"upcycling bags" centralia

Accessories are, by far, my favorite form of fashion. Specifically, I love unusual jewelry (vintage or upcycled), scarves, and bags (thrifted or upcycled). So, it's not exactly surprising that I have quite a few blog posts for accessories. I might actually have more tutorials for DIY bags (or upcycling bags into something else) than any other accessory.

My collection includes DIY bags that I bought from artisan markets, such as these upcycled tote bags. One from a vintage feed sack and the other from a vintage delivery bag.

upcycled tote bags that are made from old canvas

And this one that was made from a vintage tablecloth- isn't it just darling?

market bag from a vintage tablecloth

But, as I'd mentioned, I've made plenty of DIY bags on my blog, as well! One of my favorites involved upcycling a purse into a hip bag for hands-free shopping .

Hip purse from a small leather handbag

Such an improvement over a regular ole' fanny pack, right?

I also included a few bag ideas in my book, "Crafting with Flannel" , as well!

drawstring pouch from the sleeve of a flannel shirt

These just scratch the surface of bag-making from upcycled materials, though. And sometimes, a pre-made bag is upcycled into something else entirely. So, the upcycling street goes both ways.

repurposing ideas for a cotton face mask

If you're anything like me, though, you're ALSO a fan of bags (and purses, totes, and clutches, too). So, I scoured the web and gathered all sorts of upcycling ideas for DIY bags to help inspire your next bag-making endeavor!

Upcycling Ideas for DIY Bags

SO MANY IDEAS, so little time. Isn't that always the case? But these really make me want to try my hand at another bag project…

Making an envelope clutch from a table runner

Or, perhaps I'll find a bag at a thrift store and repurpose it into something else entirely! It certainly wouldn't be the first time that happened …

coastal collection of bottles

Either way, think you'll try out a new idea for a DIY or upcycled bag? I promise, you don't need to be an expert sewist, either. Or even a mediocre sewist, which is what I am. Sometimes, all I do is embellish a bag from the thrift !

refashioning with ribbon belts

Little to no sewing required. Either way, I'm fairly certain there is an upcycled bag idea out there for you, no matter your crafting or sewing level.

And thrift stores are a great place to start, no matter which project you decide to tackle!

embellishing a canvas tote bag with a shirt pocket

I hope you've been inspired by this collection of DIY bags. I know I've got oodles of thrifted fabric that I could get started with, if I wanted to go the sewing route. But who knows, maybe a tote at the thrift store will inspire me to go in a new direction.

Update- one already did !

decorating a wool tote with leather leaves