This week I wanted to share a basic tutorial that can be used for lots of different projects.  It is an adjustable bag strap.  This one is made out of foam stabilizer and fabric, which allows you to match it to any print or design you want.  *If you need your strap to be very, very sturdy (ex. heavy camera bag strap) consider making it out of store bought woven strap material instead of sewing your own strap, but still follow the tutorial to know how to add the clips and slider to make it adjustable.*

The hardware I used in the tutorial was cut off of old bags and purses that were beyond use.  This is a fantastic way to get hardware, buttons, etc for little to no cost, especially if you are trying new projects and aren’t sure how they will turn out.  In the future I plan to buy some in larger quantities such as THIS and THIS.

The size you cut your fabric and stabilizer will depend on what size of hardware you’re using.  Mine measures about 3/4 – 7/8 inch on the inside opening.

With that measurement in mind I cut 2 strips of fabric 2.5 inches wide.  This allows enough material for it to be folded in half and a half inch of each side to be turned in for the seam allowance.  So the strap will finish 3/4 inch wide.  I like my straps super long since I’m fairly tall so I believe my strap (presewn) is something like 50-60 inches in length, but got with whatever length you need plus several extra inches for making the adjustable part.  I wanted the foam stabilizer just slightly smaller than the strap so I cut 2 pieces 5/8 inches wide.

The fusible foam stabilizer I used is the Bosal In R Foam Plus.  It is a double sided stabilizer that is not only fusible, but easy to sew through.

It would have probably been better to use the single sided fusible foam for this project since I did only fuse one side, but I used what I had on hand.  But if you want to check out the single sided bosal you can find it HERE.

Ok, so now that all that is out of the way, click HERE to watch the step-by-step adjustable strap how to.

Next week I’m going to share a really neat way to make a crossbody bag that this strap is perfect for!  Until next time, Happy Sewing!

-Whitney-