Bag Maker Starter Kit

Yes, you can totally make this bag on a regular home sewing machine! No heavy-duty or industrial machine required. For best results, we highly recommend working on a machine that has been well-maintained and using a new, sharp needle. Denim needles or nonstick needles (if working with waxed canvas) are our favorite!

Yes, you can totes make this bag! The Portsmith Tote is a Beginner-level bag making project. The finished bag may look hella professional, but don’t let that intimidate you! Even if you’ve never sewn before, you’ll do great.

The Starter Kit includes everything you need to succeed—materials, tools, a full online class, plus bonus support from Sewing 101 and our Get It Made mini course. It’s all designed to help you build skills and feel confident at your machine.

These are the tools and sewing supplies we recommend having on hand for the optimal Portsmith-making experience.

Sewing Supplies:

• Size 100 denim needle or nonstick needle (our favorites for sewing heavy-duty fabric & waxed canvas)
• Craft clips (for securing multiple layers of waxed canvas)
• 5" x 20" Quilting ruler (comes in handy for marking boxed corners)
• Hammer + hard surface (for setting rivets)

Tools:

The Portsmith Tote has double-cap rivets, which can be set using a regular hammer on a solid surface like concrete, stone, or an anvil—no fancy tools required.

The Bag Maker Starter Kit comes with a 3/32” drive punch and a poly punching board to help you make clean holes in your fabric. To set your rivets, you’ll still need to provide your own hammer and a hard surface. Want to upgrade your tool setup? A Granite Setting Stone and Bakelite Mallet can offer more precision, but they’re totally optional.

Download the FULL TOOLS + SUPPLIES LIST for a complete breakdown.

The making time for beginner projects is estimated at 1-3 hours. Having said that, each maker has their own pace and process.

We recommend using a 100 denim needle or a non-stick needle, and 2 spools of all-purpose thread to match the exterior fabrics (the thread is included in the Bag Maker Starter Kit).

The Portsmith Tote is the ultimate teaching pattern for beginner bag makers, so it’s a great project on its own. The Bag Maker Starter Kit is designed to be a super solid entry-level experience—simple, approachable, and confidence-building.

The zipper and lining expansions add extra features, but they also increase the difficulty and require juggling two sets of instructions. Adding expansions increases the skill level from beginner to confident beginner.

If you want to add expansions onto your Portsmith Tote, we recommend checking out the Portsmith – Bag Maker Kit.