How To Sew A Drawstring Laundry Bag: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you’re heading to college, decluttering your linen closet, or simply tired of plastic bags falling apart after a few uses, a handmade drawstring laundry bag is one of the most practical sewing projects you can make. It’s durable, washable, reusable, and completely customizable. Best of all, even if you’ve only been sewing for a short time, you can finish this project in an afternoon and end up with something you’ll actually use every single day.

This guide walks you through the entire process from start to finish — choosing the right fabric, cutting your pieces, sewing the seams, creating the casing, and threading the drawstring. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have everything you need to sit down at your machine and sew a laundry bag that’s sturdy enough to haul a week’s worth of clothes to the laundromat.

Why Make Your Own Laundry Bag?

You can buy a laundry bag for a few dollars at almost any store, so why bother making one? The answer is simple: store-bought bags are usually made from thin nylon that tears at the seams, has flimsy drawstrings that snap under pressure, and comes in a limited range of sizes. A bag you sew yourself is built to your exact specifications. You can make it larger for a family, smaller for delicates, or sized to fit inside a specific laundry hamper. You choose the fabric, the color, and the cord thickness, which means the finished product actually works the way you need it to.

There’s also the satisfaction factor. Knowing you made something useful with your own hands has a way of making even mundane chores feel a little more intentional. A lot of sewers who make one laundry bag end up making several — one for each family member, one for gym clothes, one for lingerie that goes in the delicate wash cycle. Once you know the method, you can scale up or down in a matter of minutes.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cut a single piece of fabric, gather everything on this list. Having your materials ready before you start keeps the project moving and prevents the frustration of stopping mid-seam to hunt for something.

Fabric: You’ll need approximately one yard of fabric for a standard-sized laundry bag measuring roughly 18 inches wide by 24 inches tall. Canvas, denim, duck cloth, and sturdy cotton twill are all excellent choices because they hold up to repeated washing and the weight of wet clothes. For a lighter-duty bag meant for delicates or lingerie, a tightly woven quilting cotton or even a linen blend works beautifully. Avoid anything too stretchy or too loosely woven, as those fabrics won’t hold the seams well under the stress of a full load.

Drawstring cord or ribbon: You’ll need approximately 60 to 70 inches of cord to thread through the casing and still have enough length to tie a secure knot. Cotton rope, nylon paracord, grosgrain ribbon, or even a length of leather lacing all work well. Choose something at least a quarter inch thick so it’s easy to grip when you’re cinching the bag closed.

Thread: Use an all-purpose polyester or cotton thread in a color that matches or complements your fabric. For heavy fabrics like canvas, make sure your thread is rated for heavyweight material.

Sewing machine: Any basic sewing machine will handle this project. You don’t need any special attachments or stitches beyond a straight stitch and, optionally, a zigzag stitch for finishing raw edges.

Scissors or a rotary cutter and cutting mat: Sharp fabric scissors make cleaner cuts, which makes sewing easier. If you have a rotary cutter and mat, use them for perfectly straight edges.

Pins or fabric clips: These hold your fabric in place while you sew.

A safety pin or bodkin: You’ll use this to thread the drawstring cord through the casing. A large safety pin clipped to the end of the cord does the job perfectly.

Iron and ironing board: Pressing your seams as you go is one of the easiest ways to make a finished project look professional. Don’t skip this step.

Measuring tape or ruler: Accuracy matters when you’re cutting fabric, so use a proper measuring tool rather than eyeballing.

Fabric marker or tailor’s chalk: For marking your cutting lines and any reference points on the fabric.

Choosing the Right Size

A standard laundry bag for one adult is typically around 18 inches wide and 24 to 28 inches tall. This holds a week’s worth of clothes comfortably without becoming so heavy it’s difficult to carry. If you want to make a larger bag for a family or for a trip to the laundromat with multiple loads, increase the width to 22 or 24 inches and the height to 30 inches. For a small bag meant for delicates, gym clothes, or travel, 14 inches wide by 18 inches tall is plenty.

