We are heading out to New Jersey soon for our bi-annual McKinley family beach trip and I’ve been trying to (mentally) get my list of things we need together.  A beach bag was certainly on the list and I wanted a big one.

A big assed one, if you must.

This baby measures around 18” wide, 12” deep and 15” tall.  Awesome.

I know for a fact that I will be the carrier of all things for our family trio.  That’s three pairs of sandals thrown in, three beach towels, three drinks, sand toys for the little one, sunscreen, sunglasses…the works.  I needed space and I figured I might as well make one for myself.

I found [this] tutorial and was stoked.  Luckily putting together a tote bag is pretty straight forward so it stitched up like a breeze.  No zippers, buttons, snaps, etc. like all of the other bags I’ve taken on so far.  And because it’s made with sturdy outdoor fabric, it only required 2 yards of fabric (one each for lining and main). 

In hindsight, I probably should have used a fusible fleece interfacing and made the sides sturdier and capable of standing on their own.  It’s great when filled but lies down a little more than I prefer when it’s empty.

Having outside pockets for this bad boy was killer.  That way you don’t have to go digging for things you might want a little handier.  I actually put an extra pocket on the inside too…so we can slip things in there that we want to keep separate but not risk the chance of them falling out while we are traipsing around.

I included these last photos for size reference. 

I ended up making the straps a lot longer than what was recommended.  I like big straps (and I cannot lie…huh? anyone?) and I wanted to make sure it fell at a comfortable level.  I think they clock in around 36” long.  Big bag, big straps.

So….I’ve got the bag together.  Now I can check that off my list.  Only 3204923098 more things to do before we can leave.