These box/bags would be great for storing a crafty project, especially yarns for knitting or crochet, as the yarn could feed right through the drawstring opening and won’t roll away from you since it’s secure in the box. Or, make up some quick beanbags and this box/bag serves in both storage and game play.

Don’t let the number of photos in this tutorial fool you—it took me about two hours from start to finish. So, let’s get started!

Note: In designing this box, I ended up creating my own pattern to make it look like the idea in my head, but throughout this tutorial you will see links to several other tutorials for items with some similar features. I have done this because I know sometimes it can be helpful to read more than one explanation of a process and see additional photos. I hope it will help!

Supplies

• Two pieces of heavy, stiff interfacing measuring about 18″ x 11″ or thin cardboard cut to the size of the the sides and bottom of your box
• About 2/3 to 1 yard of fabric for the box (I used the same fabric for the outside and the lining, but you could do two different fabrics if you like.)
• About 1/3 yard fabric for the drawstring top
• Small amount of fabric for your top edge accent (see those instructions for measurements)
• Two 1-yard lengths of string, ribbon, cord—whatever you want to use for your drawstring
• Thread and needle or sewing machine
• Cutting tools
• Paper for creating your pattern

The Box

You need to start with a fabric box. I’ll show you how I made mine, but there are multiple ways to do this portion of the project, and they’ll all end up the same in the end. Instead of my version, you could also follow a tutorial like this or this or this and then, when you’ve got the outer and inner box pieces put together with interfacing between and raw edges around the top, pick up here at the section marked “Drawstring Top” to achieve the same result.

So, to make my fabric box, I started by drawing up a pattern that was a sort of T shape. (I did it in the same way as in this tutorial.)

The top measures 17″ across. The entire piece is 10 1/2″ tall, but you’ll have a 4 1/2″ square piece cut out of each of the bottom corners so that the bottom measures 8 1/2″ long. (See photo if this isn’t clear.) Of course, you can always change these measurements to alter the size and shape of your box.

Placing the bottom (8 1/2″) side of the pattern on the fold of my fabric, I cut it out with 1/4″ seam allowance added and then cut a second one as well. I did the same thing with my interfacing, minus the seam allowance.

With wrong sides together, sew the 6 1/4″ sides (the ends of the top of the T) together with 1/4″ seam allowance. Do this on both pieces of fabric.

Press that seam open and flatten the box so that the remaining raw edges beneath that seam (where you cut out the 4 1/4″ squares) line up.

Sew these edges together with 1/4″ seam allowance. Do this on each piece of fabric.

Optional: You can do the same with your interfacing if you like, but I chose not to. It fits into the box pretty easily without seams.

Now you’ve got a floppy box, like so:

Turn one of the boxes right-side-out. Place your interfacing box inside.

Then add the second box inside that.

You’ll need to do some shuffling around to get all the corners and edges in place. (You can tack the corners together if you wish.) Don’t worry if your raw edges don’t line up perfectly. Just get the inside of the box how you want it and trim the raw edges to make them even.

Optional: At this point I chose to baste all three layers around the top, just to keep them from sliding as I did the next steps. This isn’t necessary but may be helpful if you’re worried about keeping the edges together.

You could stop here and make this into a cat bed, apparently.

But I decided to keep going.

Drawstring Top

Take your drawstring fabric and cut out two pieces that measure 17 1/2″ long. To achieve the exact same look as my box, the pieces should be 6 1/4″ tall, but if you want a taller drawstring portion, you can always adjust this number.

(Note: I used a fabric that had no right or wrong side, so it looks the same on both sides except for a couple of seams. If your fabric has a wrong side that you want to cover, you can always line this piece as well.)

Place the pieces right-sides-together. Mark 2 1/2″ down from the top on each short side and sew each of the short sides together with 1/4″ seam allowance, stopping when you get to your marks.

This will create a tube with two openings at the top for your drawstring, like so:

Press your seams open.

Fold the top of the tube down 1/2″ and press. Fold down another 1″ and press. (Note: You may need to adjust these measurements to better accommodate the width of what you’ve chosen to use for your drawstring.)

Topstitch close to the bottom fold. This creates your drawstring casing.

