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How to Line a Crochet Bag Photo Tutorial

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Learn how to line a crochet bag in this step by step photo tutorial. You can sew in a liner for your handmade crochet or knit bag. For this tutorial I’m lining my Tivoli Purse crochet pattern.

A crocheted bag is a great project for warmer months. But crochet fabric has holes, even with tight stitches. This means some of our things will fall out the bottom of the bag.

Woman with crochet bag and green liner on shoulder.

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Find my Tivoli Crochet Purse free crochet pattern here.


Adding a lining to your crochet tote bag is an easy way to solve this problem. And you still get to feature your gorgeous crochet on the outside of the bag.

This crochet bag lining tutorial can be applied to any purse or market bags that you make. I’ve kept it relatively simple. If you have more intermediate sewing skills then you can add an inside pocket, zipper, etc. to your own bag.

Crochet bag with green lining flat on wood floor.

This tutorial is beginner friendly, but basic sewing skills are necessary.

I detail how I get my length and width numbers below. You can use this method to calculate the right size for your own little bag or even bagger bags.

Crochet bag with fabric liner turned inside out.

Above is a picture of the completed bag with fabric lining. It’s turned inside out so you can see it. And below is the finished bag right side out. It’s opened up so you can see inside.

Complete lined bag with straps open and upright.

Find my Tivoli Crochet Purse free crochet pattern here.


Scroll down for the step by step tutorial on how to line a crochet bag with fabric!

Woman with crochet bag and green liner on shoulder.

How to Line a Crochet Bag

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $10

Learn how to line a crochet bag with fabric in this step by step photo tutorial. You can sew in a liner for your handmade crochet or knit totes.

Materials

  • Crochet bag to line. I use my Tivoli Purse for this tutorial.
  • Purse straps, if using them.
  • Fabric – that is larger than your bag. See more info below.

Tools

  • Sewing machine or sewing needle if sewing by hand.
  • Thread
  • Fabric scissors
  • Iron and ironing board
  • Measuring tape
  • Fabric marker, or washable marker / pencil

Instructions

Measure to Find the Lining Length

  1. Lay your bag down flat. Crochet bags are stretchy so I chose to fit the lining to the bag's longer size.
  2. Measure from the top of the bag down to the bottom. Pull it to it's full length. I got 14".
  3. If you're using one long piece of fabric, multiply your number by 2 to account for both sides. 14" x 2 = 26".
  4. Measure the width of the bottom of your bag (when it’s upright and filled). Mine = 2" wide 26″ + 2″ = 28″.Bottom of crochet bag face up for measuring.
  5. Now add a 1" to the length for the boxed edges. If the bottom of your bag is wider than my 2″ then you’ll need to add more than 1" here. This is because your boxed edge will be larger and will shorten the height of your bag even more. You can read in more detail about the geometry here. For my example 28″ + 1″ = 29″.
  6. Next add seam allowance for the top seams. I added 3/4″ for the top edge seams. 29″ + ¾″ = 29 ¾″. If you are new to sewing then having more fabric to fold over will be easier to work with. I recommend adding 2". You can trim any excess if it's too much.
  7. Double check your measurements and fit by inserting the fabric inside your finished bag.
  8. I chose one long piece to fold. This eliminates a bottom seam, which is less structurally sound. If you don’t have a piece of fabric long enough then sewing two pieces of fabric together works. Remember to add ½ inch seam allowance on both pieces where you will stitch them together! Length of green floral fabric on white table.

Measure to Find the Lining Width

  1. Lay your bag down flat.
  2. Measure the width of the bag. My bag is 11″ wide.
  3. Add seam allowance of 1/2" to both sides. ½" + ½" = 1" so 11" + 1" = 12"
  4. Check the sideways stretch of your purse. Mine only stretched minimally side to side. I added ½" so 12" + ½" = 12 ½"
  5. Double check your measurements. Cut your fabric to the dimensions. Mine is 29 ¾" long x 12 ½" wide.

Measure for Strap Tabs

  1. Skip this section if you are not using straps with rings.
  2. My purse straps have 1″ rings. I need finished tabs that are 1″ wide and 1 ½″ long.

