ReCycle Bike Bag - Bike Bag Made From Waste Materials

This bike bag started as a chat about a set of bike bags I made years ago from waste materials and shared on my site www.upsew.ie. That chat led to a Creative Ireland project with some Galway Cyclists. We worked on making bike bags from waste materials, that could be sewn by beginners.

The bags are made entirely from reclaimed materials using a domestic sewing machine, and suitable for different sewing levels. The only other things you need are time and thread!

There are 3 versions all using the same pattern

1. Version 1 (Beginner): Reclaimed Fabric (Cotton, Linen, or Patchwork) Fabric can be waxed to make it water resistant (and re-waxed as needed) Tip: If this is your first bag ever, skip the waxing stage until you get the hang of making it.
2. Version 2 (Intermediate): Upcycled Dog Food Bag Uses flexible, waterproof woven plastic. Seams are stitched and heat-bonded with an iron, and stitches in the strapping are sealed using Tenacious Tape or Duct Tape.
3. Version 3 (Advanced): Reclaimed PVC Banner Signage Uses stiffer, non-flexible material that can be tricky to sew with, but is super strong. Seams are stitched and heat-bonded with an iron, and stitches in the strapping are sealed using Tenacious Tape or Duct Tape.

My own favourite features of the bag are the quick release fastenings made from a tire tube, which means the bag can be easily taken off the bike and used as a tote bag.

This pattern and tutorial are intended for personal/home use only. You are welcome to make bags for yourself or as gifts. Please do not sell, redistribute, or publish this pattern as your own. If you share photos or adapt this design online, please credit UpSew and link back to this Instructable.

Reclaimed heavy fabric/dog food bag/PVC banner material offcuts, Nylon webbing, Buckles & Velcro, Standard sewing machine, Scissors, Bicycle inner tube.

You can change materials as you like - these were discarded materials I found easy to source. An alternative to the buckles could be a button, and the long strap containing buttonholes, or a loop and the long strap containing a series of snaps.

This is your bag so you can make it your way!

Supplies/Materials

1. Fabric / Outer Material: 100cm x 40cm (or 40" x 16")I have added extra here in case of uneven edging.
2. Version 1: Reclaimed heavy cotton, linen, or denim (or an old pillowcase for a test run). If you are lining your bag, get the same amount of fabric in a lighter weight (such as an old sheet)
3. Version 2: Cleaned plastic dog food bag (ask friends, neighbours, or a local animal shelter for empty bags—be sure to wash them first!).
4. Version 3: Heavy PVC banner offcuts (check with local print or sign shops for misprints, scraps, or retired pull-up banners). I got some end rolls from a local sign company which were too short to be used.
5. Webbing Straps: Reclaimed from old rucksacks, school bags, or luggage, approximately 1 x 35cm long, 1 x 44cm long and 1 x 10 cm long. The carry handles are 2 x 30cm. I used reclaimed grossgrain ribbon from wrapping for the bag handles in 2 versions here.
6. Buckles & Hardware: Salvaged from worn-out backpacks or bags.
7. Velcro: Reused strips (e.g., harvested from an old high-vis safety vest or pet food packing).
8. Inner Tube Rubber: Reclaimed bicycle inner tube (local bike shops are usually delighted to give away punctured tubes). Cut open tube and wash off the inner talc powder.
9. Button or fastening: to make the handlebar fastening with bike tube.
10. Thread: Good quality standard sewing thread (such as Gütermann).
11. Note on thread selection: While heavy-duty thread is ideal for outdoor gear, I found it struggled on some of these reclaimed materials. Standard high-quality polyester thread performed much better for me.
12. Stitch Line Sealant: Tenacious Tape or Duct Tape.
13. Note on stitch sealing: Use this to seal stitch lines where webbing attaches to waterproof materials (Versions 2 & 3), the holes made by the machine needle need to be backed. Tenacious Tape provides a long-lasting, flexible seal. Duct tape is a budget-friendly, readily available alternative—while it may need replacing over time, it works well when you are working within a budget or using what you already have at hand.
14. Cardboard sheet or paper/newspaper to draw out pattern.
15. Optional – Wax (Fabric version 1) Fjallraven Greenland Wax used here