Now, with the wrong side of your drawstring fabric out, place it inside your fabric box with the casing going down into the box. Line up the raw edges of the bottom of the drawstring fabric with the raw edges of the top of the box. The wrong side of the drawstring fabric should now be against the inside of the box. At this point you can baste the drawstring fabric to the box if desired.

Accent Edge

With your accent fabric, sew 1 1/2″ strips together on the short ends until you’ve achieved a length of roughly 1 yard. You can sew them with angled joins like you would sew bias strips for a quilt binding, but I actually just made my seams straight and it worked just fine.

(Sorry, didn’t take photos here, but if you’re lost on making a binding strip like this, this tutorial or this tutorial are helpful. There are also quite a few videos of this process on YouTube if you need a better visual.)

Press one short end of your strip in 1/4″ for a finished edge.

Turn your finished strip down 1/2″ and press.

Fold the other long edge of the strip down 1/4″ and press. (The raw edge should meet the raw edge of the 1/2″ fold you just did.)

Then fold where the raw edges meet and press, so that one side of your strip is 1/2″ wide and the other side is 1/4″ wide. This will essentially give you something resembling a bias strip for finishing your raw edges.

(You can, of course, adjust these measurements for whatever look you want to achieve. I wanted the accent to be wider on the outside of the bag and narrower on the inside.)

Place the 1/2″ side of your bias strip against the outside of your box with right sides together and pin in place.

Make sure your short end with the raw edge overlaps the short end with the pressed edge so you won’t have any exposed edges in the end.

Sew the bias strip to the box with 1/2″ seam allowance. Note that this seam will show on the inside of the box, so make sure you’re using a thread color you’re happy with!

Then fold your strip over all the raw edges of the box and drawstring fabric so that the middle pressing mark is at the top of the box and your next folded edge wraps into the inside of the box, like so:

Pin it in place and hand stitch the strip to the inside of the box, as you would with a quilt binding.

It should look like this when you’re done:

The Drawstring

Now your raw edges are covered and your drawstring fabric is attached. The last step is to thread your drawstring into the casing.

Place a safety pin in the end of one drawstring and thread it into your casing on one side.

Draw the string all the way through the casing, out the first opening and back into the second side …

… all the way through until it comes back out the opening directly beside the one you went in. Tie a knot with your two ends.

Then, starting on the opposite side of the box, thread your second drawstring into the opening (your first drawstring will just be going across this opening) and all the way around. You’ll cross over where the first drawstring begins and ends and go back into the casing.

Bring your second drawstring back out beside where it went in and finish as you did with the first opening.

Tada!

Congratulations, you’ve done it!

Keep the drawstring fabric pushed down into the box for a clean look.

Or lift the drawstring fabric up and out for a larger bag/box.

Or pull the drawstrings tight for a top that closes flat for storage.

Enjoy!

(Please feel free to contact me with any questions or corrections. I’m always happy to help!)

I started with the same premise as the original, but I altered it a bit, so I thought I’d share the pattern with you here. It may look complicated, but I assure you this is one of the quickest, easiest things I have made in a long time!

Also, I am an experienced crocheter, but not an experienced pattern writer, so I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if something is unclear or incorrect so I can fix it!

You need:

• Some sort of twine or thick string. I used jute gardening twine.
• A crochet hook that creates the size of stitches you’d like.
• At least 20 glass or plastic beads in colors of your choice. Don’t worry about the size of the holes in the beads, as you’ll be attaching them with thread rather than the thicker twine.
• A small- to medium-sized glass bowl.
• Needle and thread.
• Double-sided tape.

Basket:

Round 1. To start, chain as many stitches as you need to go around the middle or lower circumference of the bowl, depending on where you’d like the basket to start. Make sure you make an even number of chains. Join to the first chain with a slip stitch, being sure not to get the chain twisted.

Round 2. Chain 2 (counts as first dc), then double crochet (dc) in next chain and all around, joining to the first dc with a slip stitch.

Round 3. Chain 4 (counts as first dc and first chain 2), skip next dc, *dc in next dc, ch 2, skip next dc. Repeat from * all around, joining to the first dc with a slip stitch.

Round 4. Chain 2 (counts as first dc), dc in next chain 2 sp, *dc in next dc, dc in next chain 2 sp. Repeat from * all around, joining to the first dc with a slip stitch.

