Sewing a fanny pack: Here are the best tips and tricks for sewing cool hip bags and cross-body bags. Including a fanny pack pattern and sewing instructions.
The most important things at a glance
- In this post, I'll share my best tips and tricks for the perfect fanny pack
- You can download patterns and instructions for our fanny packs directly from our shop
- I'll show you how to sew a fanny pack
- For every step, you'll get tips and recommendations for materials, bag hardware, and stabilizers
- Sewing level: Intermediate
- Sewing time: 1 afternoon
What is a fanny pack?
A fanny pack is a bag worn close to the body, which is why it is sometimes called a body bag. It is characterized by the fact that it can be worn across the back, chest, at the waist, or on the hip, depending on your mood, outfit, and occasion. Other terms include cross-body bag, sling bag, or hip bag.
I involuntarily follow people walking around the city with cool body bags. A sling bag, cross-body bag, or hip bag made from beautiful fabric simply makes every outfit look casual. And it had been clear to me for a long time: I want one too. But I hadn't found the right pattern yet.
Too stuffy or too small, too colorful or too complicated. Until at some point I had enough and developed my own pattern. My team at SewSimple has seen and been through quite a bit with that. And they kept advising me on size, shape, and function.
Now they are finally here. The SewSimple fanny packs. And they are so much more than a simple fanny pack. Because you can wear them on your back as a backpack replacement. Or across your chest. Perfect if you want to sew one as a fanny pack for children. And they are suitable as a body bag for concerts and festivals.
In this guide, I'll not only show you how the body bag is sewn. You'll also get unbeatable tips for every work step that will help you conjure up your perfect fanny pack.
Reading tip: Sewing a bag strap
YouTube guide: Sewing a fanny pack
Can beginners sew a fanny pack?
Sewing a fanny pack is basically not difficult. The real challenge lies in working with thick bag fabrics and many layers of fabric. With a fanny pack or sling bag, both often come together. Webbing meets seams, lining, and outer fabric, and everything has to be managed in one seam.
If you don't have much experience working with thick fabrics or many layers of fabric, take a look at these blog posts beforehand: Sewing with thick fabrics and Sewing over thick spots.
MY TIP
Because you will also be sewing over a zipper in this guide, you should simulate this work step beforehand. Simply practice with a piece of zipper and some fabric scraps.
If you don't dare to sew over it, you can use the handwheel at this point by turning it towards you with a bit of feel. What's important: please don't use force. The sewing machine needle will find its way if you move it up and down gently.
How do I find a suitable fanny pack pattern as a beginner?
It's best to choose a fanny pack pattern that matches your sewing level. Having a pattern in the drawer (or on the hard drive) that you don't feel confident enough to try kills your spirit and feels like failure.
But that really doesn't have to be the case. Patterns and sewing instructions are often marked with the sewing level they are designed for. If you use this as a guide, it will save you frustration and ensure a sense of achievement.
MY TIP
Are you just starting your sewing adventure or are you not yet familiar with sewing bags? Then look for patterns labeled:
- easy
- simple
- beginner-friendly
- ⭐ (one star out of several)
- Sewing level: 1
Once you are comfortably in the sewing saddle, you can challenge yourself step by step and celebrate your successes.
Our fanny pack patterns AMOS, JUNIS, and MONDRA are rated as "intermediate" because the many layers of fabric can be a challenge for beginners. Aligning the side panels must also be done with a bit of care. But if you stick to my tips, nothing can really go wrong. Go for it!
TIP: With our Hip Bag YORCK, we consciously omitted pleats, corners, and darts. YORCK gets its stylish shape solely from the cutting lines, not from shaping seams. So, it's perfect if you have a sewing machine that lacks a bit of piercing power, but you still want to make a great fanny pack. :)
What do I need to sew a fanny pack?
Basically, you need all the materials you should have on hand for other bag projects:
- Ruler*
- Marking pen*
- Sewing thread*
- Tape measure*
- Pins*
- Fabric scissors* (for sturdy canvas I use Paul scissors)
- Thread snips*
- Iron* and ironing pad (read more about practical ironing aids)
- Fabric clips*
- optional: Corner & edge shaper* for shaping the bag corners
- Jeans needle, size 100 - 110*
- Disappearing marker*
Where can I get a fanny pack pattern?
