Mini Book Bag DIY Tutorial

Here's my free Silver Glitter Mini Book Bag Sewing Tutorial...
The silver glitter fabric is easy to sew but doesn't like to be folded too much, so I used this quality to my advantage and made the lining a little longer than the outer so that it looks like binding from the outside.

You will need...

    silver glitter woven back fabric
    embroidery thread
    bridle leather strap

How-to step by step...

Step 1

Start by cutting out the front & back outer and lining panels as illustration above. Use a craft knife or a rotary cutter, with a metal ruler and a cutting mat to cut the leather strips to the desired length.

Step 2

Paint the edges of the bridle leather straps and leave to dry.

Step 3

For the front of the bag, clip the front outer bag to the front lining piece, along the top edge, right sides together and raw edges even. 

Step 4

Stitch together using a 1cm (3/8") seam. Repeat with back outer and lining pieces. 

Step 5

With right sides together and raw edges even, pin and clip the front to back. Stitch together using a 1cm (3/8") seam leaving a 5cm gap along the bottom edge of the lining, to turn the bag right side out.

Step 6

Clip the corners on the outer and lining.

Step 7

Turn the bag right side out.

Step 8

Push the lining inside the bag.

Step 9

Paper clip the lining in place, so that 1cm is visible from the outside, you can easily do this by pulling the lining taught with the top of the glitter fabric. 

Step 10

Starting at one of the side seams, edge stitch the lining in place.

Step 11

Your glitter book bag should now look like this.

Step 12

Slip stitch the opening in the lining close.

Step 13

Mark four holes at each end of the handle, then lay it on a cutting mat and push a craft pick all the way through the leather at the marked points. Turn the handle over and insert craft pick back into the holes from this side so they will be large enough to thread a needle through.

Step 14

To attach the handles to the bag, thread a needle with embroidery thread (floss) and tie a knot in the end of the thread. Insert the needle into the bag from the inside, bringing the needle up through the bottom left hole of the handle, then inserting it through the top right hole; repeat two or three times more. 

Step 15

Now bring the needle up through the top left hole, and insert it through the bottom right hole; repeat two or three times. To finish, knot the thread on the wrong side and snip off the ends. Attach a neon felt flower for extra charm!

Step 17

Now your bag is ready to use.