How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

I take my lunch to work everyday so I thought I would write this tutorial on how to make a pretty little lunch bag so that you can too.  This bag is a simple project but oh so cute.  It only requires fabric, interfacing, and some cording and basic sewing skills and you are on your way to completing this pretty little lunch bag. If you would like other bag making project head over to my handbag page and check out my handbag projects.  

As usual I am working through my stash and found fabrics to use for this project that I purchases from JOANN Fabric & Craft Stores but if you don’t have fabrics in your stash head over to Amazon Fabrics or Fabric.com to find exactly the right fabrics for your project.  This post contains affiliate links that if you click on them and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  

What you will Need:

• 1/2 yd each of exterior, lining, and interior fabric
• 1/2 yd interfacing like Pellon 808
• 1 1/2 yd cording
• Standard sewing supplies

Step 1: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Cut the following pieces

• 9 x 12 1/2″ rectangle from outer fabric x 2
• 9 x 12 1/2″ rectangle from lining fabric x 2
• 8 x 12 1/2 rectangle for interior fabric x2
• 2 1/4″ x 12 1/2″ rim pieces x 4
• 4″ x 12″ handle pieces x 2
• 9 x 12 1/2″ rectangle from outer interfacing x 2
• 4″ x 12″ rectangle of interfacing for handles
• 2 1/4″ x 12 1/2″ rectangles interfacing x 2
• Fusible vinyl (optional)

Step 2: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Fuse the interfacing to the outer pieces of the bag. If you are unfamiliar with how to fuse interfacing you can follow the instructions that come with the interfacing or just look at it and you can see that it  has a glue side and a non-glue side.  Place the glue side to the wrong side of the outer fabric and press on the right side of the fabric with a hot iron.  The glue will melt and fuse with the fabric so that the two can be treated as one.  You will not need to use interfacing if you use a stronger fabric like canvass.  If you would like your interior to be water and spill proof you can choose vinyl fabric or fuse vinyl to your chosen fabric.  Either method will work fine.

Step 3: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Sew the two outer pieces together along one of the long ends using a 1/4″ seam allowance.  Press the seam open.  Do the same for the lining pieces.

Step 4: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Fold the bag in half at the seam and sew up the short sides using 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 5: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Box the corners so that there is a measurement of 5″ from one side to the other. If you are unfamiliar with boxing corners it is a simple process.  Simply match the side seam with the bottom to create a corner.  Measure to the 5″ mark and sew across the corner.  Do this to both sides and the lining as well.  Cut the excess bulk.

Step 6: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Create the handles.  Fuse the interfacing to the handle pieces.  Fold the handle pieces in half lengthwise and press.  Open the and fold the raw edges to the center and press.  Fold in half again sealing in the raw edges.  Top stitch the long edges.

Step 7: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Measure 4″ from each rim piece end and mark. Center each end of the handles on these marks and pin.  Sew close to the edge.  You should have two rim pieces with handles.

Step 8: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

With right sides together sew the other rim pieces to the pieces with the handles and press the seams open.

Step 9: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Sew one of the short ends right sides together.  Sew the second short edges right sides together.  You should have a loop with two handles.  Topstitch around the top of the rim.

Step 10: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

For the interior sew the two interior pieces right sides together using a 1/4″ seam allowance leaving the top 2″ unsewn.  Press seams open.  Fold the top down 1/4″ and press.  Fold again 3/4″ and press again.  This will be the casing for the bag.  Sew along the folded edge leaving the side seams open so that you have a place to add the cording.

Step 11: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Place the lining bag into the outer bag wrong sides together.  Sew very close to the edge.  With right sides together sew the rim to the bag close to the edge through all layers.

Step 12: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

With the handles facing downward, place the bag inside the interior fabric circle and line up the bottom raw edges of the interior fabric with the top raw edges of the bag.  Sew around the circumference using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 13: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Push the interior fabric inside the bag and top stitch along the seam where the rim, exterior and interior fabric meet.  This hides the raw edges

Step 14: How to Make a Pretty Little Lunch Bag

Insert the cording into the casing that you made earlier.  This will allow you to pull the interior fabric taut so that you can cover your lunch.  You have now completed your pretty little lunch bag. If you would like to make your own reusable sandwich and snack bags to put into your pretty little lunch bag check out my tutorial on how to make them here.

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Thanks to Ayumi at the Pink Penguin for this pattern.