Tools

1. Domestic Sewing Machine: A standard home machine will handle all three versions.
2. you will also need Machine needles (for best results use a new jeans or leather needles for these bags)
3. Household Iron & Baking/Parchment Paper (Versions 1, 2 & 3): Used to set wax into fabric in Version 1. Used for sealing seams on Version 2 & 3. Always use parchment paper as a protective barrier between the iron for this project to protect iron and mark your paper 'iron this side' to protect iron. When bonding seams with the iron, always use in a well ventilated room
4. Standard Presser Foot & Zipper Foot: The zipper foot is especially useful for stitching close to thick webbing seams or plastic buckles.
5. Fabric Shears or Heavy-Duty Scissors: Sharp scissors easily handle thick webbing, banner material, and the inner tube strip.
6. Sewing Clips, or Bulldog Clips: For all versions you can use sewing clips or small office bulldog clips to hold pieces together (if you wish you can use pins for version 1)
7. Measuring Tape & Ruler: For measuring rectangular panels accurately.
8. Fabric Chalk & Pen: Tailor's chalk works great for fabric. A standard pen works on the dog food packing, and pencil will work on PVC, all these should come off material with a damp cloth afterwards. Please check this on your material before you start.
9. Cigarette Lighter: Essential for quickly melting and sealing the cut raw ends of nylon webbing so they won't fray.

Optional Extras

1. Teflon Foot, Roller Foot, or Walking Foot (Versions 2 & 3): Helps slippy plastics like dog food sacks feed more smoothly under the needle - not essential as I did the first run of bags with just a standard foot.
2. Hair Dryer (version 3): used for heating the PVC before turning inside out.

Pattern Size: On paper, draw a rectangular pattern measuring 38 cm × 44 cm and copy the markings in the pattern diagram. (Feel free to adjust this pattern according to your material. I found this size worked well with adult bikes.)

Cutting: Fold your material in half. Align the pattern bottom on the fold line and cut.

Cutting in Two or Three Pieces: If your scrap material isn't long enough to cut on a fold, it can be cut in multiple panels, and add 1.5cm seam allowance to all edges. See denim version in the photo which used 3 pieces.

1. Ensure all scrap pieces are cut on the grain (pull a single thread along the edge and cut along the pulled line to find the straight grain).
2. Stitch your squares and rectangles together into one flat, larger rectangular sheet before laying down your main pattern.

If waxing your fabric, follow manufacturers instructions. In the photos, I did a few layers of wax and ironing in between layers.

As some of these materials are difficult to manoeuvre on the machine, it is easier to attach all fittings at this point

To mark, lay your main cut panel flat or folded, right side up. Mark placement lines with your chalk for fabric, pen for dog feed, or pencil for PVC banner

1. Webbing Strip: Draw a straight line across the panel approximately 18 cm* up from the base fold line.
2. Side Fasteners/Clips: Mark placement on both sides.
3. Velcro Strips: Mark near the top edge.
4. Carry Straps: Mark positioning measured symmetrically from the centre line.

*The webbing strip can be placed higher or lower. I placed mine as low as I could so it did not block my front light.

Before you sew you will need to seal the ends of webbing. This can be done by holding a flame and 'brushing' it along the raw edge. The flame needs to seal the edge, ideally without burning or charring too much. However if it does char a bit, this is fine. Getting the ideal finish gets easier with practice. And please be careful touching the sealed edge afterwards as it will be very hot.

All the bags had different size straps depending on what was available. Ideally, the back strap which runs across the back of the bag measures 35cm.

The length of the longest buckle strap is 44cm which is better as it means the bag can be closed when full. The shortest one in the bags I made is 30cm.

Set your machine to a medium-to-long straight stitch.

Stitch all fasteners, webbing, velcro, and carry straps directly onto the right side of the flat panel along your marked lines.

see diagram of suggested stitching - I stitched the rectangles on the cross strap in 4cm blocks (so I had 4 blocks of stitching and 3 gaps) but you can sew these according to how you like.

photo 1 - put chalk marks on webbing so you can see where you have to sew

photo 2 - do mark areas on the material so you can clearly see when you are about to sew

photo 3 - I found rolling the PVC and clipping with a clip made it easier to handle while sewing straps

photo 4 - attached strap from 'wrong side' of fabric using an 'x and box around' stitch.