(At this point, you can add more rounds if you feel it’s necessary to secure your bowl or get the right look.)

Finish off.

Rope 1:

Join to one side of the top of your basket with a slip stitch and create a long chain, however long you’d like it to be to go from one side of the basket to the other for hanging. Join to the opposite side of the top of the basket with a slip stitch and finish off.

Rope 2:

Repeat the instructions for Rope 1, starting 1/4 of the way around the top of the basket from where Rope 1 is attached so that the ropes will intersect each other.

Supports:

On the underside of the basket, join with a slip stitch directly below one end of one of your hanging ropes and create a short chain that goes straight across to the opposite side of the bottom of the basket. Join with a slip stitch directly below the opposite side of the hanging rope and finish off.

Repeat for a second, intersecting chain. These will ensure your bowl doesn’t slip out of the basket if it gets a little heavy or stretches.

Finishing:

If desired, take some twine and form a small loop through the hanging ropes. (This will keep the hanging ropes together at the top and may make it a little easier to hang from a hook.)

With invisible or matching thread, sew beads into the spaces created in round 3. I chose to string them by taking the thread sideways through a double crochet, through the bead, and then through the next double crochet, all the way around using one long thread. You could also sew the beads individually as you like.

Place your bowl into the basket, securing with some double-sided tape around the outside of the bowl (between the bowl and the twine), and fill it with birdseed!

(Additional photos on flickr.)

I love to give gifts, and I work hard to come up with things that are just right for each individual. Every so often, though, inspiration just does not strike, or the individual just really, really wants something more ambiguous, like cold, hard cash. For those few occasions, I like to put some extra time and personality into a gift card’s presentation to make it a little more special.

Last year I posted a tutorial for felt gift card holders. They worked out great for the cards we gave out last Christmas and have the bonus of being reusable. If you want to whip up a few for yourself, head on over to the tutorial and give it a try! (And don’t forget to post your results to my flickr group!)

I’ll be back on Monday with more crafty goodness!

So, you want to know how to mount an embroidery using the lacing method. Be forewarned that the tutorial you’re about to read is lengthy and quite heavy with photos because I wanted to make it as clear as possible. Don’t let that fool you though; it’s really easy to do.

To start, you’ll need:

• Your finished embroidery with at least enough extra fabric around the embroidered part for wrapping a half inch or so around all four sides of a backing board. Please excuse the marking pen on mine. It wasn’t quite ready for finishing.
• A backing board cut to size. This could be cardboard, foam board, wood—whatever is sturdy enough for your needs. I used foam board for these projects. Do keep in mind that many paper-type products have acid in them, which can erode and discolor fabric over time, so if that’s important to you, make sure you look for something acid-free.
• Sturdy thread or string that doesn’t have much stretch to it. I believe I read somewhere that upholstery thread is good. I used perle cotton, in this case a dark color to make it easier to see in the photos. You basically want something strong enough to withstand some tugging and something that will remain pulled tight when you’re done.
• A needle to suit your thread.
• Optional: Pins to help position your embroidery on the backing board. Alternatively, you could use a spray tack or adhesive, but this is another item that could potentially cause damage to your fabric over time, so make sure you consider that.

So, here we go.

To start, position your backing board on the wrong side of your embroidery. (Please iron your piece first! I was too lazy to do it before I started snapping photos.) You’ll want to get it as close as you can to how you want it to be positioned, but don’t fuss over it too much, because you will be able to do a little bit of wiggling with it to fix something that’s off.

If you don’t mind having an unfinished edge on the back of your piece, then you can simply fold the fabric over the board like this:

(If you do this and want a more finished look, you could always glue or sew a piece of felt over the back to hide the unfinished edges.)

If you’d like a more finished edge, fold the unfinished edge toward the backing board …

… and then bring that folded edge down so the fabric is wrapped over the backing board with the unfinished edge hidden inside (just like making a hem).

I wasn’t concerned with my fabric being super even across the back, but if you want it to be more tidy, you could iron a little crease on the fold to be sure you’ve got a straight line as you start the lacing.

You’re going to fold two opposite sides to start, either top and bottom or left and right.

If you’re using pins, stick them through the fabric into the sides of the board to hold the piece in place.

