocket cut 9 x 12 in, folded in half to 9 x 6 in, sewn round with a gap, turned, and topstitched onto the lining before assembly. Divide it into two by sewing a vertical line down the middle.
Group Three: Separate Base Panel
A fourth piece. More cutting, more seams, and the only version that stands up empty.
10. Flat base tote
Two body 15 x 14 in, one base 15 x 5 in, two straps 24 x 4 in. Sew the two body pieces down the sides only, then sew the base panel to the bottom edge, pivoting with the needle down at each corner. Finished about 14 x 12 x 4 in.
11. Round base bucket tote
One body 30 x 14 in sewn into a tube, one base circle 10 in diameter, one strap 26 x 4 in. Clip the base seam allowance every inch so the circle eases into the tube. Finished about 9 in across and 13 in tall. The clipping is the whole skill here.
12. Reinforced base tote
Everyday boxed tote plus a base panel of two layers of canvas cut 14 x 3 in, topstitched inside along the bottom before the corners are boxed. Adds no visible bulk and stops the bottom sagging under weight.
Which One to Actually Sew
If this is your first bag, the basic flat tote at 15 x 16 in. Every seam is straight, the straps are the only fiddly part, and it takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Second bag, the everyday boxed tote. Same construction, two extra seams, and it is the shape most people reach for daily.
The bucket tote is out of order in this list on purpose. It is last because a circular base sewn into a tube needs even clipping and a slow pace, and the result looks wrong immediately if it puckers.
Three Things That Make a Home-Made Tote Look Home-Made
- Straps that stretch out. Fold a 4 in strip into a 1 in four-layer strap and topstitch both edges, and it will not stretch. A single-layer strap will.
- Strap ends attached with one line of stitching. Use a square with a cross through it. That join carries the entire load of the bag.
- An unpressed top edge. Press the mouth of the bag hard before topstitching. It is the edge everyone looks at.
Tote Bag Pattern FAQ
How much fabric do I need for a tote bag?
Three quarters of a yard for a 15 x 16 in flat tote including straps. A yard and a half if you are lining it in a second fabric, or one yard of each.
What size should a tote bag be?
14 x 14 in finished is the everyday size, from 15 x 16 in cut pieces. Go to 17 x 18 in finished for groceries and down to 9 x 9 in for a small day bag.
What is a boxed corner?
The seam that gives a bag depth. Match the side seam to the bottom seam at a corner so it forms a triangle, then sew straight across. Sewing across at 3 in gives the bag a 3 in depth.
What fabric is best for a tote bag?
Canvas or duck if you want the bag to stand and carry weight. Quilting cotton if you want it easy to sew and are happy with a soft bag, in which case add fusible interfacing to the outer pieces.
How long should tote bag straps be?
24 in cut gives a 22 in strap after seams, which is a comfortable shoulder drop for most people. 30 in cut for a bag you want to carry over a coat.
The same straight-line approach is in beginner sewing machine projects, and the ranked skirt shapes are in skirt patterns sewing.
For a first bag with an even shorter cut list, see easy sewing projects for beginners. The straight stitch settings this needs are in sewing machine basics for beginners.
