No-sew backpack

Heading back to school doesn’t have to be expensive. Recycle an old T-shirt to carry your light books and supplies.

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Posted on Aug 01 2015 in For Youth, Kids Projects

What you need:

  • One T-shirt
  • One pair of scissors
  • One ruler
  • One ink pen or permanent marker
  • Safety pins, paper clips or tape
  • Drawstring cord — We used nearly 15 feet of parachute cord.


What to do:

  1. no-sew-backpack-diy-craft-350Turn the T-shirt inside out and cut sleeves into strips that are 1/2-inch wide and extend from body of shirt.

  2. Use a ruler and pen or marker to draw a line to show where the bottom of the bag will be.

  3. Cut the bottom of the shirt into strips that are 1/2-inch wide to the line you just created. The strips should be cut on both layers of the shirt.

  4. Double knot each strip on the top layer with its corresponding strip on the bottom layer, excluding one pair on each of the two bottom corners of the shirt.

  5. Trim the excess fabric but do not cut too close to the knot, then turn the bag inside out so the front of the shirt is visible.

  6. Apply a safety pin, paper clip or tape to any ends of the cord to prevent fraying.

  7. Cut one slit on each side of the collar. Pull cord through collar to other side of shirt. Pull the same cord through the opposite side of the shirt to make a loop.

  8. Repeat on the other side. Two cords should run through the collar and exit on separate sides.

  9. Connect the two cords on each side with strong knots to make drawstrings.

  10. Flip the shirt inside out and pull drawstrings through the inside of the bag. Tie strings to the remaining untied pairs of strips on each side at the bottom. Trim those strips.

 

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