Now you’re ready to start lacing. Bring your thread up in the fabric near a corner of the backing board, as you see in the photo below.

For this project I chose to tie a knot in the end of my thread, but if you’d prefer not to, just work a couple of back stitches to secure the thread.

It’s up to you how far in from the folded edge you start, although I remember reading somewhere that it’s good to vary this location a little bit as you work your way across so you’re not putting all the strain on one part of the fabric.

Putting your needle down toward the inside of the piece, work one back stitch, maybe a quarter of an inch wide, bringing your needle back up in the same place you started it.

(Note that I tend to switch between right and left hands while stitching, so you may need to reverse the direction of the piece in order to see your stitches moving in the direction you’re accustomed to.)

Now you’re basically going to just work a really long herringbone stitch. Bring your thread across the backing board to the opposite side and put your needle down into the fabric roughly the same distance in from the edge as where you started your back stitch on the opposite side. Bring it back up near the outside edge of the backing board, similar to where you started your thread on the opposite side. You’ll notice this causes the thread to stretch across the board on a slight diagonal.

Now take your thread back across the board to the first side, working another back stitch about a half inch (or whatever you feel works for your project) from the last stitch. See how the threads will begin to cross over each other?

Continue to do this across to the other end of the backing board. Don’t worry about pulling your thread super tight yet. You’ll do that when you’re ready to finish.

If you run out of thread, stop and pull all the stitches nice and tight, make any additional stitches that you’ve got new string length for, and then cut a new piece of thread. Tie the new piece right to the tail of the old piece and continue working as before.

When you’ve reached the end, give your stitches a tug to tighten them all up and finish off with another back stitch and tie a knot, if desired.

Now you’re going to do the same thing on the other two sides. You’ll need to decide how to deal with the corners depending on how bulky your fabric is and what looks good to you.

You could simply fold the edge in and then wrap, just like you did for the first two sides:

Or you could sort of mitre the corners, as below.

Or if your fabric is really bulky, you could cut some of the corner fabric out to reduce bulk. (I’ve chosen not to do this and live with the extra bulk because if I ever want to remove the piece from the backing board and use it for something else, I might want to have all the fabric in tact.)

Then just start lacing like you did for the first two sides.

When stitching in the corners, you might find it helpful to go through all the layers of fabric, including the fabric of the already-laced sides that now lie underneath your folded corners, so they will lie flatter together against the back.

Work your way across and finish just like you did with the first two sides.

And that’s all there is to it! Pretty easy once you’ve made sense of it, right?

I love how this technique provides a neat, finished look to a piece without the need for a frame. It can be hung as-is or placed in a frame with the foam board in place to stabilize or position it. And, really, the back ends up looking pretty cool too.

I hope this has been helpful to you, and please do let me know if there’s anything I can do to improve the tutorial. Now get out there and get embroidering. Happy lacing!

I took the design I made for my daughter’s bag and modified it slightly for this one, and it’s just enough different that I thought I would share it with you as well. As I said before, please let me know if you need clarification on anything. I’m always happy to find ways to improve my tutorials. We’ve been using this bag a lot, stuffing quite a few things in it despite its size, and so far I have no complaints.

Simple Drawstring Backpack with Applique

You’ll need:

Outer fabric: Two pieces 10.5″ x 11″.

Lining fabric: Two pieces 10.5″ x 14.25″ plus whatever you need for your applique.

Double sided fusible web (whatever amount you need for your applique).

Matching thread.

Two lengths of at least 50″ of coordinating or matching rope or cording for the drawstrings. I’d recommend starting with more and determining an exact measurement when you’re finishing the project. More on this later.

Grommets/eyelets large enough to fit two thicknesses of your chosen drawstring material.

Cutting tools.

Ruler or tape measure.

Sewing machine.

Needle.

Grommet/eyelet setting tools.

Step 1: Cut your fabric pieces to size.

Step 2: On your fusible web, draw whatever shape you want to applique onto the backpack. I used varying sizes of jar lids to trace circles.

Attach the web to your applique fabric per the manufacturer’s instructions and cut out your shapes. Then lay out and attach your applique shapes to the piece of fabric that will be the front of your bag.

Step 3: Using whatever stitch you prefer, sew your applique pieces to your bag. I chose to use the zigzag stitch to help prevent fraying because I didn’t fold under the edges and because it’s a little more decorative.

