A Storage Bag Sewing pattern ..

With a great deal of focus on canvas and calico bags for replacing plastic shopping carrier bags - this pattern is ideal for making your children their own smaller shopping bags - book bags or maybe for swimming - with fabric pens, printer transfer paper you can make bags that are individual to your children or group. 

 
The bag in Preschool is excellent for storing A4 sized games, playing cards, jigsaws and other themed resources ..
and most of the resources available on Silkysteps!

If you need a different sized bag, simply alter it at the beginning, 
The method of putting it together doesn’t change at all.
 

How to make your own storage bag

• Cotton fabric – colour to suit yourself although white looks better when used with the T shirt transfer paper.
•  A sheet of Transfer paper per bag – this paper is quite expensive but does give good results.
• Use a permanent marker pen to write the bag contents on the front If you can’t get hold of the paper readily.
• Printer and colour ink – Use of an iron and ironing board.
•  Sewing machine & thread or needle and cotton.
• Velcro - to match the colour of your fabric.

 1.

     Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric – 36cm X 25cm and one strip – for the handle 20cm X 5cm

     Place the 2 sheets together and sew three sides together. Leave the top narrow edge open.

     2.
     Turn the top raw edge over once about 1 cm.
     and then again to neaten the edge.
     Sew in place.
     Sew a zig zag stitch around the outer edge to help prevent it fraying.

   3. Velcro 
     Turn the whole bag right side out and iron flat.
     Sew one length to hoop Velcro to one inside top edge.
     Sew the loop length to the other opposite side

 4. Make the handle.
     Fold over one edge into the middle of the strip. Iron flat.
     Fold the other raw edge up and into the middle of the strip – iron flat.
     Fold the whole strip in half and Iron into place.
     Sew the two neat edges together.

  
*1                                 *2
 
*3                                   *4

  5. 
     Turn the handle so that the raw edges are inside the bag.
     Sew the lower edges in place

   6. The Finished Bag

 Other Storage bag uses!

  Make a set for all your children to take home their Preschool Library book in.
  Use them as special Christmas/Easter bags – fill with the children’s term work or with a card and present for the parents!
 These bags could be used in a multitude of ways – from advertising your local school logo or playgroup to supplying loan games!
 How about setting up a ‘Storage sack loan’ library. – Print out our resources and assemble the pieces as a complete kit. Store them in a collection of these bags and then send them out on loan for the week with a child!