How to Make a Cute Little Mini Bag to Hang on Your Bag Handle Strap

The body of this cute mini bag is just 3 inches (8 cm) square. It’s the perfect size to hang on your main bag handle to hold your keys. It uses so little fabric, you can easily make it from scraps.

Tools and materials: 

• Cotton linen main color
• Cotton linen contrast color
• Cotton lining
• Fusible interfacing
• D ring 3/8” (1 cm) wide
• Swivel hook 3/8” (1 cm) wide
• Plastic snap fasteners
• Snap setting tool
• Bradawl
• Fabric clips
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Fabric marker
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Label (optional)
• Hand sewing needle and thread (optional)

2. Prepare the strap and handles

Fold the two larger contrast strips in half lengthways and press. Open them out and press the long edges towards the center.

Fold them in half lengthways again and press.

Repeat with the narrower strip and top stitch both the long edges on each.

Cut 2 inches (5 cm) from one end of the narrow strip.

Pass it through the D ring and clip the ends together.

Thread the longer piece through the swivel hook, tuck the raw edge under and stitch both pieces to secure them.

3. Attach the handles

Iron the three pieces of interfacing to the wrong side of the matching linen fabric.

Turn the main fabric pieces with the wrong side uppermost.

Clip one handle to each piece as shown, 1 3/8” (3.5 cm) from each side edge.

Stitch in place up one side of each handle to 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the upper edge, then sew across the handle and down the other side.

4. Sew the bag base

Fold the gusset piece in half lengthways with the right side inside.

Draw and cut out a 5/8” by 1/4” (1.5 cm by 0.5 cm) rectangle at the folded corners.

Open out the gusset and place it on top of one of the bag pieces with the right sides together.

Sew in place across the bottom edges of the handle.

Top stitch the seam on the right side.

Attach the other handle piece to the gusset in the same way.

Fold the bag in half with the right sides facing and sew the side seams.

Finger press the side seams open.

Pinch the sides of the cut-outs together into points and sew straight across them to create a flat base.

5. Attach the straps

Clip the D ring and swivel hook straps inside the bag at the side seams. Align the open ends with the top edge of the bag and sew in place.

6. Make and attach the lining

Cut a 5/8” (1.5 cm) square from the bottom corners of the lining pieces.

Place the pieces together with the right sides facing.

Sew down each side seam to the cut outs.

Sew the bottom seam, leaving a small opening.

Complete the flat base of the lining as you did for the outer bag.

Turn the lining right side out.

With the outer bag wrong side out, tuck the handles and straps inside it.

Tuck the lining inside the bag so the right sides are facing each other.

Line up the top edges and sew the lining to the bag around the circumference.

Pull the lining out of the bag.

Reach your fingers through the opening in the lining and pull the bag through it to turn it right side out.

Fold in the edges of the opening and stitch it closed.

Tuck the lining back inside the bag.

Stitch around the top edge from the outside to hold the lining in place.

7. Finishing

Attach plastic snap buttons to the inside of the bag near the top edge.

You can place one button centrally on each side, or two near the side seams for a more secure closure.

Optionally, hand sew a label to one side of the bag.

Cute DIY mini bag

This mini bag makes a cute and trendy addition to any of your larger tote bags and it’s easy to swap from one bag to another.

If you prefer, you can scale up the dimensions I give to make a full size bag using the same construction techniques.

Do you find a mini bag like this useful? I’d love to know what you would use it for. Please drop me a comment below with your ideas.