Easy Sew project – how to made mesh beach bags

October 24, 2023 | Categories: News

This mesh beach bag is truly an easy sew project. It’s finished size measures a roomy 18″ tall x 20″ wide. Perfect for a sandy beach, it’s made of two materials…..fiberglass window screen and lawn chair replacement webbing. This very roomy mesh beach bag will carry your beach gear to and from the beach, while leaving the sand where it belongs….on the beach.

I’ve put together a step by step tutorial to show you how easily you can make a mesh beach tote of your own. It’s a very quick project. Let’s get started! 🙂

How To Sew a Mesh Beach Tote

Step 1. Use colorful lawn chair webbing and fiberglass window screen. (I purchased a roll of window screen sized 36″ wide x 84″ long from the hardware store.)

Step 2. I chose orange webbing for this easy sew project. (The orange was a leftover from the family tool shed. The retro roll of blue lawn chair webbing was an inexpensive Etsy purchase.)

Step 3. Use craft scissors to easily cut a 36″ wide x 24″ long section of window screen. Tip: use short pins to secure screen onto the cardboard grid. Then follow along the grid lines to cut.

Step 4. At the CENTER POINT of both the two shorter sides (24″) of the screen (at the 12″ point), place a short pin in the grid exactly 1″ (one grid square) from the top edge of the screen. (for reference, see where the scissors are pointed towards the yellow pin head. this is the halfway point.)

Step 5. From this pin at CENTER point, mark exactly 2″ out toward the right and left of the pin to indicate the fold lines to shape the mesh beach tote. Use chalk to mark these lines. (see close up photo of this step below)

Step 6. From the chalk lines, fold IN towards the yellow pin head and use another pin to secure before sewing.

Colorful Lawn Chair Webbing

Look at all these colors to choose from! This easy sew project requires 5 yards of 2 1/4″ wide lawn chair webbing. You could finish a whole bunch of mesh beach totes with any one of these 100 ft. rolls.

A Closer Look at Step 5 and 6 Above….

Make chalk marks two inches out from the center pin mark on both the left side and the right side of the pin (pin head is yellow in this picture). These chalk mark lines are to be folded IN towards the center pin to create the soft folds on both sides of the mesh beach bag.
REPEAT steps 5 and 6 on both top sides of the window screen

Get a Cardboard Cutting Grid Board! 🙂

This 36″ x 60″ folded cutting board is one of the most handy and useful tools in all my sewing gear. The 1″ grids and the featured standard and metric measurements are a huge timesaver. I never sew without mine!

Step 7 – Sew a Mesh Beach Bag Tote

Sewing the Front Folds

Step 8 – Sewing a Mesh Beach Tote

Apply the Top Bindings

Fold the webbing in half as shown creasing the fold well with your fingers. The raw edges of the window screen will be encased inside the folded lawn chair webbing. Pin in place

BEFORE SEWING top bindings, read the OOOOps step directly below and complete steps 9 thru 11 for the inner tab, then come back and sew the bindings into place.

Sew 1/4″ from edge in a straight stitch. Do this for both top ends of the screen. (These edges will be the top of your beach bag.)

OOOOps! I Goofed!

Add the Inner D Ring Tab BEFORE Sewing Top Binding In Place

Please see steps 9 thru 11 below to create the inner D ring tab to be sewn into place at the pink arrow. (I actually had already sewn the top binding in place and had to go back and rip out a few stitches to incorporate this organizing tab into the design. You, of course, can learn from my mistakes. So, you’re welcome. hahaha 😉 wink wink)

Sewing Inner D Ring Tab

This mesh beach tote is so roomy, so I added a D Ring tab inside to prevent my keys and wristlet from getting lost.

Step 9. To make the inner tab, cut a 6″ length of webbing. Fold in half and crease well with fingers.

Step 10. Sew in a straight stitch along long edge of webbing tab.

Step 11. Slip tab through a 1″ square bottom D ring and sew close to ends. Backstitch to secure.
(Photo credit Pam Irie)

These are the D rings I use. I buy a bag of 50 in bulk for the best price.

See…..I Should Have Done This First!

I LOVE my Janome 7318 Magnolia Machine

It makes short work of all my easy sew projects. 🙂

NOW, you can sew the top bindings…..Pretend the D ring Inner tab is already in place to sew. 🙂 Thank you! 😉

Close Up of Inner D Ring Tab

It’s super easy for me to secure my key ring AND my wristlet onto the carbiner. Now I don’t have to dig in the bottom of my beach tote to find my keys or my i.d.

The only thing falling out of this bag is the sand. 🙂

Care for a Carabiner?

These carabiners are NOT for climbing but they’ll keep a really good grip on your keys and such. Very good feedback on this set!

Positioning the Lawn Chair Webbing Straps

The side straps and handles are all one long continuous piece. Cut a 3 2/3 yard length of webbing from the roll. Next, lay the window screen “fabric” out flat to complete steps 12 – 15.

The opposing top edges of the mesh beach bag are marked A and B. The pink X marks the beginning and ending placement of the strap on A. The pink arrows show direction of stitches.

Step 12. 3 1/2″ inches from the outer edges, begin to pin webbing to front sides of window screen in one continuous loop beginning and ending at the pink X in picture 14. (Remember to fold under 1/2″ on each end of the strap at point X.)

Step 13. Continue pinning. At top of B measure and allow 28″ inches for the handle in a loop. Continue to pin the strap in place. When you arrive back at the top of A, allow another 28″ inches for the opposing handle. Secure end of folded webbing at point X.

Step 14. Fold screen in half wrong sides together, with top edges aligned. Pin edges of A and B together temporarily to check placement of webbing. Bring handle loops together as if you were carrying the mesh beach tote to ensure they are the same length.

Step 15. Make any necessary adjustments, if needed. Remove temporary pins from step 14 before sewing.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

In case you get busy further down the lens…..how about a thumbs up? 🙂

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Step 16. Begin at top of the webbing strap on the A side and top stitch 1/4″ from the edge. Continue stitching in a straight line to the top of the B side. (see pic 17)

Step 17. At this position, leave the machine needle in the webbing, pivot the entire screen and turn to stitch horizontally across the top of webbing strap. Pivot again and stitch in a straight line on the opposite side of this first webbing strap until you reach the beginning point. Repeat this same procedure for the strap on the other side.

Encase raw edges of window screen inside the folded webbing and pin in place. Use a temporary clip if needed. note: see tip below before sewing