Sew a children's bag: With this guide, it's child's play. You can download the free pattern for the children's bag in this post. Let's get started!
The most important things at a glance:
- In this post, I will show you how to easily sew an adorable teddy bear-style children's bag
- You can download the free pattern in this post
- The pattern is based on the DAE cosmetic bag
- ✂️ Sewing level: easy
- ⏰ Sewing time: 1 afternoon
Children are true collectors of treasures. Whether it's small stones, seashells, toy figures, or other objects: you'll always find something in their hands and jacket pockets. And every item tells its own little story. And to collect all those adventures and stories, cute children's bags are a must.
Having their own bag means personal space and self-determination for a child. They decide what goes in and comes out. This is not only fun but also promotes the fine motor skills of little collectors. When traveling, they can keep their favorite items with them. Just like a stuffed animal, it gives them a sense of safety and comfort. And if the bag is also fun and colorful, they won't want to let it out of their hands.
The teddy bear-style children's bag has the potential to become every child's new favorite bag. It is not only cute but also quite simple to sew. You can make it from almost anything that is non-elastic. Upcycling is also possible, allowing you to conjure up something new from old jeans with this tutorial. Thanks to the practical front pocket, tissues can always be within reach. It is also closed with a zipper, ensuring that even the smallest item cannot be lost.
If you want to read up on how to sew in a zipper again, I recommend the blog post How to bind and sew in a zipper.
The pattern for the children's bag is based on the DAE cosmetic bag and is also a freebook. You can find the instructions and the DAE cosmetic bag pattern here.
READING TIP: Sewing a bag: My top 25 tips (by the way, we also have a podcast worth listening to about bags here!)
YouTube Tutorial: Sewing a children's bag
What do I need to know as a beginner if I want to sew a children's bag?
For the children's bag, basic sewing knowledge is primarily sufficient. You should also know how to sew in a zipper. You can read about this again in the blog post How to bind and sew in a zipper. Not sure if you're missing a few basics? Then I recommend my online sewing course “The SewSimple Sewing License”. In this 2 1/2-hour course, you will learn everything you need to know about materials, machines, and techniques to get started.
If you haven't worked with non-stretchy fabrics (woven fabrics) before, you should take a look at my blog post on the topic of sewing cotton fabric. In it, you'll learn everything you need to know about working with woven fabrics.
What must my sewing machine be able to do to sew a children's bag?
Your regular household sewing machine is perfectly adequate. It should be able to sew forward and backward. You need this to lock the stitches. We only work with the straight stitch for this project. As for the stitch length, you can experiment to see what looks best. I use a stitch length of 2.5 mm for "normal" connecting seams. For topstitching, I increase the stitch length to 3.5–4 mm, as that gives the seam a nice, even look.
A zipper foot is very useful when sewing the children's bag. This presser foot is usually included with every sewing machine. If you want to use thicker fabrics to sew the children's bag, you should use a stronger sewing machine needle.
READING TIP: All about sewing machine needles
Which fabrics are suitable for sewing a children's bag?
Almost all fabrics that are non-stretchy. There is an endless selection of great children's fabrics. You can also mix different materials. To make the selection a little easier for you, I've provided an overview here.
| Fabric Type | Pros | Cons | Notes & Tips | Source |
| Canvas | strong, robust fabric, practically indestructible | – makes the bag slightly heavier – seam transitions or multiple layers of fabric can be a challenge for the sewing machine (and for beginners) |
– sew with a jeans needle or a size 90–100 universal needle | Order Canvas* |
| Cotton Poplin | practical all-rounder fabric, robust, easy to work with, especially suitable for beginners | – should be reinforced beforehand (interfacing H200 or H250), otherwise the bag will be too soft | – sew with a size 70–80 universal needle | Order Poplin* |
| Waffle Piqué | easy-care, soft, durable, natural fiber, especially high quality | – sometimes fray a bit – multiple layers of fabric are a challenge for some sewing machines |
– sew with a size 70–80 universal needle – does not need to be reinforced |
Order Waffle Piqué* |
| Cotton Batiste | fine yet firm fabric that doesn't wrinkle easily | – the back of the fabric should definitely be reinforced beforehand, otherwise the bag will be too soft and lose its shape - perfect for reinforcing: Style-vil, Style-vil fix, or Thermolam |
– cut with heavy, sharp scissors – sew with a jeans needle or a size 90–100 universal needle |
Order Cotton Batiste* |
| Coated Cotton | water-repellent, wipeable, robust | - can be a challenge for beginners because the presser foot adheres to the material | – sew with a size 70–90 universal needle - does not need to be reinforced |
Order Coated Cotton* |
| Linen/Linen Blend | elegant, sustainable, natural, with a beautiful wrinkled look | – fabric edges fray easily – fabric is not as firm and often woven somewhat irregularly - suitable for reinforcement: e.g., Thermolam, Style-vil, Interfacing H630, H640, or S320 |
– reinforcing with interfacing reduces fraying of the fabric edges – sew with a size 70–90 universal needle |
Order Linen* |
| Denim | firm, strong, and robust | – multiple layers of denim are often difficult to sew - light to medium reinforcement is sufficient, e.g., Interfacing G770 or H250 |
– sew with a jeans needle or a size 90–100 universal needle – denim thread for topstitching is a good option |
Order Denim* |
| Fine Corduroy/Cord | beautiful, velvety surface, robust fabric, ages very beautifully | – observe the direction of the grain when cutting: The grain must feel rough when brushed downwards e.g., Interfacing G770 or H250 |
– sew with a size 80–90 universal needle | Order Corduroy* |
How much fabric do I need for a children's bag?
