My Enormous Beach Bag

 Okay, so this is a picture of me with my enormous tote bag. I don't think this picture does justice to how enormous it is since I can fit both of my children inside it! I made it with a Little Mermaid bed sheet I found at the thrift store. My daughter loves Ariel so I decided to use it to make a beach bag. The enormity of the bag came about after going to the beach with my daughter and my new baby. I had to carry all the baby gear, a beach umbrella, towels, a beach blanket to sit on, toys, life jacket, a book to read, something to drink, my purse...you get the idea. I decided I needed a bag big enough to carry all of it. This tote bag is made just like any other, only it is super-sized. Here's a tutorial on how to make a lined tote bag.  My pink fabric wasn't actually big enough to match up with the outside, so I sewed a strip of scrap purple gingham to the top to lengthen it. I'll admit that these colors aren't the most awesome I've put together, but it was all scrap and I knew it would just get wet and sandy eventually anyways. My diaper bag fits in the bag, as well as a couple beach towels and everything else I listed above. I put one large pocket inside, perfect for a book or magazine, and a couple other odd shaped pockets on the other side with some scrap fabric, one of which holds a drink, and the other just the right size for a bottle of sun screen. This bag is lined in a heavy canvas and the straps are super durable. See my straps tutorial for how to make really good purse and bag straps. Now if only I didn't have to carry the baby around, I could have a free hand for batting away rogue beach balls!