Free Craft: AG Doll Shopping Tote Bag

Let’s make a shopping tote bag for our 18″ American Girl dolls! The free printable template (pdf) for a plain bag can be found here. With this file you can use plain, colored, or patterned card stock. This would be a great craft for a doll-themed birthday party. Kids could decorate them with markers or stickers.

Or make them in advance and give them as party favors, filled with some doll-sized accessories, like some bow ponytail holders.  These were made using my free sewing tutorial. Get the free pattern and tutorial here.

If you want to make a shopping tote with the Avery Lane Logo on it, then use this pdf file and set your printer to “duplex” printing or double sided printing. This pdf is 2 pages. It will automatically add the logo to the other side of the page, when the printer is set to print on both sides.

Supplies

Card stock paper

Scissors

Double sided sticky tape or craft glue stick

Handles: twine, twill tape, cording, or ribbon

Instructions

1. Download and print the template onto sturdy paper, such as card stock. If using patterned paper, print onto the wrong side of the paper.

If you want to make a logo shopping bag, then use the double sided (duplex printing) file and set the printer settings for it to print on both sides of the paper.

2. Cut out the template on the solid black outside line.

3. Fold the along the pink dashed lines, folding the side gussets toward the dashed lines, as the dashed lines will be on the inside when finished.

It helps to first score all the fold lines. If you don’t have a paper scoring tool, then a butter knife or the back side of a seam ripper can also work. Use a clear ruler to score exactly along the dashed lines.

4. Place sticky tape or glue on the outside of the 2 square bottom flaps and adhere them to the rectangular flap that is in between them.

5. Place tape or glue on the remaining bottom flap along the inside and adhere it to the bottom of the bag on the outside.

6. Fold the top edge toward the inside along the fold line. Place tape or glue on the small side flap and adhere it to the bag on the inside, tucking it inside the top edge fold.

7. Use a hole punch to punch holes where indicated on the template. Hold the bag up to the light to see the dots if needed.

8. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon, cording, or string–each 6″ long. Feed each end into a hole and tie a knot on the inside.

Allow the glue to dry before using if glue was used. Otherwise, the shopping tote is all done.

You may also be interested in:

AG Doll Graphic Tee Tutorial

It’s another great party activity for kids. Use the easy-to-make Fitted Tee pattern in Sew in Style to  make the blank tees shown aboveor use store-bought. The craft instructions can be found in my guest blog post on Sew Mama Sew blog here.

Happy Sewing!
~Erin