Step 4: Place your front and back outer fabric pieces right-sides-together and sew both long sides and one short side with 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 5: Clip your corners and turn right-side-out. “Finish” your seams with a zigzag or other method if you wish.

Step 6: Take one of your lining pieces and measure 1 1/2″ down from the top of the piece; make a mark along one of the sides at this point. Then measure 1″ below the first mark and make a second mark. (You may need to adjust this measurement based on how thick your drawstrings are.) Do the same on the other side. These mark the openings for your drawstring, so when you sew, you’re going to want to stop and restart your seams at these marks.

Place your inner lining pieces with right sides together, and sew both long sides and one short side with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a small opening (about 3″) on the short side to allow for turning. And don’t forget to leave the 1″ opening that starts 1 1/2″ from the top on each side!

Step 7: Press the side seams so the fabric will fold in at the drawstring openings when the bag is right-side-out. If you want to zigzag or otherwise “finish” your seams, do it now, but remember that the edges of the openings need to stay open and folded in, so you won’t want to zigzag them together.

Clip the corners. Leave the lining inside-out.

Step 8: Place the outer fabric (right-side-out) inside the lining (still inside-out) so that right sides are facing each other. Sew the pieces together all around the top with 1/4″ seam allowance. Note that the lining piece is longer than the outer piece right now. I promise this will make sense in a minute.

(By the way, you might have noticed in the last tutorial that I had you turn the outer fabric inside-out and the lining right-side-out, opposite of what we’ve done here. It doesn’t really matter which way you do it as long as you’re sure you’ve got the right sides facing each other. I just do it however works best for me on each project.)

Step 9: Using the opening you left in the lining, turn the bag right-side-out and push the lining back down into the bag. When the bottom of the lining meets the bottom of the bag, you should find that the lining fabric sticks out of the top of the bag and folds at the top, creating a 1 3/4″ border on the outside of the bag. The drawstring openings should be pretty much folded in half, opening toward the top of the bag. Press all around the top to make a nice crease in the lining/border.

Step 10: Top stitch around the top of the bag close to the edge, but do not go across the drawstring openings—you want your drawstrings to be able to move unimpeded!

Then top stitch again about 1/2″ down from the top of the bag, or wherever the bottom of your drawstring openings fall. This measurement may need to differ based on the thickness of your drawstrings. (This creates your casing for the drawstring.)

Step 11: Using a needle and thread, close the opening you left in the lining using a blind stitch.

Step 12: Add grommets to the bottom corners of the bag. (Follow the instructions that came with your grommet setting tools.)

Step 13: Now’s the time to get your drawstring ready. You need at least enough of each piece to go from the bottom to the top of the bag, the whole way around the casing, and back down to the bottom of the bag. For this particular bag I ended up with lengths of about 50″, and when the bag is open, the straps are only as long as the side of the bag, but they get longer when the drawstring is pulled. I’d recommend starting with a longer piece than you need so you can adjust it if the person who will be wearing the bag needs a longer strap.

Attach your drawstring material to a safety pin and thread it into the casing through one of the openings. Being sure to leave a tail, take the drawstring the whole way around the top of the bag (straight across the other opening) and out the same side you started it in. With your second drawstring, thread it into the opening on the other side, go the whole way around, and out the same side you started it in. Each drawstring will now have both loose ends coming out of the same opening in the casing.

Take both ends of each drawstring and thread them through the appropriate grommet, tying them together in a knot once they’re through the grommet. (You may need to finish off the drawstrings with tape or by “melting” them just a moment with a match—carefully!) When you pull on the “straps” of the backpack, the opening of the bag should draw closed easily.

And that’s it. You’re done! Pat yourself on the back! These really are fun to make, and quick too. Give it a try!

I searched for tutorials and reviewed a whole bunch (many, many available if you Google) and then, with an understanding of how drawstring backpacks are constructed, I designed my own version. Even though it’s very similar to others, I thought I’d share a tutorial in case you like my version. I highly recommend reading the whole thing through before you start to avoid getting ahead of yourself, as I so often do! So, without further talk, here it is.

