How to Square Bags
August 24th, 2007 by Jen LoveI had been asked by several to explain what I meant by the term “gussetting” in several of my former projects. It’s one of those techniques that is difficult to describe in words but is really easy to do! I promise if you try this quick tutorial it will change the way you sew, especially the way you make bags!
1. For my example I made a small pouch by folding my fabric in the middle (right sides together) to make the bottom of my bag, and sewing up the right and left sides.
2. Then at one of the corners I put my hand inside of the bag in order to flatten it in the opposite direction.
3. Now you are looking at the end of your bag and it should look like a triangle. Center your seam between the other 2 sides of the triangle and measure down from the peak the measurement of half the width you want the bottom to be when finished. Not hard math- 1 1/2″ if you want a 3″ wide bottom…it will depend on the size of your bag.
4. Using ruler, mark with pencil or chalk a vertical line across your “triangle”. This the line that you sew your seam across.
5. Repeat for the right and left sides of the bag. This is also how you could make ears on hats for kids, but by sewing on the right side of the fabric.
6. When you turn the bag inside out it will have 2 square sides. Cover cardboard and add to the bottom to make your bag sturdy. This same technique can also be used on knitted bags, which is were I first learned to gusset.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:54 am
Thank you for this. I had the hardest time with this for Amy Karol’s pattern. What a great help.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:01 am
Love it!! Thank you, especially for the tip on how far to measure to get the size bottom you want. I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around making a square bottom bag that has 6″ sides and now I know how far down to sew the line!! Thanks again!!
August 24th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Ok, that was a very wonderful tutorial. Thanks for sharing!
August 24th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I use those flexible plastic chopping boards you can buy in sets of three from the supermarket for my bag bottoms – it means they can be washed…. (I, of course, cut them down to size first!)
August 24th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
[...] Post: How to Square Bags » Crafty Daisies [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Great pictorial instructions!! I really have to see something to understand it and these were perfect. I’m going to be making morse bags but wanted them to have a square bottem. Now I know how to do that. Thanks so much!!
August 26th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
[...] How to Square Bags [...]
August 26th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
[...] Hardest Part of the Sunday Bag Click here to find great pictures and descriptions of making the square bottom of the Sunday Bag. Remember, [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
wow, that is a great tutorial. thank you.
August 28th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
[...] Jen at Crafty Daisies shows you the sewing art of making bags square and sturdy. Link. [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Thanks! My daughter and I just tried making a tote bag today (from fused plastic bags) and had to just wing it when it came to shaping the bottom. We’re going to go try a second bag using these directions!
August 29th, 2007 at 1:21 am
Thank you so much! I’ve had pattern instructions for square bags before but never could work out exactly what they were talking about. Seeing the images along with instructions is a huge help!!
August 29th, 2007 at 8:34 am
super)))
August 29th, 2007 at 8:36 am
booom)))
August 30th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
[...] How to Square Bags » Crafty Daisies – I have vague ideas about making some square bags to hold Christmas presents one of these years. [...]
September 1st, 2007 at 5:32 am
[...] Jen at Crafty Daisies shows you the sewing art of making bags square and sturdy. Link. [...]
September 1st, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Great pictures and explanation. Simple and to the point, thanks!
January 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have always done my bags this way, (It’s the way I was taught by my Granny) but I never knew what it was called. I also sew a “bottom” to my bag to get the measure for my cardboard or whatever I have handy. It’s just squaring it off at the bottom so it sits a little better.
You’re a genius though, dear!
July 7th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Gusseting. It finally makes sense! Thanks loads.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! I am still a beginner at all of this sewing stuff, and normally I would just ask my mom how to do something I do not know how to do but since I am making her a tote bag, as a SuRpRiSe for her upcoming trip that kind of complicated my situation as to figuring out how to make what I had no Idea was “gusset”…
June 19th, 2009 at 8:14 am
it’s nice to know about the website, I had a hard time looking the right site for my hobbies, and I need to learn more on how to sew diff. designs of bags, I hope you can display a procedure on how to sew a bag organizer. Thank you!
July 8th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Hopped over here from Heart of Light… what a great tutorial!!! Haha… I was just struggling with this this weekend… wish I found it earlier!
July 18th, 2009 at 5:51 am
This is just great and so much easier to understand than my instructions.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Oh my god this makes SO much sense! I felt so stupid not being able to continue with my pattern, thank you so much for posting this. :]
February 6th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Thank you so much for this.
I knew it had to be an easy fix, but it look your demo to get it right. Sometimes you just feel silly not being able to figure stuff out. Greatly appreciate your clear directions.
February 6th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I seriously sprained something in my head trying to figure this out on my own. I don’t know why I had such trouble visualizing it…but you gave me much needed assistance. Many thanks!
March 15th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Love these directions. I think I will cover a piece of a scruffy looking placemat for the base. They will be used first as a gift bag, then the recipient can enjoy shopping with it.
April 11th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
finally a clear set of instructions with pictures of a bright fabric so you can actualy see whats happening.
September 21st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
haha I agree with a couple folks here..I knew what I wanted to do…didn’t know what to call it for internet search and could not figure it out in my head…and of course it was soooooo much easier than I was making it…THANK YOU!! I am making my daughter an art portfolio for her first college go. It is basically a canvas bag (like yours gussetted and all
with three foam boards inside for the art and pockets on the outside….wow…again! Thanks!
October 18th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Thank you for the answer to prayer. I had just about pulled all of my hair out. Everytime I thought I had it figured out, I would prove my theory wrong the very next time I attemped it. I cannot believe how easy your way is and how dumb I must really be that I could not figure it out. I was about to give up and call it quits when I stumbled across your site. Thanks soooooooo much!!!!
October 20th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Thanks soooo MUCH! This is so versitile. I’m using the simple design to package up homemade hot cocoa (over the plastic ziplock bag of course) for Christmas
October 28th, 2010 at 7:50 am
Thank you!! I have visited sites all over the place, but this one is the ONLY one that showed me how to do the square bottom. It was easy, thanks to your instructions. The others just never showed the procedure so I could “get” it.
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January 25th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
Thank you so much for this! Ive been trying to figure this out for a while now and this is the first demonstration that has made any sense!!!
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April 12th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Your work is wonderful! Absolutely love it. thanks for the tutorial!
April 19th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
very useful information and i have found it for a long time,thanks so much.
May 4th, 2011 at 2:38 am
I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to start my own Blog
May 4th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I don’t suppose I have read anything like this before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject