How to Make Strong Nylon Webbing Tote Bag Straps

When planning out a tote bag pattern, one of the most important thing to consider is the tote bag straps. Depending on what you are intending the bag to be used for, you want to make sure they are nice and sturdy. ZJ Humbach shows how to make tote bag straps from one long continuous piece of nylon webbing, making it extra secure.

Nylon Webbing

Whether you are making a gym bag or a reusable grocery bag, nylon webbing is a sturdy and easy choice for tote bag straps. Nylon webbing comes in a variety of colors as well as a variety of widths, generally anywhere from ⅜” up to 2” wide. Nylon webbing is also rated for breaking strength, which is something you can generally find on a label or a manufacturer’s website. If you are making a tote bag for general everyday use, any nylon webbing you choose should be more than strong enough. A typical flat piece of nylon webbing that is 1” wide and only .1 of an inch thick has a breaking strength of around 750 pounds.

Construction

Once you have your webbing chosen, ZJ shows you how to sew nylon onto a tote bag in one continuous loop, making it extra secure. To determine the length of nylon webbing you will need, measure the length of the rectangle or square that makes up the tote bag body before it is stitched together and double that number. Next, determine how long of handles you want on each side of the bag and add that to your first number. When demonstrating how to sew nylon webbing onto the bag, ZJ overlaps the ends of the webbing slightly, so you will want to account for that as well. ZJ then shows where and how to place the nylon webbing tote bag strap onto the bag and how to sew it in place, adding extra reinforcement stitches at the overlapping ends and at the tops of the bag.