The instructions below are written for an 18-by-24-inch finished bag. To adjust the size, simply change your cutting dimensions accordingly, always adding one inch to the width for seam allowances and three inches to the height to account for the casing at the top.

Step 1: Cut Your Fabric

For an 18-by-24-inch finished bag, cut your fabric to 38 inches wide by 27 inches tall. The extra width accounts for the side seams on both sides, and the extra height gives you enough fabric to fold over and create the drawstring casing at the top.

If your fabric has a directional print — meaning the design is clearly right-side-up in only one direction — make sure you’re cutting with the print oriented correctly. Place the fabric on your cutting surface, smooth it out so there are no wrinkles, and use your ruler and fabric marker to draw your cutting lines before you cut. This small step prevents mistakes that waste fabric.

After cutting, if your fabric is prone to fraying, run a zigzag stitch or a serger along all four raw edges before you do anything else. This keeps the edges tidy throughout the construction process and extends the life of the finished bag.

Step 2: Fold and Press the Fabric

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise so the right sides are facing each other. The fold creates the bottom of your bag, and the two open side edges will become the seams. Press the fold firmly with your iron so you have a crisp, even crease at the bottom.

This single-piece method is the simplest approach for a drawstring bag because it eliminates the need for a separate bottom seam. The folded edge at the bottom is already finished, which means there’s no raw edge to fray and the bottom of your bag is inherently strong.

Line up the raw side edges carefully, pin them together every two to three inches, and make sure the top edges are also aligned evenly. Take a moment to double-check that everything is straight before you move to the sewing machine.

Step 3: Create the Casing Opening

Before you sew the side seams, you need to mark and leave an opening on each side for the drawstring cord to pass through. Without this opening, you won’t be able to thread the cord through the casing after it’s sewn.

On each pinned side edge, measure down 2.5 inches from the top raw edge and place a pin or mark with your fabric marker. This marks where the casing opening begins. The section from the very top down to this mark will be left unsewn so the drawstring can exit the bag on both sides.

This is a detail that’s easy to overlook when you’re eager to start sewing, so mark both sides clearly before you sit down at the machine.

Step 4: Sew the Side Seams

Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch with a stitch length of 2.5 to 3 mm — slightly longer than the default, which helps with heavier fabrics. Use a half-inch seam allowance throughout this project.

Starting at the marked point 2.5 inches down from the top, sew down along the side edge toward the folded bottom of the bag. When you reach the bottom fold, pivot and sew a few stitches across the fold to reinforce it, then pivot again and sew up the other side, stopping at the mark on that side as well.

Backstitch at both the beginning and end of your seam to lock the stitches in place. This is especially important at the casing opening, where the seam will take stress every time someone pulls the drawstring.

Repeat this process for both side seams. When you’re done, you’ll have a tube of fabric that’s open at the top, closed at the bottom, and has a small opening on each side near the top.

Press both side seams open with your iron. This distributes the bulk of the seam allowance and makes the bag lie flatter and look neater.

Step 5: Sew the Casing Opening Edges

Turn the bag right-side-out and look at the openings you left near the top of each side seam. The raw edges inside those openings need to be finished so they don’t fray over time. Fold each raw edge under by a quarter inch and press it flat, then fold it under by another quarter inch and press again. Topstitch along the folded edge to secure it. This creates a clean, finished opening that the drawstring cord can slide in and out of without snagging.

If your fabric is particularly thick, you may find it easier to hand-sew these small openings closed with a whipstitch rather than trying to get your machine foot into such a tight spot. Either method works perfectly well.

Step 6: Create the Drawstring Casing

Turn the bag inside-out again. At the top raw edge of the bag, fold the edge down by a half inch toward the wrong side of the fabric and press it. Then fold it down again by 1.5 inches and press it again. Pin the folded casing in place all the way around.

