How to Make a Backpack

Backpacks are a popular choice for carrying one's things irrespective of whether you are a student or an office goer or a traveler. What separates backpacks from other bags is their funky, smart look, not to mention the convenience they provide to the user. You can just put on a backpack on your shoulders and walk around anywhere, be it in the busy city roads or in a far away jungle as a traveler, without a care in the world. Moreover, with backpacks, your hands are absolutely free to do anything! So, if you are carrying a lot of stuff with you, backpacks are the ideal choice.

When it comes to backpacks, one can either purchase them from the market or you can even make one at home. It is simple, easy and requires just about an hour to complete the whole process of making backpacks at home.

Tips on Making a Backpack

To make a backpack, the materials that are required are a fabric, cord, D rings, sewing machine and casing. The most important thing to consider when making a backpack is the fabric. The fabric should be strong and durable so that it can hold heavy things and last for a long time. You can choose from fabrics such as corduroy and denim. To make a backpack out of jeans, I would suggest that you buy a new denim cloth instead of tearing up your old jeans to make one. To make a medium-sized backpack itself will need around half a yard of fabric and you might not be able to get so much cloth from your jeans.

Whether you want to make hiking backpack or you want to make kids backpack, make sure that the straps are wide and strong enough to be worn comfortably. So, pay attention when choosing the cording material. Ideally, the diameter of the cording should not be less than one-fourth of an inch.

With the fabric and the cording in place, you are all set to start with the sewing part. If you know how to sew, do it yourself, otherwise you can take help from your mother or a friend who knows it. Take the fabric and fold it into half. Remember, a backpack is always sewn inside out so keep out the back side of the fabric. Next, take a piece out of the same fabric that you are using and make loops for the D rings. When they are ready, keep them in between the folded fabric and start sewing. Sew the backpack from three sides, leaving the upper side open. Attach the casing and the D ring loops properly so that they do not come out. A good way to ensure this is to use a "straight stitch" while sewing.

When the sewing part is over, turn over the backpack to reveal the right side of the fabric. Now, the last and the most important step, i.e. cording. The right way to do cording is to start from one end of the front casing to the opposite end and then move towards the back of the casing. So, you may start with putting the cord in the left side of the front casing, then move onto the right side. Next, you take the cord from the right side of the front casing to the right side of the back casing and then to the left side of the back casing. In the end, take one end of the cord to the D ring on the right and bind it tightly by making knots. Repeat the same procedure of cording on the opposite side and end it with tying the cord to the D ring on the left side.

One last tip before I sign off - When you are done with making a backpack, in order to personalize and beautify it, you may add a few stickers or ribbons on the outside. Best of luck!