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How to Make a School Bag

It only takes a few minutes to make a simple school bag for a child, so you could make bags for the entire class. With the right materials, you can create a school bag that will be sturdy enough to stand up to heavy use. Bags can left plain, or decorated before or after they are made to customize them.

Things You'll Need

Heavy canvas
Nylon strapping
Sewing machine
Heavy-duty machine needle
Strong machine thread
Iron

Instructions

- 1
  Cut two 18-inch squares of canvas or denim. Pin them right sides together, matching the edges.
- 2
  Sew around three edges of the bag with a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Clip the two corners you sewed around. Finish the seams by zigzag stitching both seam allowances. This is your bag.
- 3
  Zigzag around the opening of the bag. Turn this edge down 1 inch for a hem. Sew the hem close to the edge.
- 4
  Turn the bag right-side out and press it with an iron. Cut two strips of webbing 32 inches long.
- 5
  Turn under 1 inch on the ends of the webbing. The folded ends should both be on the same sides of the straps. Pin one end of the webbing to the top edge of the bag on the outside, four inches from the center. The folded end of the strap will point toward the bottom of the bag; the long end will point up. The 1-inch piece that is folded up will be the side that touches the bag.
- 6
  Sew across the folded end of the strap. Turn and sew up the side of the strap to the top edge of the bag. When you turn the corner, stop with your needle down, raise the pressure foot, turn the fabric, lower the pressure foot and continue sewing.
- 7
  Turn and sew across the strap. Turn and sew back to your starting point. You will have sewn a square attaching the end of the strap to the edge of the bag.
- 8
  Sew the other end of the same strap to the same side of the bag 4 inches from the other side of the center. Be sure the strap is not twisted. Sew the other strap to the other side of the bag in the same way.

Sewing