Wow, I almost forgot the most important thing! Of course, you also need a suitable pattern for your fanny pack or sling bag adventure. In my guide, I work with our fanny pack pattern JUNIS. You can download this in my shop as a PDF for 3 bag sizes. Fanny pack MONDRA is made with so-called "Turkish corners" and is even easier to sew because no side parts need to be attached. In addition, you are completely free with the width of the webbing.
The instructions in the eBooks are much more detailed and step-by-step than here in the blog post. I always have to keep things a bit briefer here. The eBooks also include intermediate steps so you can always see what the piece should look like at that point. :)
Click here for the sling bag pattern JUNIS
And here is fanny pack MONDRA in its full beauty:
Which fabrics are suitable for sewing a fanny pack?
You can sew the fanny pack out of any sturdy fabric you like. Is the fabric a bit thin? Stabilize it and use it anyway! The imagination knows no bounds here. By the way, the possibility of being able to process beloved fabric scraps for this bag is also very nice. A mix of different materials, surface textures, patterns, and colors is ALWAYS an eye-catcher.
MY TIP
Definitely my favorite fabric for fanny packs and sling bags is the Heavy Washed Canvas from Mind the Maker.* Apart from the fact that this fabric is produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way, it is, above all: extremely stable and just beautiful.
I particularly like that the fabric has a cool used look due to the pre-washing.
It is so suitable for this sling bag because it does not need to be stabilized. This makes the bag feel soft, cozy, and comfortable to wear.
Let's take a look at what other fabrics are suitable and what you should watch out for when processing them.
| Fabric type | Info | Good to know | Notes & Tips | Source |
| Canvas | - Fabric woven from strong yarns – Does not necessarily have to be reinforced with stabilizer |
– Makes the bag a bit firmer and heavier, it gains more structure – Seam transitions and multiple layers of fabric are slightly harder to sew for the sewing machine and beginners |
– a strong pair of fabric scissors is very useful for processing – Jeans needle or 90 – 105 universal needle |
Order canvas* |
| Cotton poplin | - firm fabric - made from fine yarns - "all-rounder" - suitable for bag projects |
– poplin should be stabilized for this sewing project (Vlieseline H200, H250, Decovil light or bag interlining) | – 70 – 80 universal needle | Order poplin* |
| Cotton batiste | - fine and firm fabric that doesn't wrinkle easily | – fabric back should be stabilized, otherwise the bag will be too thin and won't maintain the desired shape | – 70 – 90 universal needle | Order cotton batiste* |
| Coated cotton | - water-repellent - wipeable - robust |
– ironing is not possible due to the coating - sticks to the presser foot |
– 70 – 90 universal needle - does not need to be stabilized |
Order coated cotton fabrics* |
| Linen/linen blend | - made from natural flax fiber - looks elegant - more robust than cotton |
– fabric edges fray easily - fabric distorts more |
– Stabilizing with Vlieseline reduces fraying of the fabric edges and prevents distortion – 70 – 90 universal needle |
Order linen fabric* |
| Denim | - firm, strong, and robust | – multiple layers of denim are harder to sew |
– work with strong scissors – jeans needle or 90 – 100 universal needle – jeans thread is an advantage for topstitching – does not necessarily need to be stabilized |
Order denim fabrics* |
| Fine corduroy/corduroy | - velvety ribs and surface - robust fabric |
– grain line (parallel to the selvedge) should be considered during cutting: the nap must feel rough when brushing downwards | – 80 – 90 universal needle | Order corduroy fabric* |
Can the belt bag be sewn from faux leather or cork fabric?
Perhaps you would like to sew your belt bag from non-wovens instead of woven fabric. For example: cork fabric, felt, or faux leather. Depending on the sewing pattern, this is perfectly fine. Let's look at what needs to be considered when processing these individual materials.
The more layers of fabric you want to sew in a belt bag, the more carefully you should consider your material choices. Do the fabrics distort easily? Can a strong jeans needle handle the many layers of fabric? Are the seams stable and unobtrusive after turning?
Sewing a belt bag from faux leather
Our belt bag patterns also work very well with faux leather. You don't need to stabilize it beforehand because faux leather usually has enough body on its own.
