Love sewing bags? Let’s make it even easier! Here’s an easy to follow step by step tutorial for how to make an adjustable strap for any bag. Do you want your bag to change into a crossbody bag like this one in a moment? Or shorten the strap to sling it over your shoulder? You can do it all with this diy adjustable strap tutorial.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support. For more about bag sewing, check out these tutorials:
- Free Messenger Bag tutorial!
- How To Add Easy Zipper Tabs (These Will Make All Your Bags Look Cute!)
- All About Interfacing (probably No 1 thing in bags!)
A bag that has an adjustable strap is so much better than those with a fixed-length one!
Not all bags come with an adjustable strap, but it’s such a handy thing to have on a bag! Imagine the many times would like to wear your bag across the body, to keep your hands free! And other days, when you’d like it to keep it simple and short over one shoulder. With an adjustable strap, just change the length, so it suits all your needs!
Let me show you how easy it is, and I bet you’ll always want to make all your bag straps adjustable! Here’s the how-to.
How to Make an Adjustable Bag Strap
This tutorial is meant for the strap width of 1 1/4 inch (32 mm). If you want another width, adjust accordingly.
Supplies And Hardware For Making Bag Straps
You’ll Need:
- bag hardware: 2 rectangular rings (width 1 1/4″ = 32 mm) and 1 strap slider adjuster (width 1 1/4″ = 32 mm)
- a long strip of fabric, at least 53 inch long
- fusible woven interfacing
FABRIC CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS
You’ll need these pieces:
OUTER FABRIC:
– cut a long stripe: 53″ long, 5″ wide (= 134.5 cm x 12.70 cm)
– cut two pieces for side strap tabs: each 2 3/4″ long, 5″ wide (= 7 cm x 12.70 cm)
INTERFACING:
– use stiff, fusible woven interfacing
– cut a long stripe: 52″ long, 2.5″ wide (= 132 cm x 6.3 cm)
– cut two pieces for side strap tabs: each 2 3/4″ long, 2.5″ wide (= 7 cm x 6.3 cm)
ALTERNATIVELY, you can use ready-made cotton webbing: length 60″, width 1 1/4″ will be the same as the fabric measurements above (for my metric-countries friends, that would be 150cm x 32 mm)
Sewing Instructions:
These instructions are split into 4 parts, to make it easier for you:
A) Make the SIDE STRAP TABS
B) Make The LONG STRAP, and
C) Attach the SLIDER
D) ATTACH ADJUSTABLE STRAP TO THE BAG
1) First, let’s apply interfacing:
– to the middle of the entire long outer fabric stripe
– to the middle of the side strap tabs (mind the direction of the interfacing pieces! – see the image)
2) MAKE SIDE STRAP TABS
For each side strap piece, do this:
– First press both unlined edges towards the center and then
– Fold the tab in half along the center. Press again.
These are the two pressed stripe tabs. You’ll finish one short end on each of these.
Unfold the center fold and re-fold it inside-out – see the image:
Stitch over the short end, using the 3/8″ (=1 cm) seam allowance.
Trim the corners to reduce bulk and turn right side out and press. Now you have this:
Repeat on ONE short end of the OTHER stripe tab.
Fold the stripe tab through the rectangle ring, leaving the unfinished edge hidden behind the finished edge. (See the image?)
I usually baste stitch to keep the fold in place.
Now it’s time to attach the side strap tab to the side of a bag. No matter how it is constructed, you want to attach the tab to the side, so the top part with the hardware is on the bag level or a bit higher.
Get ready for bulk. Stitch slowly, pivot at corners.
You will notice that I only stitch a rectangle when there is a lot of layers to sew through. The seam is strong enough, but if you prefer, you can do it the ‘envelope style’ (see below)
Repeat with the other tab. Attach the second one on the other side of the bag side seam.
B)MAKE THE LONG STRAP
•First press both unlined edges towards the center and then
•fold the strap in half along the center. Press again.
You should have a long narrow stripe measuring 1.25″ (=32mm)
Now we’ll finish the short ends: unfold the center fold and re-fold it inside-out – see the image.
Stitch over the short end, using the 3/8″ (=1 cm) seam allowance.
Repeat on the other short end of the bag strap.
Turn both short ends right-side-out. Then topstitch first along the open (and pressed!) long edge, all the way to the end of the long stripe. Repeat the topstitching on the other long side.
This is the finished strap. Now you’ll add a few pieces of hardware to make it adjustable.
C) Attach the SLIDER
Attach the metal slider adjuster to one end of the strap:
Place the slider adjuster ‘right’ (front) side down, and the strap should be placed with the outer side facing down, too.
Thread the end of the strap around the middle bar of the tri-glider.
Stitch in place, using the ‘envelope-style’ seam. Or you can simply stitch a rectangle to secure the end of the strap.
See the next image to learn how to form the ‘envelope-formed’ seam.
D) ATTACH ADJUSTABLE STRAP TO THE BAG
You’ve already got the metal slider adjuster on one end of the strap. Place the stripe so that the fabric fold is visible from the top of the stripe.
(1)Now, grab the other, free end of the strap, and guid it through one side strap tab on the bag.
(2)Guide it through the slider.
(3)Feed it through the other rectangular tab on the other side of the bag, from the bottom.
Your free end of the strap now just needs to be attached to the side tab on the bag. Fold it …
…and stitch in place.
- Start at the GREEN dot
- Follow the steps 1-7
- End at the RED dot.
Congrats! You’ve just learnt how to make adjustable straps for any bag you want!
Save For Later, so you keep the tutorial at hand for whenever you need it:
Want More Free Patterns+Tutorials?
 |
| Get the TEYA pattern HERE. |
Leave a Reply