How to Sew Your Own Diaper Bag With Dividers

Make a diaper bag from the same fabric as a baby blanket.

Make a custom diaper bag with multiple interior dividers for easy travel organization with a young baby. The diaper bag makes a great baby shower gift for a mother-to-be, and you can coordinate the diaper bag to match the baby shower's decor or the new baby's nursery. When you are finished making the bag, you can add a personal embellishment with a hand embroidered monogram or the baby's date of birth.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric of your choice
• Lining fabric
• Sewing pins
• Sewing needle
• Thread
• 1/2-inch wide elastic
• Hook and loop fastener

Instructions

1. Lay your diaper bag fabric on your working surface and draw a 36-by-20-inch rectangle on the fabric. Cut out the rectangle, place it on a piece of lining fabric and cut out another rectangle of the same size.

2. Lay the diaper bag rectangle face down and place the lining rectangle on top with the good side facing up. Sew around the edges to join the fabric.

3. Fold the fabric in half to make an 18-by-20-inch rectangle. Make a mark at the center point. Unfold the fabric.

4. Cut two pieces of diaper bag fabric and two pieces of lining fabric for the interior dividers of the diaper bag. Make each piece 8-by-26 inches.

5. Lay the diaper bag fabric pieces face down and place one lining piece on top of each. Sew along the four sides to join the two layers of fabric.

6. Fold over 3/4 inch of fabric along one 26-inch side of each divider piece. Sew the fold in place to make a tube. Cut two 20-inch pieces of 1/2-inch wide elastic. Slide one piece of elastic through the tube in each of the divider pieces. Sew the ends of the elastic to the edges of the fabric.

7. Place one divider piece on the large rectangle. Align the long side with no elastic along the mark at the center point. Pin the long side to the center line and the sides of the divider piece to the sides of the rectangle. Do the same with the other divider piece, on the opposite side of the center point. Sew the dividers to the diaper bag.

8. Fold the diaper bag in half again, with the good sides together. Sew a zigzag stitch along each side to make side seams. You can sew with a straight stitch if you prefer, but back stitch at each end for enough strength.

9. Cut two pieces of diaper bag fabric for the straps. Make each piece about 3-by-26 inches in size. Fold each strap in half lengthwise with good sides together and sew the long side closed. Turn each strap right-side-out.

10. Pin the straps to the bag. Measure down 3/4 inch from the top edge and 3/4 inch inward from the right side. Pin one end of a strap here. Measure 3/4 inch down from the top edge and 3/4 inch inward from the left side. Pin one end of the other strap here.

11. Flip the bag over and repeat the above step to attach the other ends of the straps to the bag. Sew all strap ends in place.

12. Turn the diaper bag right-side-out. Cut a 10-by-1-inch strip of hook-and-loop fastener and pin it to the top, inside edge of the diaper bag. Cut a corresponding strip of the fastener and pin it to the opposite top, inside edge. Sew the strips in place.

References

• "Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones"; Amy Butler; 2008
• "The Bag Making Bible: The Complete Guide to Sewing and Customizing Your Own Unique Bags"; Lisa Lam; 2010