If you are using a soft faux leather, it makes sense to stabilize the back beforehand. However, since faux leather must not come into contact with heat from an iron, I recommend using an adhesive interfacing.
For thin faux leather, I use this adhesive interfacing*, which has a thin, needle-punched backing. It feels a bit like felt and gives the bag a nice structure without making it too stiff.
Cross bag AMOS made from cognac-colored faux leather with matching bag hardware from MT Stofferie.
Cross bag AMOS made from vegan "cow-look faux leather" from MT Stofferie.
Sewing a belt bag from cork fabric
I mentioned it above: the quantity matters. But that's not all. The thickness of the material can also contribute to your bag not turning out the way you dreamed.
If you want to use multiple layers of cork fabric for the belt bag, this could potentially have consequences:
- the corners can no longer be shaped beautifully
- the seams look bulky
- the bag does not maintain its intended shape
- my tip: highlight individual parts of the bag with cork fabric. This increases the probability that everything works out well. It goes without saying that cork fabric doesn't need additional stabilization, right? ;)
Sewing a belt bag from felt
What I wrote about cork fabric actually applies just as much to felt. Felt is a great material from which you can sew water-repellent bags. Of course, you can also use felt for individual parts of the bag here.
If you want to sew the sling bag from felt, I recommend a thin bag-making felt with a maximum thickness of 2 millimeters.
Sewing a belt bag from teddy fleece
Teddy fleece, also known as sherpa, makes your belt bag a feather-light, water-repellent (but not waterproof) companion that hugs the body nicely. Usually, teddy fleece doesn't need to be stabilized at all because it's already quite thick. This makes the bag really cozy and a little slouchy.
If you want more sturdiness and shape for your bag, you can simply stabilize the lining fabric instead of the teddy fleece. I like to use woven interfacing for this.
Sewing a belt bag from softshell
Softshell is a water-repellent material that is equipped with a fleece fabric on the inside. Actually perfect for sewing belt bags. To emphasize the shape of the belt bag, you can iron a slightly stronger interfacing onto the lining fabric. Decovil-I-light, for example, is a very good choice.
Which interfacings and stabilizers are suitable for sewing a belt bag?
If you use a strong bag canvas or faux leather, the outer fabric does not need to be stabilized. For stabilization, Vlieseline H250* (for sizes S and M) as well as Decovil light* or firm bag interfacing for size L are suitable. Patchwork fabrics or rather thin cotton wovens should be stabilized beforehand.
When using thin fabrics, both the outer fabric and the lining should be stabilized.
A newly discovered and more than brilliant interfacing is this one: iron-on interfacing* 320g. I think it is so great because it has a similar stiffness to Thermolam, but is iron-on and even a bit thinner. So it's fantastic for sewing bags that should keep their shape without becoming bulky.
A nice alternative is this slightly thinner, firm adhesive interfacing*. It can be glued directly onto the fabric and sewn. The intermediate step of ironing is then skipped.
If you want this as a brand-name product: Pellon Fusible Fleece*. The classic from the USA. Not always easy to get here with us, but worth every cent. It is ironed on, gives the bag support and a little bit of volume.
MY TIP
You can also stabilize individual bag parts to emphasize the shape and function of your sling bag.
For this version, I only stabilized the front part with Decovil light. The outer bag parts made of heavy washed canvas remain unstabilized so that they hug the body nicely.
However, all lining parts were stabilized with Vlieseline H250 to maintain the shape of the bag.
Reading tip: Stabilizing fabrics: Using Vlieseline correctly
Dimensions and material consumption
Of course, every belt bag sewing pattern has different requirements. Therefore, this information can only be a guideline.
- Assumed fabric width: 140 cm
- Assumed interfacing width: 100 cm
Size S
- Outer fabric: 35 cm
- Lining fabric: 35 cm
- Zipper: 35 cm
- Webbing: 130 - 140 cm (depending on body circumference)
- Interfacing: 40 cm
Size M
- Outer fabric: 45 cm
- Lining fabric: 45 cm
- Zipper: 45 cm / with front pocket: 75 cm
- Webbing: 120 - 130 cm
- Interfacing: 70 cm
Size L
- Outer fabric: 60 cm
- Lining fabric: 60 cm
- Zipper: 70 cm / with front pocket: 100 cm
- Webbing: 100 - 120 cm
- Interfacing: 100 cm
Size of the finished sling bag JUNIS
The width of the bag is given from panel to panel:
- Size S: approx. 30 cm wide, approx. 10.5 cm high
- Size M: approx. 50 cm wide, approx. 15.5 cm high
- Size L: approx. 74 cm wide, approx. 23 cm high
How can I sew a belt bag with a side release buckle?
