Large hobo bag

Slouchy “Denim Hug” bag

Denim is never out of fashion! And making a denim bag from some old jeans is not only eco-friendly and sustainable but also gives you a cool addition to any outfit!

This is sewing pattern and tutorial how to make a large hobo bag. I called it “Denim Hug” bag because it is slouchy and snugs to your body pretty much like it’s hugging you 🙂

The handle trick

With this sewing tutorial you will learn how to make an absolutely neat handle, which you can use in other bags too. I know there are some tutorials about how to make a handle like this, and there different ways to do it. I will show you the most tidy result where all seams are 100% enclosed and no openings covered by stitching. The handle is strong and professional looking. For those who have already been trying sewing this type of bag – yes, there is a trick in the order of sewing parts together.

To make this large hobo bag you will need

This DIY project requires large size and wide leg jeans. I have noticed that the waist size does not matter here. But the leg width is what we need to pay attention to.

Due to so many shapes and leg widths, instead of jeans size, I’d rather give you the following measurements. Those are minimum for the pattern to fit. The larger your jeans — the better and easier to work with 🙂

Leg length measuring from bottom hem up to the bum pocket. For the larger bag with the longer handle — minimum 69cm (27”). For the smaller bag and a shorter handle — minimum 65cm (25,5”).

Leg width. You will notice that the front leg is always narrower than the back. So between seams of the front leg it needs to be minimum 20cm (8”). Those you can use for the side panels. As for the centre panels you’d need jeans wider than 22cm (9”) or you can use other fabric or patchwork for this.

Lining. The whole bag fits into two rectangles of 71x58cm (28”x23”). If the print on the fabric has a direction — remember that the height is larger than width.

If you are planning to make this bag from a solid piece of fabric, not using jeans — you will need to consider the same things as mentioned for the lining. Using this step by step tutorial and pattern you can make a slouchy soft bag with almost any other fabric. But denim is always on trend! And using old jeans helps our Mother Nature in a very big way!

Sizes of the large hobo bag

There are two sizes possible to make with this pattern. Please note that the smaller version still makes quite a large bag (on pics models are XS-S). Also there are two handle options. You can mix and match the size and handle options.

Sewing pattern

This is a digital pattern – meaning that after payment you will receive files to your email to download and print.

The instructions are full of photos and it’s easy to follow with the step by step pictures and text. For the hard bit of making the handle there is a video.

I’d rate the difficulty level as medium. It’s not too complicated, but you do need some sewing experience.

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