School is back in session and there are plenty of supplies you’ll need, but how will you carry them? How about with your own hand-made bag that features your favorite geeky stuff? Here is a list of some really fun tutorials that will help you make the coolest backpack around!
Dr. Who
This bag is certain to keep you from going all wibbly wobbly from the massive amounts of homework headed your way. While this tutorial might not make a Tardis, it does use recycled clothing to make a shoulder bag worthy of the Doctor himself. You won’t even need a sonic screwdriver to put it together!
For this project you’ll need a tweed jacket, an ivory button-down shirt, a red bow tie, two matching leather belts, waxed thread, and a thick needle with a wide eye. Most of these things you can find at a local thrift shop or conveniently in your Grandpa’s closet.
Image Credit: DIY Ready
To make the bag you’ll be layering the shirt and jacket and cutting off the sleeves. Then you’ll sew around the edges, line the bag, add the bow tie (bow ties are cool!), and attach the belts as a strap. The bag requires a little bit of sewing, but is relatively easy to make.
You can check out the full tutorial on DIY Ready
Legend of Zelda
Image Credit: Animus-Panthera/DeviantArt
It’s educational to go alone. Take this Hylian Shield backpack to protect you valuables! This bag uses fabric and felt, but I have seen amazing bags made similarly with leather. You can also adapt the design to make any of link’s shields.
Image Credit: Animus-Panthera/DeviantArt
To make this bag you need a 1/2 yard blue fabric, interfacing, a zipper, nylon belting and buckles to make the straps, and silver, yellow, and red felt. You’ll need to find a reference picture of the shield you want to make and then cut your fabric to the shape of the shield. The interfacing will make the fabric of the shield stiff to stand up the weight of your books or against random Octorok attacks. This tutorial is slightly harder than the last one as you’ll have to do some creative cutting to create the design for the shield and you’ll be adding a zipper to the bag. If you can master these skills then you might truly be ready to wield the Master Sword.
You can find the rest of the tutorial by Animus-Panthera on DeviantArt.
Your Favorite Book
Image Credit: HungryPanda
If you don’t need to lug around anything large or want to make a book-turducken then this tutorial is for you! The book bag (pun intended) is not just great for carrying around school stuff, but also makes a great every day bag for any book lover.
For this project you’ll need a book, fabric, an exacto knife, glue, needle and thread, Velcro, and purse handles (You can find these at craft stores, but if you prefer a clutch then you don’t need them).
Image Credit: HungryPanda
This one is pretty simple to put together and you can use any hardcover book you like. To make the bag you are going to have to cut out the book pages. It makes the librarian in me weep, but it is for a good cause and you can always use the pages for other projects like collages or covering your school books. Once the cover is free of the pages you’ll add the handles and cover the inside with cloth. Then it is just a matter of sewing a pocket to be glued between the covers and adding a bit of Velcro to help hold it shut. You can get really fancy and glue on a nice clasp if you prefer.
You can find the full tutorial on HungryPanda
The D20 Bag
Image Credit: Evil Mad Scientist
This is another smaller bag, but you can make it a size category larger easily by scaling up the pattern. It is also perfect for gamers who want an amazing dice bag. It looks like there are a lot of pieces, but you are really only cutting out three shapes so don’t fret!
Image Credit: Evil Mad Scientist
For this pattern you’ll need fabric for the outside and for the lining, iron-on numbers, interfacing, a cord for the handle, and a zipper. Once you cut all of the shapes out it is just a matter of assembly. This is one of the more complicated bags, but when it is done it looks fantastic (Just be careful not to roll a 1 while building it).
The pattern for the bag is available on the Evil Mad Scientist site along with the tutorial.
Fast and Easy T-Shirt Bag
Image Credit: S/Instructables
This is the easiest bag to make by far. Have a t-shirt laying around and need a bag in under 5 minutes? We’ve got you covered! All you need to do is take a beloved t-shirt, cut off the arms, cut out a half circle around the neck area, and sew the bottom of the shirt together. I took my favorite Captain America t-shirt and was able to create a bag in no time flat!
Image credit: Jessica Fisher
What I would suggest, is if you are intending to carry heavy stuff in these bags, you should probably add some interfacing to stiffen the fabric and reinforce it. Especially if you are using an older t-shirt that might be a little worn out.
This tutorial is available on Instructables.
Have you already made your own bag? Let us know what you created in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit: DIY Ready