Tutorial Tuesday - Tote

Welcome to Sunflowers and Dragonflies' weekly tutorial. I had several requests to share this tutorial with you, after I shared my class project last month. If you make a tote, please link me up because I would love to see it!


2" punch (or smaller)
4 small brads (for handles)
Score Pal or score blade
black marker (optional-for drawing on stitches)
Two large decorative buttons (for front pocket)
Double-sided tape (not shown)
Glue (not shown)
Cuttlebug (optional)
Cuttlebug templates (optional)


8 1/2" x 11" cardstock (tote) here blue
1 1/5" x 4 3/4" cardstock (side of tote) here white
6" x 3" cardstock (front pocket) here blue
2" x 3" cardstock (front pocket accent)here pink
6" x 1" cardstock (front pocket accent) here white
2 - 1/2" x 11 1/2" cardstock (handle)here white
2 - 2" circles from punch (front pocket) here pink
2 - 2" circles from punch (front pocket) here white
2 - 2" half circles from punch (front pocket) here blue



This photo is to aid you with your cuts.









This photo is to aid you in your cuts.












This is a diagram of your score, and cut, lines. Vertical score from outside edge to inside is
1 1/4". Horizontal score lines are 4 3/4" from top and bottom ends.







Go ahead and score your vertical lines 1 1/4" from outside edges inwards.









Place your paper horizontally and score your horizontal lines 4 3/4" from outside edge, inwards. Do this from the left hand side, and the right.









Now you will clip just a tiny portion of your score line. Snip the score line only to the 1 3/4" from the edges. Do not cut the piece off.









Place double-sided tape down the left and right margins, on one side only.









Fold up the clipped edge and wrap the outside edges around each other to create the sides of the tote.








Place your 2" x 3" decorative accents through the Cuttlebug (optional) and glue to the front 6" x 3" pocket, as shown.








Score the 6" x 1" decorative accent down the centre and glue on the top edge of your pocket, as shown.








Run your bottom corners through the Cuttlebug (optional). Place on the bottom edges of the front pocket, as shown.









Turn your pocket over and cut overlapping edges of circle.








Run half circle through Cuttlebug (optional) and adhere onto bottom circle, as shown.








Place decorative buttons onto front flaps, as seen here, and adhere flaps to front pocket with double sided tape. Add stitch lines, if you wish.








Adhere sides to tote. You may wish to run your cardstock through the Cuttlebug before adhering.








It is possible to give your handles a decorative touch with the Cuttlebug. Place your strip into the template, as shown, and reverse the strip and run it through the Cuttlebug, once again. If your handle is too long for the decorative template to meet the pattern in the centre, trim a little bit off your end.






Attach your handles with small brads.











Here you can see that I added two white paper buttons on the front pocket. I placed my white paper through the Cuttlebug with a circular template, and used a hole-punch to punch out two of the circles, and adhered as buttons.

You can create a coordinating 3" x 3" gift card and place it in the front pocket.






This is a quick, and easy, tote. Have fun creating yours!