Shoe Bag
Shoe bags can be used for storage at home, taking less space than shoe boxes.
They are also a good way to protect your good dance shoes by carrying them to a dance rather than wearing them outside.
Large dance events are often held on sport stadium floors. Many sport stadiums have rules in place to protect playing surfaces. Most only allow shoe types that will not mark the floors. Some do not allow any shoes used on the street to be worn on the playing surface. At these locations you must carry in clean shoes to change into before walking on the court areas.
Simple Shoe Bag
For these bags I have used calico. Any fabric you choose needs to be strong enough to hold up to the the shoes being slid in and out but soft enough to protect the shoes.
The tie used is a boot shoe lace cut to the required length.
Cut a rectangle of fabric 40 cm x 80 cm or join two pieces 40 cm x 41 cm.
The measurements are flexible. You can adjust up or down to suit the size of your shoes.
Over-lock or zigzag stitch the edges to prevent fraying threads catching on your shoes.
Fold the fabric in half with the good sides together.
Sew side seams together.
Turn bag right side out.
Fold over the bag opening towards the inside, approximately 1 cm. Sew around this edge to create a flat seam.
To create a channel for your draw cord, fold the top edge in again by 3 cm.
Sew around the bottom of the fold, leaving a small opening for the draw cord.
Attach a large safety pin to a long shoe lace, or other suitable cord, and thread through the channel.
Cut and tie off the cord to suit.
The last step is to sew a straight stitch through the centre of the bag between the top seam and the bottom of the bag. This makes two separate pockets to keep each shoe from rubbing on the other.
If you have a number of shoes in the same coloured bags, simple additions can quickly identify which shoes are in each.
Your could run colour coded ribbons as draw cords. Another option is to sew decorative ribbons, lace or applique to the bags as indicators.
Fancy Shoe Bag
To make something a little more decorative, the following bag has a channel for a ribbon draw string as a feature on the outside of the bag.
I have started with the same size fabric as the simple bag base. This time I have used some left over black fabric suitable for making suit pants.
On one side I have sewn on a patchwork panel of fabric leftovers.
A patchwork of fabric will not work well on its own as a shoe bag, due to the shoes catching on a multitude of seams.
You could add some other feature with applique or embroidery.
The white fabric casing I have used is approximately 7 cm wide.
The long edges are fold under and ironed flat before pinning to the outside of the bag, about 5 cm from the top.
Tuck under the open ends on one side of the bag and sew around the top and bottom.
I have made a ribbon of contrasting fabric by hemming the edges but you could buy a suitable ribbon for the draw string.
Rather than tie the ends of the ribbon, I have folded the ends over and sewn a button in place as a decorative feature.
The centre seam to separate the shoes is sewn between the bottom of the drawn string channel and the bottom of the bag.
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They are also a good way to protect your good dance shoes by carrying them to a dance rather than wearing them outside.
Large dance events are often held on sport stadium floors. Many sport stadiums have rules in place to protect playing surfaces. Most only allow shoe types that will not mark the floors. Some do not allow any shoes used on the street to be worn on the playing surface. At these locations you must carry in clean shoes to change into before walking on the court areas.
Simple Shoe Bag
For these bags I have used calico. Any fabric you choose needs to be strong enough to hold up to the the shoes being slid in and out but soft enough to protect the shoes.
The tie used is a boot shoe lace cut to the required length.
Cut a rectangle of fabric 40 cm x 80 cm or join two pieces 40 cm x 41 cm.
The measurements are flexible. You can adjust up or down to suit the size of your shoes.
Over-lock or zigzag stitch the edges to prevent fraying threads catching on your shoes.
Fold the fabric in half with the good sides together.
Sew side seams together.
Turn bag right side out.
Fold over the bag opening towards the inside, approximately 1 cm. Sew around this edge to create a flat seam.
To create a channel for your draw cord, fold the top edge in again by 3 cm.
Sew around the bottom of the fold, leaving a small opening for the draw cord.
Attach a large safety pin to a long shoe lace, or other suitable cord, and thread through the channel.
Cut and tie off the cord to suit.
The last step is to sew a straight stitch through the centre of the bag between the top seam and the bottom of the bag. This makes two separate pockets to keep each shoe from rubbing on the other.
If you have a number of shoes in the same coloured bags, simple additions can quickly identify which shoes are in each.
Your could run colour coded ribbons as draw cords. Another option is to sew decorative ribbons, lace or applique to the bags as indicators.
To make something a little more decorative, the following bag has a channel for a ribbon draw string as a feature on the outside of the bag.
I have started with the same size fabric as the simple bag base. This time I have used some left over black fabric suitable for making suit pants.
On one side I have sewn on a patchwork panel of fabric leftovers.
A patchwork of fabric will not work well on its own as a shoe bag, due to the shoes catching on a multitude of seams.
You could add some other feature with applique or embroidery.
The white fabric casing I have used is approximately 7 cm wide.
The long edges are fold under and ironed flat before pinning to the outside of the bag, about 5 cm from the top.
Tuck under the open ends on one side of the bag and sew around the top and bottom.
I have made a ribbon of contrasting fabric by hemming the edges but you could buy a suitable ribbon for the draw string.
Rather than tie the ends of the ribbon, I have folded the ends over and sewn a button in place as a decorative feature.
The centre seam to separate the shoes is sewn between the bottom of the drawn string channel and the bottom of the bag.
Return to sewing menu