A side release buckle is a fast and very chic way to close the strap. It is important that the bag hardware matches the width of the webbing.
For a belt bag with a side release buckle, you need the following accessories
- approx. 120 cm webbing, 2.5 cm wide
- 1 strap adjuster, 2.5 cm
- 1 side release buckle, 2.5 cm
- Divide the webbing into a 100 cm long piece and a 20 cm long piece
- Sew both webbing straps onto the bag
- Here you should follow the basic instructions for your bag; the steps for sewing it together may vary.
- Sew the outer part of the side-release buckle onto the short webbing strap by folding the end in by 1 cm twice and topstitching it.
- Thread the long end first onto the strap adjuster and then onto the inner part of the side-release buckle.
- Thread the strap back through the same opening.
- Now thread the strap back on the other side.
- Fold the end of the strap in 2 x 1 cm and topstitch it.
- For this, you can, for example, sew a square stitch.
- Or you can sew two parallel seams side by side.
Your stylish fanny pack with side-release buckle is finished.
Where can I order the materials for the fanny pack?
I ordered the fabrics and accessories for my Sling Bag Junis from Simone at the Nähcafé am Wasserturm.
Bag accessories 2.5 cm wide for bags in S and M
- Zipper*
- optional zipper pull with ring*
- Webbing, 2.5 cm wide*
- Side-release buckles, 2.5 cm wide*
- or bag set (D-rings, strap adjusters, carabiners) in 2.5 cm width*
Bag accessories 4 cm wide for bag in L
- Zipper*
- optional zipper pull with ring*
- Webbing, 4 cm wide*
- Side-release buckle set, 4 cm wide*
- or: bag set (D-rings, strap adjusters, carabiners) in 4 cm width*
MY TIP
Make sure that the bag accessories are not only color-coordinated, but also match the fabric.
Pay special attention: Do the zipper and metal parts have the same color?
Want to be absolutely sure? Then order a sewing kit directly*.
How can I sew a fanny pack for children?
Depending on the age of the child, the smallest version, size S of our Sling Bag JUNIS, is particularly suitable as a fanny pack for kids. To ensure the bag survives rainy days, for example during a forest day in kindergarten or a school field trip, you can work with coated fabrics* here.
MY TIP: Test in advance which closure your child finds easiest to use. Often, even the little ones can handle side-release buckles.
How do the SewSimple fanny pack patterns differ?
Maybe you're wondering how the two fanny pack patterns from SewSimple actually differ? Let's take a quick look:
MONDRA fanny pack
- slightly boxier shape
- folded corners
- inner pocket
- webbing is sewn into the side seam
- variable webbing width
- zippered pockets in the front and back
- patch pocket inside
JUNIS Sling Bag
- classic rounded shape
- no corners or darts
- webbing is sewn into the side section
- webbing width depends on bag size
- zippered pockets in the front and lining
YORCK Hip Bag
- classic shape
- no shaping seams, corners, folds, or darts
- tabs with eyelets for attaching the bag strap
- webbing width freely selectable
- zippered pockets in the back
AMOS Cross Bag
- classic shape
- with darts in the bottom
- webbing is sewn into the side section
- webbing width freely selectable
- zippered pockets in the back
- slip pocket inside
Conclusion
Sewing a fanny pack, sling bag, hip bag, or cross-body bag is basically child's play if you follow my tips.
The reason I compiled them? So that you can sew the coolest, most stylish, and altogether most wonderful fanny pack imaginable. To ensure your new bag can handle the demands of everyday life, you should rely on good materials and solid bag accessories.
MY TIP
Get your bag accessories from a retailer you trust. And it is best to buy all the ingredients you need from one source. Many shops offer accessories that harmonize well in style.
And now I hope you have fun sewing your fanny pack or sling bag.
Make sure to write in the comments and let me know if my tips were helpful, okay? :)
Happy simple sewing, your Sabine
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