Easy Bucket Bag Purse Pattern – Fabric Or Leather

This bucket bag pattern is the ideal project for those of you who would like to experiment with different materials.  A couple of weeks ago I showed you a round bag made with cord.  This time I am using upholstery fabric which is a very short pile velour to see how hard it is to work with to make bags.  I think it came out pretty well!

The bucket bag can be carried as a cross body, or as a pail (which means by hand).  Bear in mind, the definition of bucket applies here and if you want to carry the bag on one shoulder, then perhaps you need to make the straps a little longer.

This type of bag is not new at all.  It first came to fashion in the 1900's, from a pouch with a string and a hardened bottom.  However, this bag style is still largely accredited to Coach, who first launched a collection of bucket bags in 1963.  These bags became popular because of the easy-going nature of the bag.  You can just throw things in and go. By 1967 all the major accessory houses had versions of the bucket bag.

What made me think of this bag? Well, I was watching the Bucket List with Morgan Freeman, my favorite actor.  The first time I made a bucket list, I was seven years old, then again at nine, and 15, 19, 21, well, you get the picture.  I have plenty of lists, but no bucket.  So here is mine!

As you make it, just keep in mind, that as I predicted when I was designing the bag, the combination of velour and the lining made it a little difficult to sew.  Using lots of clips (many) or pins (even more) is highly recommended.  The dimensions of the bag are 15 inches wide and 11 inches tall.  There are seven pockets inside.

Materials

• 1/2 yard, 54″ wide upholstery fabric, thick canvas (see recommendations below)
• 1/2 yard, 54″ wide Lining fabric
• 1/2″ Bias tape, one roll (approx 2 yards)
• 17 mm Grommets 
• Polyester Thread for sewing canvas
• Double-sided tape 3/8″ wide
• One large bead for the tassel with a 10mm hole
• Pellon Peltex 
• Magnetic bag clasp (optional)

My Fabric Recommendations

Tools

• Kam tool
• Zipper foot
• Jeans needle
• Inches to centimeters converter (Optional)
• Rotary cutter (optional)
• Exacto or craft knife (Optional)

Pattern Download

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Layout for the bucket bag pattern

How to use and cut your bucket bag pattern

Print the pattern using Adobe Reader.  This is the only program you need to download and print the pattern.

Print using Actual Size and Landscape Mode.  There are additional instructions for printing on the pattern.

Cut the fabric on a straight grain.  The following instructions are for making a bag in fabric. For leather, the instructions differ a little and will not be covered in this tutorial.  Seam allowances vary.  Please check the tutorial below.

This project is for intermediate sewers that have experience with sewing zippers, applying bias tape, sewing curves and who have made handbags and handled thick fabric before. 

Part One Of Making Your Bucket Bag

Step One: Fusing the lining

Apply the fusible interfacing to the lining and to the outside fabric.  The type of interfacing you need is one that is not so stiff.  This is a soft bucket bag and it is not meant to be a rigid design.  Check your pattern and you will see the interfacing is 2″ shorter than the outside of the bag.  This is to avoid making the rim too thick when you fold the top in and when you apply the grommets.

Step Two: Making the pockets

I am using one side of the pocket in the fashion fabric and the other side in the lining fabric.

You can use both lining or both fashion fabric depending on the thickness of the fabric and the capabilities of your sewing machine.

Place the lining and the fabric right sides together.

Sew the bottom which is one of the long edges at 3/8″ and iron the seam allowance open.

Repeat the above steps with the other pocket.

Bring these two pockets right sides together and sew at 5/8″ along the narrow edge making a long rectangle.   

Iron all the seams open.  You will have the lining on one side and the fashion fabric on the other.

Apply bias tape to the raw side of the pockets.  Starting on the right side of the fabric, place the right side of the tape and sew on the crease.  At this point, you need to change the thread to match the bias tape.

Trim the fashion fabric 1/8″ being careful not to cut the bias tape. Fold the tape over to the lining side and topstitch very close to the edge on the right side of the fashion fabric.

Step Three: Sewing the lining, lining the pockets and bottom

Place the right sides of the lining together and sew at 5/8″ only one side.  Iron the seams open.  (Sorry no pictures of this step.)

Place the lining right side up, and pin the pockets following the pattern.  This will be 1/2″ from the bottom.

Align the seam of the pocket with the seam of the lining and sew the pocket down to the lining. 

Make two stitching lines from the top of each side of pockets, five inches apart from each other to make three pockets.  You will be sewing four lines total and this will divide the pockets into a total of six.

Sew the bottom of the pockets 1/8″ from the edge making sure the bottom of the pockets is at 1/2″ from the bottom of the lining.

At this point, you can add an internal pocket with a zipper if you like.  This is optional.  Here's how:

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Step Four: Sewing the bottom

These instructions apply to both the lining and the outside of the bag.  They are basically copies of each other that we will fit together further in this tutorial.

