Make a Laptop Tote Bag

At its simplest, a laptop carrying case is little more than a padded tote bag. While it will require some careful cutting and thought out sewing procedures, it is a fairly easy project that a beginner could have success with. To make a laptop tote bag, follow these instructions.

Steps

Preliminary Steps

  1. Select your materials.


  2. Launder and iron the fabrics to be used.


  3. Measure the laptop to be carried. You might, for example, use a Cardboard Laptop Case as a guide for size. If not, simply measure all the way around the laptop from the hinge side to the opening and then back to the hinge (as opposed to just the top); this will be the length of the fabric. Then, measure the width of the laptop plus each side; this will be the width of the fabric.


  4. Cut two layers of cloth. One should be large enough to cover the laptop all the way around plus an inch (2.5 cm) in every direction; this will be the inside layer of the tote. The other should be half an inch (1 cm) larger than the first all around; this will be the outside of the tote. They can be the same colors or different coordinating colors. (If the outside layer is a durable water-resistant kind of fabric, so much the better.)


  5. Cut two thicknesses of quilt batting the size of your smaller (inner) piece of material.
  6. Cut a layer of interfacing material the size of the smaller (inner) piece of material.

Make the Exterior of the Bag

  1. Sew the sides of the outer layer of material together, leaving the top open.


  2. Miter the corners. Flatten one corner of the bag so that the seam visually “splits” the triangle in half. Then, sew across the corner, keeping the new seam perpendicular to the existing seam (as seen below). Repeat this process on the other corner. When you flip the bag right-side-out, the corners will be blunted.


  3. Fold and sew the tips of the miters to the seam line.


  4. Turn right-side-out and test-fit. Make adjustments if necessary.

Make the Interior of the Bag

  1. Layer the interfacing, batting, and inner material. Be sure to align them carefully.


  2. Quilt the three layers together by hand or by machine.


  3. Fold the quilted layer in half and sew the sides together, leaving the top open.
  4. Clip the batting and interfacing close to the seam.


  5. Miter the corners as above, sewing the mitered tips to the seam line.


  6. Test-fit by sliding your laptop into the inner layer. Make any necessary adjustments for proper fit.


Assemble the Bag

  1. Insert the bag interior into the bag exterior.


  2. Clip the inner layer so that it’s 2 inches (5 cm) higher than the edge of your laptop (or box, in this case).


  3. Clip the outer layer two inches (5 cm) longer than the inner layer.


  4. Fold the outer layer twice – once in and over itself and once again over the inner layer – and pin for sewing. This forms a roll of cloth, hiding the raw edges of both layers.


  5. Sew the layers together along the inside, lower edge of the rolled/folded outer edge.


Make the Handles

  1. Cut 4- to 5-inch (10- to 13-cm) wide strips for your handles. Make them whatever length is pleasing and comfortable for you (12 inches or 30 cm for a short handle, 24+ inches or 70+ cm for a shoulder strap).
  2. Fold and iron the handle strips.
    • Fold the bottom edge up to the center of the strip.


    • Fold the top edge down to the center of the strip.


    • Fold the entire strip in half lengthwise and iron for a smooth finish.


  3. Top-stitch the strips to hold their shape.


  4. Measure the top of your bag and divide by 3. Mark the thirds with pins.
  5. Place your handle ends just inside the pins. Be sure to leave plenty of excess handle hanging below the hemline on either side, as you will be rolling and sewing this in the upcoming steps.


  6. Pin the handles in place, fold the raw ends under themselves, and pin the folds into place.
  7. Top-stitch the handle ends in place. In this example, the handles are zig-zagged across the top edge and single-stitched along the sides and bottom. Choose whatever appeals to you.


  8. Trim all threads. You now have a custom carrying case for your laptop.


Slightly Modified Version (for Fewer Seams)

  1. When sewing the lining, leave a hole in the bottom. If you use batting or foam rubber to reinforce the bag, keep that in mind; later, you'll have to pull that bulk through to complete the bag. There is really no right or wrong size for the “pull-through hole”; it just depends on the project and materials being used.
  2. Flip the lining so that it’s inside-out and sew the handles to the outside.
  3. Flip lining right-side out with strap/handle on the inside.
  4. Put exterior shell inside lining, also with the right side facing out.
  5. Sew seam around the top connecting the inside and straps of the bag to the exterior shell. What you'll have now is a tote with the lining right-side out on the outside, the exterior on the inside (looking down into the tote, you'll see the wrong side of the exterior fabric), and the strap sandwiched between the two.
  6. Reach in the hole you left in the lining, grab the strap or exterior fabric, and pull it through. Now the strap and the exterior fabric are on the outside (right-side out) and the lining is on the inside (right side showing).
  7. Machine- or hand-sew the hole shut in the bottom of the lining. It doesn't matter if it's not perfect because that seam will be on the inside of the bag.

Tips

  • This can be done by hand, but is best sewn on a machine.
  • This can be done without padding; see How to Make a Tote Bag.
  • This works very well coordinated with the cardboard laptop carrier's inner layer and adding this project as the outer layer for greater stability with a 'finished' look.

Warnings

  • Depending on the amount of padding you use, this laptop bag may not be as protective as some store-bought alternatives.
  • Be sure that stitching of the handles is secure -- the results of a sudden unraveling could be extremely expensive!
  • Use appropriate care when handling scissors and needles.

Things You'll Need

  • Two yards of material; may be a yard each of different materials if desired
  • One yard of quilt batting
  • One yard of interfacing material or a similar, thin fabric
  • Sewing machine
  • Tape measure
  • Thread

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