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gifts sewing
February 4, 2016

DIY sweater laptop tote {easy sewing tutorial}

We just got a Chick-fil-A in town and I’m beginning to discover why every mom in the country loves that place so much. It’s clean, the employees are helpful and friendly, my daughter loves the play place, and the food is actually good! Since it’s so cold out here, it’s a great place to hang out for an hour or two: my daughter plays and I try to get some work done on my laptop. But since my laptop doesn’t fit in my purse (and I don’t really want to jam it in there with the crayons, kleenexes, and who-knows-what-else ends up in the bottom of my purse anyway), I needed a little tote to carry it in. And because I am who I am, I made myself a laptop tote out of a thrifted sweater and a thrifted belt. That’s what I do.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

Yep, that’s right. I started with this (which I scored for $4.50 at the thrift store on half off day):

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

And ended up with this:

diy-sweater-laptop-tote-how-to-make-easy-sewing-tutorial-upcycle-12

A cute little tote perfectly sized to my laptop. I can throw a planner in there to and be ready to work wherever I end up.

Here’s how to make a DIY sweater laptop tote:

You will need: a sweater, 1/2 yard of fabric for lining, 1 yard of craft fuse interfacing, and a long belt.

diy-sweater-laptop-tote-how-to-make-easy-sewing-tutorial-upcycle-11

Cut two rectangles of each: sweater fabric, lining fabric, and craft fuse. To get dimensions, measure your laptop, then add 2.5 inches to the width and height.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

When cutting your sweater, make sure it is laid flat and that no parts of it are stretched out. Also make sure any pattern is centered before cutting.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

Iron the shiny side of the craft fuse onto the wrong side of each sweater piece. This will make the sweater sturdy enough to use as a tote and prevent it from stretching out of shape. If you want it super sturdy, you can cut 2 more pieces from craft fuse and iron them onto your lining fabric as well. You could also add pockets to the lining at this point if you want to. (I did neither.)

Place the sweater pieces right sides together and sew around the sides and bottom, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Place the lining pieces right sides together and sew the sides and bottom, leaving a 5-6 inch opening across the bottom, as shown below.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

Whenever I sew with sweaters, I prefer to use my serger because it finishes the edges. If you’re sewing on a sewing machine instead, sew with a straight stitch, then trim the seam allowance. Then sew along the edge with a zigzag to finish. Trim away the seam allowance on the lining piece as well, using pinking shears if your fabric frays a lot.

Turn the lining piece right side out, and place it inside the sweater piece, which is still inside out, so right sides are together. Match up the raw edges and pin well. Sew all the way around the raw edges, again using 1/2 inch seam allowance.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

Turn the sweater piece and lining piece right side out through the opening in the lining. Stitch the opening closed.

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

Then tuck the lining into the sweater tote and press along the top very well. You can topstitch here if you like (I didn’t).

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

For the straps, I buckled the belt, and then cut it into two pieces of equal length. I then decided where I wanted the straps to attach to the tote and sewed them on carefully, using a leather needle (any heavy duty needle would probably work for this). I just made a square of stitching at the ends of each strap.

And that’s it! My new laptop tote is ready to go. See you at Chick-fil-A!

What a fun idea! Make a DIY laptop tote from a thrifted sweater. She even used a belt for the handles! The sewing tutorial looks super easy.

 

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Home » sewing » gifts » DIY sweater laptop tote {easy sewing tutorial}


22 Comments

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Comments

  1. christina says

    February 5, 2016 at 4:54 am

    This is super cute and I’m half tempted to make one. You made the tutorial sound really easy! Thanks for explaining how to finish the edges if you don’t have a serger! I have a very basic (verrrrry) sewing machine and am always fearful of taking on projects. You made it look pretty easy!

    Reply
  2. Amber Evans says

    February 5, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    Love it Autumn! Found your blog on Google. I have lots of knit blouses that I haven’t worn for ages. This is a nice project.

    I really enjoy your blog and will be back for more. Off to bookmark.;)

    Xoxo,
    Amber

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    February 7, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Great idea! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for this evening that features your tutorial: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=86576 –Anne

    Reply
  4. I Love Sewing says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:25 am

    I found your post on Pinterest. This is really helpful tutorial, Autumn !
    I’m half tempted to make one.
    Thank for this post !

    Reply
  5. grandmalikestosew.com says

    February 28, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    That bag looks great! It is such a simple way to make a trendy item. I’m surprised that I haven’t seen anything like it before. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. alice says

    May 23, 2017 at 3:43 am

    Great idea!This laptop tote looks gorgeous,I am gonna to make one with my knit blouses.

    Reply
  7. ann says

    November 1, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    how about using the sleeves for leg warmers?

    Reply
  8. Sprayler says

    December 11, 2017 at 3:12 am

    This is super cute and I’m half tempted to make one. You made the tutorial sound really easy! Thanks for explaining how to finish the edges if you don’t have a serger! I have a very basic sewing machine and am always fearful of taking on projects.

    Reply
  9. happy wheels says

    September 19, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    The idea of transforming a sweater into a very fashionable bag.

    Reply
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    June 11, 2019 at 8:33 am

    The idea of transforming a sweater into a very fashionable bag.

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Trackbacks

  1. CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave says:
    February 4, 2016 at 11:31 pm

    […] DIY sweater laptop tote {easy sewing tutorial} – 1 freebie(s)? […]

    Reply
  2. Tutorial: Easy upcycled sweater laptop tote – Sewing says:
    February 7, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    […] DIY Sweater Laptop Tote (Easy Sewing Tutorial], by It’s Always Autumn […]

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  3. Simple. Home. Blessings says:
    May 9, 2016 at 6:08 am

    […] We don’t get a lot of use out of sweaters here in the desert of Southern California, but I still have a few hanging around here, for some reason.  I think I will pick a couple of them to use for projects.  I love this simple laptop bag made from a sweater! […]

    Reply
  4. Upcycle Clothing: 25 Simple Ideas - Simple. Home. Blessings says:
    May 13, 2016 at 11:33 am

    […] We don’t get a lot of use out of sweaters here in the desert of Southern California, but I still have a few hanging around here, for some reason.  I think I will pick a couple of them to use for projects.  I love this simple laptop bag made from a sweater! […]

    Reply
  5. 34 DIY Laptop Bags That Are Sure To Match Your Awesome Style says:
    March 25, 2019 at 9:38 am

    […] itsalwaysautumn […]

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  6. Crafts: 34 DIY Laptop Bags That Are Sure To Match Your Awesome Style – ByNotio.com says:
    April 25, 2019 at 12:10 pm

    […] itsalwaysautumn […]

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  7. DIY Favorites - Sweater Upcycles - Spinster Simone says:
    October 4, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    […] Laptop tote from It’s Always Autumn: […]

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  8. Smart Ways to Upcycle Old Sweaters | Awareness says:
    June 7, 2020 at 5:40 am

    […] every single day? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how It’s Always Autumn made a lovely laptop tote from a cabled sweater in just a few surprisingly simple […]

    Reply

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I'm Autumn, a mom of five who loves ice cream, Masterpiece Theatre, and clothes that hide the fact that I eat so much ice cream. When I was 18 I got a job at a craft store and told everyone (regularly) how much I hated crafts. Well, things change! Read More…

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