Two Ways to Fix Up Your Canvas Shopping Bags

Canvas bags are gaining in popularity thanks to their perceived eco-friendly nature and unique aesthetic appeal. This makes them ideal candidates for reusable shopping bags for a variety of purposes, from pretty comfortable tote bags to monster bags that can carry a week's worth of groceries for the whole family.

What will you do, however, if your canvas shopping bag gets burnt or ripped up? Here are a two easy solutions to help you fix up your canvas bags:

Sewing Kits

Good old needlework will save the day, especially with canvas bags. Do note that sewing will only be quick for rips or tears that are relatively thin. Larger holes and tears will need a bit more time and effort to work with, but we'll follow through with an easy solution in the latter half.

First turn your bag inside out then proceed to snip off any loose and frayed threads on the hole. Be sure to cut as closely as possible to the canvas so that they don't stick out and cause further damage over time. Now find a needle and some thread that matches the colour of your bag. Thread the needle and proceed sew in short stitches to maximize the strength of the repair job. Once the tear has been mended, knot the ends to hold the stitches in place and turn the bag right-side out once again.

Fabric Repair Patches

These are the easiest fixes for canvas bags. They come in pre-packed kits containing adhesive-backed patches. These patches can be cut out and slapped unto the damaged portion of a canvas bag. These are designed primarily for larger tears and irregular holes that ordinary sewing may not fix.

The first step here is to get a fabric repair kit. It should ideally contain coloured patches that match your canvas bag, but transparent patches will work just fine. Now read the instructions. Some patches can be applied at room temperature but others need heat from a clothes iron to activate the bonding process. Whatever the case may be, you'll want to snip off any frayed threads with a pair of sharp scissors before applying the patch. Apply the patch, iron it all down in place and presto - that large gaping hole is now fixed!

Remember: sewing works best for small tears while fabric repair patches are best for the larger ones. Keep these tips in mind and you should be able to quickly and conveniently fix up your canvas shopping bags when you need to!

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