Remember to Machine Test: Before sewing thick webbing onto your main bag, see if the machine is able to get through it. If your machine struggles with thick webbing, see if you can steam iron the webbing and hammer or clamp webbing to flatten. Alternatively see if you can find thinner webbing or a strap.

Once all the webbing and clip-straps in place, seal behind with tape (see last photo). No need to seal behind velcro or strap handles as these will not be exposed to rain in the same fashion.

Fold the bag main body with right sides together. secure with clips or bulldog clips

Stitch along both side seams using a medium long stitch

Version 1 = sew 1.5 cm from edge

If you are not lining your fabric bag, zig-zag stitch along your raw side seams and top edge now to prevent fraying (see first photo), then skip directly to Step 10.

Version 2 & 3 = sew 1.25 cm from edge. Then draw a line about 1.5 cm from outside edge. Lay parchment/baking paper on your ironing board, place the open seam allowance on top, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and iron with a medium iron along the marked line. The melt point for the dog food bag was lower than the PVC so you will need to pre-test. This heat-bonds raw synthetic edges shut and seals stitch holes.

remember to do this 'heat bonding' in a well-ventilated room

move to Step 10

Cut Lining: Cut two lining panels using your paper pattern. 1.5 cm to the base seam allowance and trim 2 cm off the top rim.

Assemble: Stitch the side seams of the lining with right sides together.

Join Outer & Lining: Insert outer bag into lining (right sides together), clip/pin around the top edge, and sew around the rim using a 1 cm seam allowance.

Turn Bag: Turn the bag right side out through the lining.

Top Rim Stiffener: Cut plastic strips 2 cm wide from a clean milk carton 1.5 cm shorter than bag width. Use one or two plastic bands on each side according to your preference (I used 2 each side taped together at each end for this fabric version). Fold top edge down by 3 cm so outer fabric forms a channel for the plastic strips. Tuck plastic strips inside the fold, clip, and sew a topstitch line 2.5 cm down from the top edge to secure plastic strips in the sewn channel/top rim.

Box Corners Bag: Box outer corners by opening out the lower corners and matching the side seam with the bottom of bag fold line. Sewing a straight line of stitching across the base of the outer fabric only.

Stiffen Base (Optional): cover a 20cm x 4.5cm piece of plastic with some scrap fabric. Do a hand stitch on each corner to the seam allowance of the corner of the bag base.

Partial-Sew Lining Base: Sew a small section of the lining across the base leaving a large gap in the middle (see photo 4)

Box Corners Lining: Box the corners of the lining in the same way as outer bag.

Turn Bag Inside Out: turn bag inside out through the gap in the lining base. Once bag is right way around, you can then close up your lining by a line of machine sewing or sew by hand (for an invisible finish)

Go to step 13

Box the corners: Flatten bottom corners to meet (forming a 'triangle' shape), matching the side seam line over the centre line of the bag base.

Secure with bulldog clips. (For PVC, let clips sit for a few minutes so stiff material "relaxes" into shape).

Sew straight across to create a 10 cm boxed base.

(Versions 2 & 3): Draw a line 1.5 cm from edge and heat-bond the corner seam allowances using parchment paper and an iron as before.

Turn the bag right side out.

Tip for PVC / Version 3: Stiff PVC can be very difficult to manipulate. Use a household hair dryer on warm setting to heat the inside of the bag. This softens the PVC and makes it easier to turn inside out.

Fold down top rim of the bag by 4 cm towards the inside so top Velcro faces inward. Secure with bulldog clips.

Cut plastic stiffening strips 2cm or 2.5 cm wide from a milk carton 1–2 cm shorter than total rim width.

Tuck plastic strips inside the folded rim hem.

Clip securely and sew a topstitch line around the rim 3 cm down from the top edge to hold plastic strips permanently inside.

Cut a strip from a bike inner tube: 25 cm × 1 cm.

Trim ends slightly narrower and thread through a two-hole toggle, old duffle button, or recycled tent/brake pad fixture. Tie a tight knot at the ends.

Loop these elastic rubber straps through your bag's rear webbing loops. They flex securely around bike handlebars and unbutton easily when parking your bike, so your bag is now a handy tote!

Hope you like your new bag.