Make a Messenger Bag

Whether you just need more space than a purse provides or you want a custom made bag to carry school supplies, making your own messenger bag is a great way to express your style and provide function. Read below for instructions to make two different types of messenger bags.

Steps

Make a Bag From Pillow Cases

  1. Get pillowcases. You will need three ~16” square pillowcases. These should be made of heavy upholstery fabric, in the same or matching prints or colors, and include a zipper opening.
    • One pillowcase will form the outside of the bag, one will form the inner lining, and the other will form the strap.
  2. Cut the straps. Cut one of the pillowcases to form the straps by cutting the edge with the zipper, as well as the edge on the opposite side. Now cut the remainder to form six 5” by 15” strips.
  3. Make a single strip. From four of the six pieces, stitch their ends together so they form one long 5” wide strip.
  4. Form a tube. With right (patterned) sides facing each other, stitch the long sides together to form a tube. Use your preferred method to turn the tube right side out.
  5. Reinforce seams. Stitch a rectangle over the seams where you joined the pieces. Flip in the ends about 3” on each side and then edge stitch all along the entire strap.
  6. Pin the strap. Pin the ends of the straps to the pillowcase you are using as the main section of the bag such that the zipper is open and at the top and the side seams align with the center of strap. The straps should be placed far enough down so that the folded in 3” section is entirely on the bag.
  7. Attach the strap. Iron flat and then edge stitch a rectangle at the end of the strap to join it to the bag (this rectangle should follow the 3” folded section). Make an “x” across the rectangle to reinforce. Do this for both sides.
  8. Sew the inner pocket. Fold in and iron the edges of one of the remaining strap pieces, so that the edge looks clean when viewing the facing side. Pin it to the facing side of the lining pillowcase, in the upper half section towards the zipper. Sew along the bottom edge and sides with one seam in the middle to form two pockets.
  9. Add the lining. Trim off the zipper and iron the edges down, so that the edge is clean. Flip the pillowcase inside out and place it inside the main bag. Pin together and then sew, one side and then the other, remembering to backstitch at each of the four ends. You’re done!

Make a Bag From Duct Tape

  1. Prepare to make a bag. You’ll need a pattern and supplies in order to make this bag. Thankfully, the supplies are minimal and the pattern is very simple. Having everything you need before you start will make the process more smooth and efficient.
    • Make a pattern, if you want to. The main portion of the bag will be formed from one single piece of tape-fabric (pieces of duct tape, layered to create a single surface). The shape will overall resemble one large rectangle with two smaller rectangles attached at it’s side.
    • You will, of course, need duct tape to make the bag from. You can find duct tape in a variety of locations and it is available in a wide range of colors and patterns.
    • You will need fixtures for the bag. Four fixtures (two large, two small) will be needed to attach straps to the bag and you will need one buckle to close it with, as well as reinforcing rings for the buckle holes. All of these can be purchased from craft stores or salvaged from second-hand purses or messenger bags.
    • Importantly, you will need a surface on which to build your bag and straight pins to keep the tape in place while you work. A large sheet of cardboard will be the cheapest and simplest solution.
    • Finally, you will need a standard ruler (wood or metal), a measuring tape and cutting tools. The ruler will be sacrificed to reinforce the handle of the bag, so be sure it is one you will not need to use later.
  2. Make the first layer. With the sticky side facing up, lay out seven 36” strips, parallel, absolutely straight, and overlapping (but as little as possible). Pin the ends taught as you lay each strip.
  3. Make the second layer. With sticky side still facing up, lay six more 35” strips over the first layer with a 1” offset. Do not worry about pinning these. Be careful to lay them straight and go slowly, since it is difficult to get the tape back up if you make a mistake.
  4. Start the third layer. Cut 6 strips to 11.25” and place them using the same method as the previous layers. Place them perpendicular and covering the previous layers, at the “top”end.
  5. Make the sides. Cut four more 11.25” strips and place two on each side, parallel with the strips from the first two layers, such that the ends line up with the middle of the last strip from layer 3. Pin these strips in place.
  6. Attach the sides. Cut 4 more 11” strips and layer them over the others, with a 1” offset so that the seam with the main section is covered.
  7. Finish the third layer. Cut ~19” strips to cover the middle section (the section with the side panels). These should be placed parallel to and beginning at the other strips from layer 3, covering the . Once you reach the edge of sides, switch to 11.25” strip and cover the remainder of the layer.
  8. Make the fourth layer. This will be done similarly to layer 3 but with the strips facing sticky side down. Use 11.25” strips for the two narrower sections and then 19” strips for the wider center section where the sides attach.
  9. Fold into a bag. Unpin this completed piece and fold it into a bag. The side panels form the narrow sides of the bag, with the section directly between them forming the back side of the bag. The section directly below forms the bottom and front of the bag (and should fold up to align the bottom edge with the top of the side panels). The remaining top section forms the top and front flap of the bag. The result should be a box-shaped bag with clean edges.
  10. Close the seams. Use tape on the inside of the bag to close all the seams together and reinforce the corners and edges of the bag. Don’t forget to leave the top end open.
  11. Make the top handle. Create a 5’ long strip of tape by folding 12” sections in half with one nested in the next as it is folded. Coil the long strip into a loop with the two smaller fixtures at each end and at the center of the loop. Compress the loop and then circle tape around it to form the handle, closing in the two fixtures at either end.
  12. Create the handle attachments. Use 4 more 12” folded strips, one completely encased in the other, to form 2 handles. Lace these through the fixtures.
  13. Attach the handle. Cut 2 slits in the top of the bag where the handle will be placed, 1” long and parallel to the width of the bag. Lace the ends of the handle attachment strips through the holes. Trim a ruler to fit the length of the top and, folding the two inner ends of the strips down into the center, attach them to the ruler. Now attach the outer two ends to the ruler and tape the entire ruler to the bag, encasing and securing it.
  14. Form the shoulder strap. Cut lengths at least 10” and mate the sticky sides, nesting one set inside another as before until an acceptably long strip is formed. Get a piece the length of the whole strap and place the strap so that the edge runs down the center of the new piece. Fold it over to close the seam of the mated strips and then repeat on the other side.
  15. Attach the shoulder strap. Cutting two more 10” mated strips, form a loop and place the large fixtures inside. Anchor one half of the loop to the inside of the bag and the other half to the outside of the bag. Lace the shoulder strap through the anchored fixtures, fold over the ends, and seal them closed using more tape.
  16. Attach the buckle. Attach the buckle to the bottom of the bag on the front side, using the same method as for the shoulder strap anchors. You will need to make two holes for the buckle pins.
  17. Make a closing strap. Make a strap using mated tape, as in previous steps. Use the reinforcing rings (inside the mated pieces of tape) at the points where the buckle pins will need to fit through. The strap will need to be at least as tall as the front section of the bag. Join this strap to the front flap. Add a cover strip to the buckle if you wish to. You’re done!

Sources and Citations

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