Kids Messenger Bag

Send your little angels to their first day of school with style.  This cute bag from Lelanie Denso will hold their crayons and pencils as well as their little lunch boxes.  Homemade crafts for kids have never been this cute and easy. The other kids will be jealous.
 

Materials:

• 4 pcs. 9" by 8.5" for fron and back panels
• 4 pcs. 3" by 6.5" side panels
• 2 pcs. 9" by 3" base
• 2 pcs. 9" by 4" front pocket
• 2 pcs. 1.5" by 23" sling

Instructions:

1.  Get your front pocket pieces, place them facing right sides together and sew a straight stitch along the longer side.
   
   
    
2. With your pocket pieces wrong sides together, topstitch.
    
3. Get one of your front/back pieces and sew on your pocket using a basting stitch.
    
4. Sew on your embellishment if you decide to put one. I used felt for my Li'l Guy's first name's initial.
   
    
    
5. Take one of your base pieces and place it right sides together with your front piece (you could see my basting stitches). Sew a straight stitch then zigzag stitch to keep your edges from fraying.  After attaching your base piece, it will look like this.
   
   
    
6. Now, get one of your bigger pieces for your bag's back side. Make sure your print is not upside down and attach it to your base piece.
    
7. Get one of your side panels and place it right sides together and aligned with your base piece. Sew it on with a straight stitch and zigzag stitch.
   
   
    
8. Now, attach your back and front panels to the long side of your side panel. Straight stitch then zigzag stitch. Do the same to the other side.
    
9. Get one of your bigger pieces and sew on your velcro, about 1" from the top.  Do the same to the other piece.
    
10. Attach your base and side panels. But do not forget to leave 2" unsewn on one side of your panels while you are attaching your side panel to your back or front panel.
    
    
     
11. Get your sling piece. Place them right sides together and sew a straight stitch on both longer sides.
     
12. Turn your piece.Topstitch. You could iron first then topstitch if you want but I was in a hurry to finish this so I could prepare our dinner ^^) You could also iron on some interfacing before sewing them on (procedure before this) but I did not have any interfacing on hand.I need to buy some the next time we go to the city.
     
13. Get your bag's outer piece (the one with the pocket) and sew on your sling with a basting stitch on each side.
    
    
     
14. Get both bag pieces, place your bag's inner piece inside the outer piece, right sides together. Make sure your sling piece is safely tucked inside.
     
15. Sew a straight stitch leaving 1/4" seam from the edge.
     
16. Turn your piece through the unsewn part of your bag. So, it will look like this.
    
    
     
17. Topstitch, leaving a 1/8" seam from the top of your bag.  And you're done.