Pin the bottom of the bag on both sides seams first, then pin from the side where you topstitched the pocket to the lining in Step Three and work your way to the other side.

Work from the seam to right and then again from the seam to the left.  Sew at 1/4″ first. Then sew at 3/8″.  Use your zipper foot to be able to navigate better around the rounded corners. Trim the seam allowance to reduce the bulk. 

Topstitch on the side to keep the seam allowance open.  Trim the upholstery fabric to reduce the bulk.

Step Five: Sewing the outside

Place the ride sides together and sew at 5/8″.

Apply the bias tape to the top as you did with the pocket in the lining.

Attach the bottom to the bucket.  Pin at the seam first then work your way to the right and to the left as you did when attaching the bottom to the lining.  

Sew at 3/8″ then reduce the seam allowance to 1/4″ and turn the bag right side out. 

Apply the bias tape to the top as you did with the pocket in the lining.

This is a great place to take a break without losing track of your progress. We'll continue below with the second phase of the project. Below I will show you how to join the lining and the outside, add the pockets to the bag and make the zipper pouch.  I'll also give you some pointers on how to make a leather version of the bag.

Part Two

Here's the second part of our bucket bag tutorial and pattern.  In Part One, we made the interior and the exterior of the bucket bag.  In this part, we will be trying to avoid turning your bag into a “black hole” by making a small zippered pocket to be added to the lining for the little bits you do not want to have swimming at the bottom of the bag.  We'll also be joining the lining with the outside of the bag and making and attaching the handles to finish the bag.

A few of you have asked me where I bought the fabric I used in my own project.  I bought it a few months ago in a store called Spotlight which is found in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, but unfortunately not elsewhere. The fabric is called Crane Velvet and it came in four colors but appears to be discontinued now unfortunately. 

Step Six:  Joining the lining with the outside

Insert the lining in the bucket bag and turn the top of the bag inside by two inches.  Put aside, for now, we need to make the zippered pocket that will hang from the main fabric.

Step Seven: Adding an additional zippered pocket

This is an optional step, but I find it useful to have an additional zippered pocket between the lining and the main fabric.  We did a similar thing in the Gleam bag but I'm going to show you here now as well.

I am only adding a 4″ zippered pocket, just enough for a few coins, keys or lipstick.

These are the extra materials you will need to make this additional zippered pocket.

• 12.5″ X 6.5″ rectangle in lining fabric
• 4.5″ metal zipper

Place the rectangle with the longest side vertical, right side up.  With the zipper right side down, sew it to the top of the rectangle.

Turn the zipper the right way.  

Topstitch in place 1/8″ from the fabric edge. 

Bring the zipper tape to the other end of the rectangle. 

And sew the zipper down.  Turn the pouch inside out.

Open the zipper and topstitch on the other side of the zipper.  Fold the pouch inch on the top and pin on the sides.  

Sew on the sides at 1/4″ and trim the sides to 1/8″.

Turn the pouch inside out through the zipper. 

Sew the sides at 1/2″.

Turn the pouch the right way out through the zipper. 

Pin the pouch to the main fabric and use the space between the bias tape and the fabric to stitch down the zipper pouch.  Try to align it in the middle of the bag. 

This step is also optional as well, but I find it useful to have a magnet to close the bucket.  I have used a sew-on magnet because it is the easiest to apply.  Just make sure you sew it centered with each part on opposite sides of the bag.

Step Seven: Attaching the grommets

Using the pattern, mark the bag to place the grommets.  For a step-by-step demo on how to attach grommets please follow this tutorial on sewing with grommets.

Sewing With Grommets & Eyelets: Tips, Tricks & Projects

Step Eight: Making the handles

Place the double-sided tape on both sides of the strips.

Peel the white paper off and fold the side in.

Take the other side off and fold in as well. 

Fold the strip again and sew in the middle.  Repeat the steps to make another strap.  Put this aside.

Take the small rectangle and use the double-sided tape to turn the sides in.

Place the straps ends on either side of the handle.  

Place the other strap on the other side of the rectangle.

Sew the rectangle around at 1/8″.

Final Decoration

I have made a tassel for decoration.  If you want to make to make an easy tassel like this one, just follow this tutorial.

Three Ways to Make an Easy Tassel

Thread the strap to the tassel and lace the strap into the front grommets of the bag.  In order to have the tassel hanging from the strap without the use of a lobster claw, you need to thread the tassel before you attach the next set of rectangles to join the straps together.

There is no reason why you can't make this bucket bag pattern using quilting cotton as well.  All you will need is some batting to make the fabric thicker to about 2mm.

I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I have. I love that this bag is a great cross of fashion and utility. I find that these types of projects are some of my favorite to make as I can customize them easily for daily use.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and Until Next Time, Happy Sewing.

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