Thick 100% Wool Felt Geometric Bag

Creating geometric patterns is a practice that spans centuries and continues to captivate makers today. These patterns are characterized by repetitive shapes and symmetrical designs and are found in contemporary architecture, digital art, and fashion. Inspiration is all around us, and with the Thick 100% Wool Designer Felts from The Felt Store, you can transform your creative ideas into tangible, stylish pieces. This geometric bag is easy to make and can be customized to any size. The most challenging part is cutting the pieces evenly, but with patience and care, you’ll have a beautiful, finished bag in no time.

Making this bag has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m excited to share the process with you. In this tutorial, I will show you how to create this geometric bag using a single color of felt. However, consider stocking up on remnants from The Felt Store’s remnant sale to design a multicolored version perfect for any occasion or season. The variety of colors available will allow you to create a unique, vibrant bag.

Materials from The Felt Store:

Designer Wool Felt: I recommend using 2mm Thick 100% Wool Designer Felt from The Felt Store for ease of handling, but you can also use 3mm thick felt based on your preference. For this bag, I used a single 12” x 60” piece of Teal colored felt.

*Note that 5mm felt will be too thick to sew with a standard sewing machine.

Additional Materials and Tools Needed:

• Cutting mat
• Metal straight edge
• Sharp utility knife or X-Acto knife
• Water-soluble white marking pencil
• Upholstery thread (strongest thread you can find)
• Sewing Machine
• 12” Brass or copper tubing (*optional for handles, available at craft stores like Hobby Lobby)
• Geometric Bag Pattern (PDF)

Instructions:

1. Print the Template: Begin by printing out the provided template for the pattern.
2. Cut the Paper Pattern Pieces: Cut out the pattern pieces. It’s a good idea to have a few extra pieces cut as backups.
3. Determine Bag Size: Decide how large you want to make your bag to figure out how many pieces you’ll need. For the example bag (11” x 12”), I used 58 pieces, which fit on a 12” x 60” piece of felt.
4. Trace the Pattern on Your Felt: Lay out your felt and trace the pattern pieces directly onto the felt using your water-soluble white marking pencil.

5. Cut the Felt Pieces: Carefully cut out each traced piece using your metal straight edge (ruler) to ensure correct alignment and sizing.
   *Tip: change out your knife/X-Acto blade often to ensure a clean edge when cutting the thick felt material.

6. Sew the Pieces Together: Begin sewing your pieces together using the 1/4” guide on your sewing machine. Ensure that each piece aligns correctly to maintain the geometric pattern. Refer back to the provided template for correct orientation.

7. Finish the Top Edge: To finish the top edges of your bag, sew one of your pattern pieces in half and attach it as you did with the other pieces. This creates a clean edge at the top of the bag and an excellent connection for your choice of a strap or a handle.
8. Reversible Design: The bag may curl as you’re working on it, showing the sewn edges as the top. The beauty of this design is its reversibility—you can showcase either the finished side or the sewn side as your exterior side depending on your preference.

9. Add Handles: For handles, I used brass tubing (12”) from Hobby Lobby. Feed them through the finished top edge and bend them into position. Alternatively, you can create your own method for adding straps or handles, tailored to the size and proportions of your bag.

Enjoy your new geometric bag! Whether you stick to a single color or create a vibrant, multicolored design, this bag is sure to be a stylish and functional accessory.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel inspired to create your own version of this Geometric Felt Bag. If you do, we’d love to see your creations! Be sure to share your work on social media and tag both @the_felt_store and Felt Ambassador Annika of @akkika, so that we can both admire your amazing handiwork.

Happy crafting!