    I’m going to need ¼″ seam allowance on both long edges ¼″ + 1″ + ¼″ = 1 ½”.
  3. Plus 1" to fold my tab in half, enclosing my raw edges in the middle. 1 ½″ + 1″ = 2 ½″ So I cut my tab fabric 2 ½″ wide.
  4. To calculate length, I need to know how far down into my bag I want my tabs to go. I sank my strap edges 3/4″ down past the top of my purse, matching the top edge hem of ¾″. So I will double that for both ends. ¾″ + ¾″ = 1 ¾″
  5. I want my tab to hang 1 ½″. I need to double this number so they’re long enough to loop through my strap ring. 1 ½″ + 1 ½″ = 3″
  6. Add 3" to my 1 ¾″ above for 4 ¾″ long strap tabs.
  7. I need to cut 4 tabs that are 4 ¾″ x 2 ½″

Sewing the Lining Fabric

  1. Lay out your fabric lengthwise, with the right side facing you.Length of green floral fabric on white table.
  2. Fold the fabric in half, matching up the short ends. Now the wrong sides of the fabric will be facing you.Folded fabric with wrong sides facing.
  3. On the wrong side, using a ½" seam allowance sew a straight line down the side seam. Repeat for the other side.Both sides seamed.
  4. Iron seams open.Seams ironed open on wrong side.

Measure for the Boxed CornersSeam line of boxed corner.

  1. Stand your fabric lining up so the top of the bag is open. The corners of the bottom of the bag will jut out on either side.
  2. Measuring from the tip of the corner in toward the center, mark off 1”. This forms a triangle on the bottom corners.
  3. Draw a line, or pin it here. This is where you will sew to form the boxed corners.
  4. Sew along your marked line. Trim the excess fabric off. Repeat on the other corner.
  5. Flip your bag to the right sides, and check the fit by inserting it into your crocheted purse.
  6. If you need to adjust your boxed corner do that now.
  7. Trim off the corner.Corner trimmed for boxed corner. Here is how the boxed corner looks on the right side.
  8. Fold the top of your bag lining over 3/4″ to the wrong side and iron. Edge folded down.
  9. Check for fit by placing the lining in your bag.
  10. Set aside if adding strap tabs.

Iron and Sew Tabs

  1. Fold over 1/4″ on either long edge of your tabs and iron down.
  2. Now fold the tab in half, matching the long ends and enclosing the raw edges to the center.
  3. Iron in place.
  4. Sew down both long edges with an 1/8″ seam allowance.4 tabs with sides seamed.

Attach Tabs and Straps

  1. Mark where to add your strap tab.
  2. Pin your tabs to the wrong side, lined up with the edge of the 3/4″ top hem you ironed down at the top of your lining bag. Tab pinned even with folded hem.
  3. Sew around the top hem of the lining, sew the pinned end of the tabs into place using a 1/4″ seam allowance.Sew around hem to seam tabs.All four tabs sewn around hem.
  4. Fit tabs through purse straps and fold back onto the wrong side, matching up the raw short edges.
  5. Pin the two ends of the tabs together and sew a box and an x to reinforce this seam.
  6. Now you should have a lining bag with straps attached that almost looks like a purse. Fit this into your crochet bag and check for fit one last time.

Sew Lining to Purse

  1. Fit lining into purse with right side visible to you and wrong side on the inside of the bag.
  2. Be sure your straps are up and out of the way.
  3. Pin the to hem edge to the top edge of the purse.
  4. Use thread and your hand sewing needle to sew the fabric liner to the bag. Start on the inside to secure your thread out of sight.
  5. Use a running stitch to sew the lining on, weaving the needle between crochet stitch (don’t split the yarn).Hand sew along machine stitch hem to secure lining to bag.
  6. You can use your machine stitches as a guide. My machine stitches were smaller than my crochet stitches so I went with a 2:1 ratio. It's most difficult when hand sewing through all the layers of fabric at the straps, as they are thickest. Sew by hand with needle and thread lining to crochet bag

Notes

I hope this helps you to line your crochet purse and make adjustments, if needed. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

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10 Comments

  1. Thank you for this, always a challenge it seems when it comes to lining a bag! This is very helpful! 🙂

  2. I made numerous purses that are in my UFO bin because they need lining. This will help!

  3. I might have to make the Tivoli Bag. It is so cute and I have just the right fabric that has been waiting for a project. Thanks for a great tutorial!

  4. Thank you for this awesome tutorial. I love the idea of adding fabric linings to my crocheted bags!