Patchwork Drawstring Backpack

You’ll need:

• Outer fabric: Enough fabric in coordinating prints to make twelve 3.5″ x 5.5″ pieces.
• Lining fabric: 2 pieces at 9.5″ x 10.5″ (or amount needed for size desired).
• Matching thread.
• Ric rac, buttons, whatever you want to use for embellishment.
• Two lengths of at least 45″ of coordinating or matching rope or cording for the drawstrings. I’d recommend starting with more and determining an exact measurement when you’re finishing the project. More on this later.
• Grommets/eyelets large enough to fit two thicknesses of your chosen drawstring material.
• Cutting tools.
• Ruler or tape measure.
• Sewing machine.
• Needle.
• Grommet/eyelet setting tools.

Step 1: Cut your outer fabrics to size. I chose to cut twelve rectangles that could be patchworked into larger rectangles. You can always adjust the size or number of pieces to alter the size of the finished bag.

Step 2: With right sides together, match a long (5.5″) side of one rectangle to the long side of another rectangle and sew with 1/4″ seam allowance. Match the long side of a third rectangle to one of the remaining long sides on the two joined pieces and sew together.

Now repeat this step three more times so you have four strips of three rectangles each.

Step 3: Press open your seams.

Then, with right sides together, match a long edge of one of your rows to the long edge of another row and sew together with 1/4″ seam allowance.

Repeat once more with the other two strips so that you have a front and a back piece (6 rectangles each) for the outer part of the bag. Press open the seams.

Step 4: If you’re going to sew on ribbon or ric rac, now’s the time to do it.

Attach to whichever piece is going to be the front of the bag.

Step 5: Place your front and back pieces right-sides-together and sew both long sides and one short side with 1/4″ seam allowance.

On each of the long sides, at the “open” end of the bag, make sure to stop your seam about 1″ from the open edge. (You may need to adjust this amount based on how thick your drawstring is. Two thicknesses of my drawstring fit perfectly in a 3/4″ opening, which is what this makes. If you need a wider opening, stop your seam sooner.) This is where your drawstring will go in and out.

Step 6: Press the side seams open (at least at the top), including the parts at the top where you stopped your seams so that when you make your casing, the openings will have clean edges, with the raw edge folded in.

If you want to zigzag or otherwise “finish” your seams, do it now, but remember that the unseamed top edges need to stay open and folded in, so you won’t want to zigzag them.

Step 7: Clip your corners.

Step 8: Place your inner lining pieces with right sides together and sew both long sides and one short side with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a small opening (about 3″ or so) on the short side to allow for turning. Finish your seams with a zigzag or other method if you wish.

Clip the corners and turn the lining right-side-out.

Step 9: Place the lining (right-side-out) inside the outer fabric (still inside-out) so that right sides are facing each other. Sew the pieces together all around the top with 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 10: Using the opening you left in the lining, turn the bag right-side-out and push the lining back down into the bag. It’s nice, but not necessary, to press around the top for a nice, crisp edge. Top stitch around the top of the bag close to the edge, and then top stitch again about 3/4″-1″ down from the top of the bag. (This creates your casing for the drawstring, so you’ll just adjust this measurement to be wherever the bottom of the casing openings are.)

Step 11: Admire your handiwork for a moment.

Step 12: Using a needle and thread, close the opening you left in the lining with a blind stitch.

Step 13: Sew buttons or other embellishments to the outside of the bag.

Step 14: Add grommets to the bottom corners of the bag. (Follow the instructions that came with your grommet setting tools.)

Step 15: Now’s the time to get your drawstring ready. You need at least enough of each piece to go from the bottom to the top of the bag, the whole way around the casing, and back down to the bottom of the bag. For this particular bag I ended up with lengths of about 45″, and when the bag is open, the straps are only as long as the side of the bag, but they get longer when the drawstring is pulled. I’d recommend starting with a longer piece than you need so you can adjust it if the person who will be wearing the bag needs a longer strap.

Attach your drawstring material to a safety pin and thread it into the casing through one of the openings. Being sure to leave a tail, take the drawstring the whole way around the top of the bag (straight across the other opening) and out the same side you started it in. With your second drawstring, thread it into the opening on the other side, go the whole way around, and out the same side you started it in. Each drawstring will now have both loose ends coming out of the same opening in the casing.

