Travel Laundry Bag Sewing Tutorial

Traveling with family is one of our favorite things. We love spending time together, seeing new places, and making memories. But let’s be real—keeping track of clothes can be a headache. Dirty laundry piles up fast, and it’s easy to lose socks or mix up outfits.

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A while back, my mother-in-law gave us a simple cloth laundry bag. It went on every trip and made things so much easier. We could toss all our dirty clothes in one place and not worry about messes.

To this day, we use that laundry bag. However, the kids are growing, going on their own trips and producing a LOT more laundry than our one bag can hold.

They needed their own bags, so we came up with an easy pattern to make travel laundry bags for each of them. These bags are quick to sew, lightweight, and super handy on the road.

How to sew a simple drawstring bag for travel.

VIDEO: DIY Laundry Bag

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How to Sew a Traveling Laundry Bag

Materials Needed

Large Laundry Bag

(2) 22" x 31" cotton fabric - bag
(2) 44" x 2.5" cotton fabric - pull strings
Thread

Small Intimates Laundry Bag

(2) 19" x 12" cotton fabric - bag
(2) 22" x 2" cotton fabric - pull strings
Thread

Step 1

Cut out 2 bag pieces and 2 pull string pieces. Use the measurements above to decide the size.

Step 2

Take a drawstring piece and fold it long with right sides together. Stitch down the long edge at 1/4". Leaving the ends open.

Step 3

Turn drawstring right side out using a safety pin or a bodkin. Press.

Repeat with opposite pull string.

Step 4

Place the two bag pieces with right sides together. Measure down 2.5" from the top edge and make a marking. Repeat with the opposite side of the bag.

Step 5

Stitch the two layers together from one marking to the other. Leaving the top edge open and unsewn.

Clip from the edge of the marking you made to the stitching.

Step 6

Match the opposite corners together to make a straight line. Match the side seam and bottom seam to make a triangle shape corner. Measure 1" from the corner for the small bag and 3" from the corner for the large bag. Make a line across with a fabric pen. Stitch across this line.

Repeat with opposite corner.

Step 7

Trim the corner down to the stitch line and add a seam finish.

Step 8

Press the open seam at the top of the bag and press to the wrong side 1/4".

Step 9

Stitch around a U shape around the pressed seams. Repeat with the opposite side.

Step 10

Press the top edge down 1/4". Press again 1" to meet where the clipped edge is. Press.

Repeat with opposite side.

Step 11

Stitch across the pressed seam on one side to create a casing. Repeat with the opposite side.

Step 12

Place a safety pin on the end of the drawstring and thread the drawstring through the right side of the bag, to the opposite side, then through the back side of the bag and out the final side.

Tie the two ends together or stitch together.

Step 13

Repeat step 12 but on the left side of the bag through the openings and around to the back.

Finally, pull your drawstrings at the same time and you have a finished laundry bag.