• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sew Fearless

overcome your fear of needles

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Cart
You are here: Home / Bags / How To Make Drawstring Backpacks

How To Make Drawstring Backpacks

September 8, 2016 by Jodi 1 Comment

Last June, we went on a crazy 3600+ mile road with our 6 kids in a tiny minivan. It was insane – a good insane, but insane none the less.

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

When I was trying to figure out how to manage it, I decided each child needed a place for their hats, toys, sweatshirts, and other necessities. The solution, or course, was to sew something.

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

I made five drawstring backpacks. There are a plethora of drawstring bag and backpack tutorials out there, but I am throwing one more in the mix because 1) it is lined which makes them more sturdy and beautiful and 2) I think the way the D-rings are attached is really neat.

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Basically I “boxed” the corners outward instead of inward, and used the excess fabric to attach the D-rings. Neat, huh?

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

The kids love their bags. They worked really well for the trip and they still use them for their play at home.

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Read on to learn how I made these. Normally, I like to use photos for my tutorials, but I was in a rush when I made the bags. My super-amateur diagrams will have to do.

Step 1: Cut out pieces.Draw String Backpack Tutorial - step 1

  • 2 pieces of non-stretch denim 14 inches by 14 inches
  • 2 pieces of contrast quilting cotton 14 inches wide by 24 inches long.
    NOTE: For extra durability, back the quilting cotton with a woven fusible interfacing.
  • 2 pieces of cotton cord 1 yard each

Step 2: Sew the pieces together along short edges.

Draw String Backpack Tutorial - step 2Sew the pieces together, right sides facing, along, short edges. Press center seam open. Press the other seams toward the contrast pieces, and then topstitch.

Step 3: Fold the fabric strip in half.

Draw String Backpack Tutorial - step 3

Fold the fabric strip in half, right sides facing, along center seam.

Step 4: Sew the halves together along the open edges.

Draw String Backpack Tutorial - step 4

Sew the halves together along the 3 open edges, but leave openings in the seam as shown in the diagram. The 1 inch openings will be used for casings, and the 6 inch opening will be used for turning right side out.

Step 5: Sew D-ring flap.

Draw String Backpack Tutorial - step 5

Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the contrast. “Box out” both of the bottom corners of the denim. To box a corner, bring the bottom seam towards the side seam wrong sides together, matching seams. Sew a seam 2 inches down from the corner, perpendicular to the center seam. This creates a triangle flap of fabric on the outside of the bag.

Step 6: Sew D-rings on to corner flaps.

Step 6 - sew on D rings

Insert a flap into a D-ring, and fold up to the side seam. Sew the flap down to the side of the bag. Repeat with second flap and D-ring.

Step 7: Sewing drawstring casing.

Step 7: Sew Casing

Tuck the contrast inside of the bag with 5 inches of contrast exposed about denim. Press. Topstitch around 1 inch down from the folded edge to make a casing for the drawstring ties.

Step 8: Insert ties/bag straps into casing.

Step 8: drawstring ties

Cut two 1 yard pieces of rope. Insert one rope through an opening in the casing, pushing through all the way around the casing and out the same opening it was inserted in.. Insert the second piece of rope into the opposed opening in the casing, pushing through all the way around the casing and out the same opening it was inserted in. Tie off the robes onto the D-rings to make backpack straps.

You are done!

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Happy Adventuring!

Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Filed Under: Bags, Crafts for Kids, Tutorials Tagged With: backpack, bags, drawstring backpack, tutorial

Previous Post: « Date Night Appleton
Next Post: A Trio of Santa Fe Tops »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kris C. says

    October 3, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    What are the final dimensions of your drawstring bags? These look really neat and useful!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Jodi

Jodi - Sewing Advocate - Mother of 7 - Lover of Swings and Deadlifts - Catholic

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Top Posts & Pages

How To Finish A Shaped Quilt Edge Without Binding
Is the tension on my machine broken?
The "Manly Poppins" - a DIY Camera Bag
Convert A Bra Into A Nursing Bra

Subscribe to The Newsletter!


Categories

  • Announcements & Site Updates
  • Baby
  • Bags
  • Blog Crush
  • Children's Clothing
  • Clothing
  • Crafts for Kids
  • Embroidery
  • Featured Fearless Sewists
  • Home Goods
  • Knitting
  • Maternity
  • Non-Sewing Crafts
  • Quilting
  • Round Ups
  • Sew Fearless Original Patterns
  • Sew-Along
  • Sewing Books
  • Sewing Tools
  • Tutorials
  • Updates & Project Progress
  • Vintage (very old posts)
  • Women's Clothing

Footer

Connect

Sew Fearless is about a reckless pursuit of the sewing craft. It is about not letting your fears talk you out of your dreams. It is a place to go for encouragement, information, and sewing camaraderie. It’s a place where “done” is better than “perfect”, and where saying “I didn’t try” is worse than “I failed”. Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

ABOUT

CONTACT

SHOP

DISCLOSURE

Sharing Policy

I am glad to have you here and happy to have you share my posts and ideas with your friends. However, please respect my content and do not repost it, except for maybe 1 or 2 photos as a teaser. If you do use my photo, give credit to Sew Fearless and link to the original blog post. Please do not use photos of my children.
Copyright © 2023 Sew Fearless · Site developed by Autumn Street