Take both ends of each drawstring and thread them through the appropriate grommet, tying them together in a knot once they’re through the grommet. (You may need to finish off the drawstrings with tape or by “melting” them just a moment with a match—carefully!) When you pull on the “straps” of the backpack, the opening of the bag should draw closed easily.

Tada! You did it! A simple but pretty drawstring backpack that’s just the right size for a toddler’s needs. (Please let me know if you need clarification on anything. I’m always happy to find ways to improve my tutorials.)

I’ll be back next week with a slightly modified design for a backpack I made for my son. These are so darn easy to make that I might make them for every kid I know!

You know, I don’t really consider myself a card-maker. I have several friends who make beautiful cards with card stock and pretty papers and ribbons and stamps. And while I can appreciate them, it’s just not “me,” not something I’ve had an interest in. Yet, yesterday I found myself working on more hand made cards, and I suddenly realized, “Ah, I guess I sort of do make cards.”

I thought about it some more and decided that I don’t make cards because I really love card making itself, but because I enjoy giving a card that is hand made. It’s just that I don’t do it in the more common, “scrapbook-y” way (for lack of a better term). My way is rather “quick and dirty,” a little more carefree, but I like it that way. And it’s great for using up and sharing toddler art.

Here’s how you can make this kind of card too, in five easy steps:

1. Get some construction paper and stamps and ink. I used a set of foam jungle stamps that I found for $1 at Michael’s and the cheapest ink pads I could get (because I knew they wouldn’t be treated with much care). Let toddler stamp to heart’s content (or, if lacking a toddler, stamp the cards yourself in a toddler-ish way).

2. Cut stamped paper into appropriate sizes and shapes for pre-made blank cards (or your own cards made with card stock). I like using my accumulated scrapbooking tools to make decorative edges, and I rounded the corners of the cards.

3. Attach the stamped paper to the cards.

4. Add a few accent stamps to the inside of the cards and on the envelopes.

5. Use a pen to jot your desired greeting on the card. (I then use a different style and color of ink to write a more personal message, so the greeting looks like part of the card’s design.)

Voila! It’s another quick, simple way to make something that’s a little more personal, a little more fun. I like the abstract, colorful look of these, people like having my kiddo’s artwork, and she likes making a huge mess all over my craft space. Everyone wins.

Actually, I made several before I had the pattern quite right. Since my daughter doesn’t know the difference and tends to get attached to things, we have several floating around our house.

Here’s how you can make one too.

You’ll need:

• The template* (full size or top and bottom**)
• About half a yard of fabric (each cut piece is going to be roughly 14″ x 20″)
• Pins
• Thread
• Needle or sewing machine
• Polyfil

*Please forgive my clumsy drawing. I’m still learning how to use Photoshop for this purpose.

**The full-sized version is too big for a standard sheet of printer paper. I have split the template into two separate files (“top” and “bottom”), which you can piece together.

First, use the template to cut out two pieces, being certain to fold your fabric and place the straight edge of the pattern along the fold as marked. You should end up with two identical, C-shaped pieces. (I made mine so the ends curve in a little. The actual Boppy pillow is a little straighter. If you prefer it that way, just redraw your pattern a little bit.)

Turn the pieces right-sides-together and pin in place.

Sew the whole way around with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a few inches open for turning.

Clip the curves if you wish.

Then turn right side out and stuff with Polyfil to your desired firmness.

Hand stitch the opening closed.

There you have it! It’s nice for little ones to use to imitate mama, and it has other uses too. It’s good for resting little heads …

… or resting elbows whilst taking a drink.

Here’s how you can make a little pocket hanger for a toddler bed* using two fat quarters, some batting, and thread.

*Please note: You should always follow the current safety standards for items used with children. This is not intended for infants or children who are too young/small to use this safely (read: avoid entanglement, suffocation, strangulation, etc.). Use wisely and at your own risk.

You’ll need:

• 2 fat quarters. I like to use contrasting or coordinating fabric.
• Thin quilt batting.
• Coordinating thread.
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat.
• Ruler.
• Iron.
• Sewing machine.

Step 1.Cut your first fat quarter (FABRIC A) into two rectangles measuring approximately 17.5″ x 10″. I was able to achieve this by simply folding the fabric in half width-wise and cutting. (Afterward I did a little measuring and trimming to make the rectangles match each other more precisely.)

