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Here’s a list of items used for this Jute Webbing tote bag and the links to purchase.

Jute upholstery webbing you will need 15 yards for this

Selah adhesive no sew tape

cardboard box the size you want your bag to be

cardboard scraps

Hot Glue gun

E-6000 glue

hinge embellishment

mermaid heart charm kit

The first thing to do is wash your webbing in a lingerie bag, the first time I just put mine into the wash, it was a tangled mess and the threads came loose and spiderwebbed itself into a big knot.

You don’t have to wash it at all, I like to do this  any time I work with jute webbing as it gives the webbing a worn vintage look that is much softer and well vintage- y in my opinion.

The rest of it is not difficult it just requires a lot of wrapping and measuring around the box you decide on. I used my laptop box, it became my mold so to speak.

I loved the Selah tape as I’m not a sewer, this made it n much easier, I did reinforce the strap with a few hand stitches. If you anticipate heavy use you may want to tack down areas where you bag will get a lot of stress.

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Sealah No Sew Tape is giving away a roll of tape and I am adding a kit so you can make your own tote bag! The kit includes 16 yards of jute webbing, one roll of Sealah tape, and a heart shaped charm, a mermaid charm , rhinestone and velvet so you can make your own charm to attach to your bag! the whole kit is a $60 value!

The winner will be announced on Aug 31st!

To enter,

#1 subscribe to my Youtube channel,

#2 leave a comment on the Sealah Tape Facebook page, telling them what you would make with the tape! http://www.facebook.com/SealahPro#3  Share the video with a friend , or on Facebook, Pinterest, twitter etc and then leave me a comment telling me how you shared it.this is the completed Mermaid charm, I posted a Youtube video on this as well, you can watch it here,

I have to confess I made this bag three times before I got it right! there are some important tips I want to fill you in on so that you don’t make the same mistakes I did!

#1The first bag I attempted  was a big FAIL because I pre-cut all the strips and washed them, they frayed and shrunk, what I had was not even enough to make a bag for an iPad!

This is what the webbing looks like before, it is very stiff and smells a lot like a puppy! (the washing also removes the smell).

#3  Iron after washing and use the sealah tape, in my video you actually see two bags the one I am making is different from the bag in the first photo, I did not iron the webbing on the second try, I took it from the dryer damp and rolled it back up to use the next day, you can see in my video that it doesn’t look as good as it could, even though I ironed it after it was finished. again impatient, heavy sigh…

#4- this tip is the most important!!  Bag #2 was not a complete fail, but it was a little catty whompus because my box was a bit too small, make sure that your box/mold lines up with the webbing edges, I tried to squeeze the webbing on the box, it only overlapped by a half inch but it made it look sloppy … yes impatient!

The final bag was made from a bigger box and it came out right! Third time’s a charm!

A few more things to keep in mind, make sure you cardboard insert is thick, the first time I used a cardboard box, the second time I used heavy foam core and this also made a big difference. I also reinforced the lip of my bag and the shoulder strap with some hand stiching I wanted to carry my laptop , and it’s pretty heavy.

Hope you all make one and enjoy the process, please post pictures if you do to my Facebook page! If you discover some better tricks to make this along the way, please share!

Every time I attempt one of the ideas that pop into my head it is always an adventure with lots of trial and error! Is this your experience too?

I  adding the Jute webbing to my online shop for $1.75 a yard. I used 15 yards to make my bag. I have also seen it at Walmart for 2.50 per yard 🙂

Thanks for watching!

xo Debi

P.S. I am going to try some link parties for the first time this weekend  at, Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest , Be different, act Normal, and Funky Junk Interiors. Come link up and see all the great inspiration!

I have entered my bag in this fun DIY contest, The DIY club contest  If you have a tutorial and want to join in on the fun, you could win a cool prize! Go ahead I know you all have some great tutorials to share!