How to Make a Simple Book Bag

This simple book bag is cut from one piece of fabric, folded, stitched and hemmed. Add webbing for handles, and you are ready to embellish to suit your taste. It holds books, needlework projects, a change of clothes or toys and snacks for kids. The bag can be easily decorated with heat-n-bond and fabric, silkscreen or appliqué.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric: 1/2 yard of denim, light weight denim, a cotton or cotton blend bottom weight fabric works best.
• Nylon strapping: 1 yard to match or complement the fabric for the bag
• Thread to match
• Sewing machine and or serger
• Pins
• Scissors
• Ruler and hem gauge

Instructions

1. Preshrink and iron fabric.

2. Cut the fabric into a 15-inch by 30-inch oblong piece. Cut 2 to 15 inch pieces of nylon strapping. Finish the edge of the strapping with a match. The end will melt when quickly passed over the flame.

3. 

   Fold fabric in half with wrong sides together. Measure 1 ½ inch up from the fold and fold the fabric over. Do this on both sides. Pin sides together.

4. 

   Serge or sew side seams then finish with a zigzag stitch.

5. 

   Fold down the lip of bag 1 ½ inch and iron. Turn a ½ inch hem and sew in place. Sew 1/16th from the top of the bag.

6. 

   Add handles by placing them 4 ½ inch from the side seam. Zigzag at the top and bottom.

7. 

   Top stitch according to diagram to help reinforce the handles.Turn bag right side out.