With this cute bunny tote bag in hand, you’re practically guaranteed to find all the eggs this Easter. Here’s how to make it for your little ones.
How to make a bunny tote bag for Easter
Step 1: Cut out the fabric
Cut two 11″ squares of plain fabric. You can use canvas, muslin, denim, linen or any other fabric remnant you have in your stash. Any color works, but it’s ideal to avoid a printed fabric.
Also cut out two pieces of fabric 18″ x 3″. Set these aside for now.
Step 2: Create bunny ear pattern piece
Fold a piece of 8½” x 11″ paper (or something similar) in half to create a fold. Mark about 1½” in from the fold and then ½” up from the bottom of the paper.
Then, use a French curve ruler or other curved ruler to draw a curve up to the top of the piece of paper. If you don’t have a curved ruler, you can draw this freehand, or perhaps trace around a stuffed animal bunny you have in the house. As long as it looks like a floppy bunny ear, it will be great!
Step 3: Cut and sew the bunny ears
Cut out four of the bunny ear pattern. You could use the same fabric as the bag or even a contrast one.
Place two of the fabric pieces right sides together, and stitch around as shown, with a ¼” seam allowance. Leave the bottom straight end open, and then turn the bunny ears right side out. You can use the blunt end of a skewer or a point turner to get the top of the ear pushed into shape.
Press the bunny ears flat with the seams at the edge.
Step 4: Add the bunny’s facial features
In the center of one of the fabric squares, create the bunny’s nose and whiskers. You can use ribbons, small rickrack or yarn, or even draw with a fabric marker. Be sure and do these steps before sewing the bag together as it is difficult to attach the embellishments once it’s a bag shape.
For the whiskers, slightly criss-cross three lengths of embellishment, and secure in the middle with a few machine stitches.
For the nose, use a fiber that can be shaped as shown, or draw on with a marker.
For the bunny eyes, sew on two buttons.
For the fluffy bunny nose, use a pre-made pompom or create one with yarn. Tack that on in the center of the whiskers.
Step 5: Sew the bag handles
Press each piece of bag handle fabric in half longways to create a crease. Then, press each long edge in ¼” and fold in half. Stitch the long edge to enclose the straps and create a clean edge.
Step 6: Sew the squares together
Place the two fabric squares right sides together and sew around the sides and bottom edge. Depending on your fabric you may want to finish the seam edge with a serger or other method.
Step 7: Attach the ears and straps
Pin the bunny ears as shown, centered over the side seams of the bag. Stitch across to secure the ears to the bag.
Pin the straps on either side of the bag, centered as shown, and stitch across the top edge to secure ti the bag.
Step 8: Attach bias binding to the edge
Cut a length of bias 3″ x 22″. You can use the same fabric as the bag, a contrast fabric, or even use pre-made bias binding. If you’re using bias that you have made, then press the bias strip in half lengthwise.
Pin to bias to the edge of the bag with the cut edge aligned with the top of the bag. Make sure that the bunny ears and the bag handles are away from the bias edge. Stitch around the top of the bag to attach the bias binding.
Step 9: Finish the bias binding edge
Finally, flip the bias binding toward the inside of the bag, and pull up the handles and bunny ears so they will not be caught in the stitching. Press the bias into the bag, pin and stitch the edge to create a clean finish.
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