Sew the casing down by stitching along the bottom folded edge, removing pins as you go. Sew all the way around the bag, being careful not to sew over the openings you created in the side seams. When you get back to where you started, backstitch to lock the seam.

For extra durability, sew a second line of stitching along the very top folded edge of the casing as well. This box-style casing is much stronger than a single-seam version and prevents the casing from pulling away from the bag over time.

Press the finished casing flat. Turn the bag right-side-out and admire how clean and professional it looks.

Step 7: Thread the Drawstring

Attach a large safety pin to one end of your drawstring cord. Working from one of the side openings, insert the safety pin into the casing and begin feeding it through, scrunching the fabric ahead of the pin as you work your way around. Thread the cord all the way around until it comes out the same side opening you started from.

Now take the other end of the cord, insert it into the opening on the opposite side of the bag, and thread it all the way around until it comes out that same opening. When you’re finished, you’ll have two cord ends coming out of each side opening — one from the same opening and one that traveled all the way around. Pull both ends together to cinch the bag closed. This two-cord method distributes the tension evenly around the entire casing rather than pulling from one side only.

Tie a knot in each pair of cord ends to keep them from being pulled back through the casing. A simple overhand knot works fine, or you can tie a more decorative knot if you’d like. If the ends of your cord are fraying, seal them with a lighter flame (for nylon cord) or a dab of fray check sealer (for cotton rope or ribbon).

Step 8: Finishing Touches

Give the entire bag a final press with your iron to smooth any wrinkles and set the seams. If you’d like to add a personal touch, now is a great time to sew on a label with your name, add a small patch or embroidery to the front, or stitch a hanging loop near the top of one side seam so the bag can hang on a hook inside a closet door.

Wash the finished bag once before you use it, especially if you’re using canvas or denim that might shrink slightly. This also removes any chalk marks or manufacturing residue from the fabric.

Tips for Making Your Bag Even Better

Using a French seam instead of a plain seam eliminates exposed raw edges inside the bag entirely, which is a nice upgrade if you’re using fabric that frays aggressively. A French seam encloses the raw edges within the seam itself, creating a very clean interior.

If you want a bag with more structure, cut a circle of fabric and a piece of stiff interfacing or foam for the bottom of the bag instead of using the folded edge method. Sew the bottom circle in separately for a bag that stands upright on its own.

For a two-tone look, cut the top section that becomes the casing from a contrasting fabric and sew it on before creating the casing. This adds a design element without requiring any additional skill.

Adding a small zippered pocket to the outside of the bag gives you a spot to store dryer sheets, quarters for the laundromat, or a small bottle of detergent — an especially useful modification for anyone who does laundry away from home.

Caring for Your Handmade Laundry Bag

One of the great advantages of a fabric laundry bag over a plastic one is that you can throw it directly into the wash when it gets grimy. Wash it with like colors in cold or warm water, and tumble dry on medium heat. Avoid high heat settings, especially if you used a nylon drawstring cord, as high heat can warp it.

If your bag develops a small tear at the seam, repair it promptly before it becomes a larger problem. A quick line of stitching over the damaged area takes two minutes and will extend the life of the bag considerably.

Final Thoughts

Sewing a drawstring laundry bag is one of those projects that punches well above its weight in terms of usefulness versus effort. You invest an afternoon, some fabric scraps, and a length of cord, and you get back a durable, washable, personalized bag that will serve you for years. It’s also a fantastic project if you’re building your sewing skills, because it introduces you to folding and pressing seams, creating a casing, and working with a drawstring — all techniques that show up again and again in more complex projects.

Once you’ve made your first one, you’ll find yourself thinking of variations. A mesh bag for washing delicates. A waxed canvas bag for camping. A cheerful printed cotton bag to give as a gift at a college graduation. The basic method is always the same, and from there the possibilities are entirely up to you.