From your second fat quarter (FABRIC B), cut a piece that is approximately 17.5″ x 13.5″.

Cut a piece of batting that is slightly smaller than the two 17.5″ x 10″ rectangles.

Set all of these pieces aside.

Step 2. With the remaining fabric from FABRIC B, cut eight strips that measure approximately 1.5″ x 8.75″. (If you want to skip this and the following few steps, you can substitute lengths of ribbon instead. Just finish off one end of each ribbon strip and you’re ready to go.)

Fold each strip in half lengthwise with right sides together. If it’s helpful to you, use your iron to press them in place. Sew one short end and the open long end of each strip using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Turn each strip right-side-out. (I found a knitting needle to be helpful in doing this.) Use the iron to press out any wrinkles gained from the turning. Top stitch around both long sides and the closed short side of each strip. (You can stitch the open end, but it will be hidden eventually anyway.)

(Please pardon the wobbly stitching. I was not particularly fastidious with this project.)

Step 3. Take the rectangle cut from FABRIC B and fold it in half lengthwise with wrong sides together so you have a double thickness. Use your iron to press the fold for a nice, clean edge. Top stitch along the folded edge for a finished look.

Step 4. Now’s the tricky part. It’s not hard, just requires that you be sure everything stays in place. You’re going to layer all of your pieces into a nice sandwich for sewing.

First lay down your batting. Then lay down one of the 17.5″ x 10″ rectangles (FABRIC A) right-side-up. Next position your pocket fabric (FABRIC B), also right side up, lining up the ends with the ends of the other layers and the bottom with the bottoms of the other layers. All of these rough edges should be caught in the same seam once you start sewing. You should see a few inches of FABRIC A above the folded edges of FABRIC B. At this point you may want to place a few pins to keep your layers from slipping as you work with them.

(A rather lame attempt at photographing the “sandwich.)

To add the ties, use two strips for each corner. Place them side by side (if you place them directly on top of each other you’re adding layers to sew through), lining the raw, open edge up with the edges of all the other layers. The strips should be lying on top of the other layers and pointed in toward the middle of the piece, not extended out from it, so that they are in the right place once you’re done sewing. Also, learn from my mistake: It is best to position the ties close to the outside edges of the piece. Otherwise when you add cups and books, the piece will sag and pull in.

Baste the strips into place. (You don’t have to do this, but it will keep them from shifting when you’re ready to sew, and it will add a little strength, too.)

Place your last rectangle right-side-down on top of all the layers. Again, some pins might be helpful here. Now you’re ready to sew.

Step 5. Sew around all four sides with a 3/8″ seam allowance. Remember you’re sewing through a lot of layers, so use the right needle and go slowly where needed. Leave an opening of at least 3″ or 4″ for turning. (I recommend the opening be somewhere at the top of the piece where there are fewer layers to deal with when you close it up.)

Step 6. Turn the piece right-side-out and use a knitting needle or something similar to push out the corners. Close up the opening with some hand stitching.

Step 7. Top stitch around the entire piece.

Then top stitch a divider in the pocket, if desired. Simply position your needle where you want the divider to be (I measured mine in 6.5″ from one side) and sew from the top to the bottom of the pocket, through all the layers.

Tada! There you have it! Tie the pocket onto a bed rail or some decorative hooks or knobs (you could omit the bottom ties in this case) and load it up with books, toys, and a sippie cup. Your little one will have easy access to the “necessities” for naps or early mornings when you pray he stays in his room just a little longer so you can snooze!

A couple days ago I finally got around to making these great kitty toys. I put them together as a gift for my sister’s kitties, mainly because my sister loves sushi and I thought they were cute. They are super quick to whip up and take very little fabric. The green for the nori belt isn’t quite right, but I didn’t feel like going to extra effort to get the right green for a couple of cats! I cut up an old terry wash cloth to make the “rice” and used other fabrics I had on hand for the egg, shrimp, and wasabi. Also, I used peppermint oil instead of catnip because catnip doesn’t do it for her cats but they’re batty for peppermint.

The pattern is not my own, but it is free, and you can find it here.

Meow! Happy eating Hama, Higa, and Molly!