For my project, I made Noah a Messenger Style Library Bag to help him carry his every-growing stash of library books he chooses weekly at our local library. Would you like to make your little ones a library bag too? Well, then let’s do it!
Messenger Style Library Bag
1/2 yard each of two different fabrics (one for the lining and one for the outer fabric)
1 yard of 1-inch belting
Rotary Cutter and mat
Small bowl or CD
Pinking shears
Iron and ironing board
This is a great weekend project to do, from start to finish the whole bag will take you less than one hour to make!
First cut one piece of each fabric measuring 7 x 13 inches long (picture 1), this is going to be your messenger bag’s flap. Place right sides together (picture 2) and then fold the two piece in half (picture 3). Grab a bowl or another round object and cut off one corner from the raw or unfolded end (picture 4).
Then sew around the curve of the flap (not across the straight edge!) using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Take pinking shears and trim the excess seam allowance. Turn right side out, press with your iron and topstitch along the curved edge using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Flap done!
To make the lining and the outer fabric of the messenger bag, cut 2 pieces from each fabric measuring 14 x14 inches each. Place two like prints right sides facing each other (one set will be your outer fabric the other will be your lining fabric) and sew 3 of the 4 sides together (two sides and one bottom of the bag) using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. You may use pinking shears to trim off the excess seam allowance if you’d like.
With the lining and outer fabric still wrong sides out, pinch each corner of the bottom of the bag and lining until you make a pointed triangle. Measure 1 1/2 inches down from the tip and sew across (middle picture). Cut the excess fabric off using pinking shears. This will help your bag have some width to it for a few fun library books! You will do this two times each for the lining and the outer bag.
Your bag should now look like this. Wrong side out and a bit puffy at the base for the lining and the outer fabric.
Now to assemble the bag place the lining inside the outer fabric with right sides facing each other.
Then on one side of the bag, place the flap of the messenger bag so that the outer fabrics face each other and the lining fabric face each other.
Then measure the belting so it is the right length for your little one and place the belting at the side seam of the bag in-between the outer fabric and the lining, like the picture shows above. You may pin this in place if it helps.
PS. My belting was about 30 inches in length!
Now very carefully sew all around the top edge of the bag using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Making sure to catch the flap and the belting! Also, make sure to leave an opening about 4 inches long so that you can turn your bag right side out (see picture above!)
Turn your bag right side out using the opening!
Fold the opening in and press with your iron. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, topstitch around the entire top of the bag. In doing so you will be closing the opening we left for turning!
And there you go! One very stylish Messenger Style Library Bag!
If you’d like you can add a piece of velcro or a snaps to keep the flap closed too.
Just perfect for any number and any size library books!
Thanks for stopping by
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