My girls have been in school for 2 weeks now, and my oldest informed me that it's much cooler to carry a bag, not backpack. After seeing the price of these types of bags, my wheels started turning. I had lots of fabric from a curtain project that didn't pan out, so I decided to give it a try. So far it has worked out well. I love that she has a one of a kind bag, and she was proud of her momma. :) Materials Needed
Fabric About 2 yards. I used a heavier fabric purchased at IKEA.
Scissors or rotary cutter
Ruler or straight edge
Cutting board
Matching Thread
Velcro (if you want)
Sewing Machine
1) Figure out the size of the bag you want. I started out with about 15 inches wide by about 30 inches tall. Just play with it by folding the bottom up and the top down and you will get a feel for the size you want. Always always put the right sides of the fabric together before cutting.
2) So now that your fabric is all cut and ready to go it's time to sew. Sew all the way around the edges (right sides together) leaving a little hole at the end.
3) Turn it right side out, and close the hole. You may want to do a top stitch all the way around so it's more sturdy.
4) Make youe strap. Make it long and you can cut it down after. Cut about a 3 to 4 inch wide by how ever long you want strip of fabric. Fold right sides together and sew making a tube. turn right side out by sticking a safety pin to one side and feeding it all the way through. Once it's right side out top stitch it.
5) Pin your strap to each side where you want it to be. I folded up the bottom and pinned it all together. and let my daugher try it out before sewing. This took a few times to get right, so don't get discouraged. If you are using velcro now is the time to pin and sew. Line up the bottom to the top and sew it on sew around the edges and an x in the middle.
6) Sew up the sides of the bottom part making sure you have enough fabric for a flap.
Voila!! You or someone you love is a proud new owner of a messenger style bag. As always if you have questions feel free to post.