How to Make an Insulated Lunch Bag

If you are environmentally conscious, you will love making this insulated lunch bag. This reusable cloth bag will eliminate the brown paper bag that gets thrown away and is a more mature design than metal or plastic lunch boxes. The lunch bag is made of cotton fabric and is conveniently machine-washable, making it easy to treat daily food spills. Make several of these easy insulated lunch bags, so that you will always have one handy while others are in the wash.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1/3 yard outer fabric 1/3 yard lining fabric 1/3 yard lightweight quilt batting Measuring tape Scissors Straight pins 24 inches webbing, 1 inch wide Sewing machine Iron Sewing needle and thread

1. Measure and cut two pieces of the outer fabric, two pieces of the lining fabric and two pieces of the lightweight quilt batting, 12 inches wide by 14 inches long.

2. Lay one piece of quilt batting on your work surface. Place one of the outer fabric pieces right side up on the batting. Measure down from one short end 2 inches and match an end of the webbing to the edge of the 14-inch side. Measure down 2 inches from the opposite side of the short end and pin the other end of the webbing to the opposite 14-inch side. This is the top and handle to your lunch bag. Place the other outer fabric piece on top of the layered sandwich with the right side down. Place the remaining quilt batting on top of of the outer fabric. Match the edges and pin the two 14-inch sides and the bottom 12-inch side together. Sew the pinned edges together using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

3. Place the two lining pieces together with the right sides facing. Pin the two long sides and one short side. Sew the pinned edges together using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Leave a 3-inch opening on the 12-inch side. Press open the sewn seams on both the lining bag and the outer fabric bag.

4. Measure and cut a 1-inch square from each bottom corner on the outer fabric bag. Pull a cut square corner apart and match the sewn seam on the long side and the sewn seam on the bottom. Pin the cut edges together. Pin the opposite cut square corner in the same way. Sew the pinned edge together using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Repeat for the lining bag. This will square up the sides on the bottom of the bag making the bottom flat.

5. Turn the outer bag right side out. Set the outer bag inside the lining bag. Match the the top edges of both bags and pin. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance all the way around the top edge of the insulated lunch bag. Turn the lunch bag right side out through the opening in the lining. Hand-sew the opening closed. Iron the top edge of the bag. Top stitch a 1/4 inch from the top edge all the way around the bag. Fold the top of the lunch bag down like an envelope to close.

References

• Cyndee Kromminga, Craft and Interior Designer; Kro Crafts; Winfield, Kansas