The straps on my favorite Vera Bradley pattern at the time were fraying and looking rather shabby. They really needed replacing. My new favorite pattern (yes, I know it’s not a recent pattern, but I really try to make them last as long as humanly possible, they aren’t cheap!) and what the strap should look like on a tote bag. Now go down to the next photo, to see what I did to save my bag. A little farther down I’ll show you tips on how to replace straps on a tote bag.
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST/PAGE MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I MAY GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFO.
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What to do about it:
I found four rings that coordinated with my bag. Then as luck would have it, I found an almost exact match for the bag fabric at the local big chain fabric store, a look alike fabric (nice term for rip-off or copy cat) so the colors and design all matched pretty well. This fabric was much better since I was planning on getting a solid color. Measured twice to make sure it wasn’t cut too low.
The strap had to have enough space to make a loop around one side of the ring and be able to fit on the sewing machine. That probably means about 4 inches. Don’t quote me, I’m too lazy to get up and measure at the moment.
I recreated the same strap by using a little batting and the usual strap procedure (check out this tutorial) to make it look as authentic as possible. Now sew each of the ends of the tote bag’s original straps to the rings and then attach the new straps. Make a lot of measurements as you go to either match the length if you liked how the bag hung on your shoulder or adjust accordingly. Don’t TWIST them in a funny way! You will be ripping out stitches!
Great way to rescue favorite bags and keep them in use a little bit longer…
Here is the detailed tutorial on strap making. This is a great skill to know, comes in handy when you feel like making a purse or tote bag.
Thank you to Vera Bradley for making such beautiful bags.
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST/PAGE MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I MAY GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFO.
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2 Comments
Would you have instructions on how to replace backpack handle? My daughter loves her backpack but the straps are super worn and the fabric on it is torn bad. Thank you
Hi Prabha! I don’t have exact directions but what I would do is… and all of this depends on your comfort with sewing and how sturdy your machine is, some bags have really thick seams with multiple layers…
– Take photos of the bag – more specifically the current strap – where it is attached to the bag, how it’s constructed, how any plastic adjusters are sitting on the handle.
– Gently undo the stitching, keeping all the pieces.
– Try to replicate the fabric style/quality to the current bag, all the components.
– Take apart the bag and copy each panel onto the new fabric, keeping track of the direction of the pattern on the fabric.
– Sew it up again using the same kinds of stitches.
I did this method of taking apart and redoing to reline my husbands winter coat. This is a big undertaking!
Let me know if I can help you again!
-Marissa