The finished children's bag is 29 cm x 15 cm in size.
You will need approx. 30 cm each of outer and inner fabric. If the outer bag is to be two-toned, then 2 x outer fabric. That will be more than enough. Also, depending on your fabric selection, approx. 30 cm of Interfacing H640 and H250.
H640 gives the children's bag some volume. You will always need this. H250 reinforces thin cotton fabrics. You do not need this interfacing for thicker, heavy fabrics like corduroy or canvas.
If you would like to know more about interfacing and reinforcing fabrics, I recommend the blog post Interfacing, inserts, fleece for sewing – tips, tricks, info or our numerous podcasts on the topic.
Where can I find the free pattern?
You can download the free pattern for the children's bag here. The seam allowance is already included.
You need the pattern for the DAE bag as a base and the add-on for the children's bag for the front pocket.
Click here for the free patterns.
In order for you to be able to download our freebooks, you should:
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For all questions related to these topics, you can find more information in our FAQs.
Please understand that we cannot send our free patterns via email. Unfortunately, we cannot answer such requests. 🐻
How do I get the face onto the children's bag?
To conjure up a cute teddy bear face on the bag, you can let your creativity run wild.
Embroidery. If you have a sewing machine with an embroidery function, you can use it to embroider the face onto your fabric. Positioned precisely after cutting, or even before cutting. Then you can use the pattern to cut your fabric pieces accurately.
Crocheting. You can also simply crochet the eyes and nose using crochet thread and then sew them on. The face gains a tactile texture. You will need a matching crochet hook and thread in black and white. The advantage is that you don't need an embroidery machine.
Accessories:
Crochet thread in black and white
1.5mm crochet hook
2x Eye:
6 SC in a magic ring (black)
Increase 6 times (12)
6x 1 SC, 1 increase (18)
switch to white
6x 2 SC, 1 increase (24)
tie off and leave a long tail for sewing
embroider reflection into the eye using the starting thread
1x Nose:
7 SC + 1 turning chain (8)
7 SC + 1 turning chain (8)
5 SC, decrease 6th stitch (6+7 together), 1 turning chain (7)
4 SC, decrease 5th stitch (5+6 together), 1 turning chain (6)
3 SC, decrease 4th stitch (4+5 together), 1 turning chain (5)
2 SC, decrease 3rd stitch (3+4 together), 1 turning chain (4)
1 SC, decrease 2nd stitch (2+3 together) (2)
pull thread through and leave a long tail for sewing.
This is used to sew the nose on and embroider the mouth.
Appliqué. You can also appliqué the face using fabric scraps. Cut small circles out of black and white fabric to fit and sew them to the appropriate place with the sewing machine.
Painting. Use fabric paint or ready-made textile markers* to paint the face onto the bag parts. Keep the drying time in mind and fix the color well with an iron so that it doesn't wash out.
Plotting and cutting machines. With a suitable cutting machine, or iron-on transfers, you can also iron the face on. However, this might restrict your choice of fabric. Ready-made plotter files* are of course also available for such projects!
Thread painting. Use a straight stitch and, if desired, jersey scraps to sew on eyes and a nose with black thread. You can find out how to do thread painting (also known as machine embroidery) in my detailed blog post on the subject.
Hand embroidery. Fast, simple, and doable for everyone. Hand embroidery offers you an uncomplicated way to give the bag a face.
Machine embroidery. Many embroidery machines have pre-programmed designs for animal faces. However, you can also buy ready-made embroidery files*, ensuring you always have the right animal face for your projects.
Eyelet buttons. A very nice, simple idea for giving the bear face some expression. Simply sew on eyelet buttons*!
Ready-made appliqués. With ready-made eye appliqués* (some are sew-on, some are iron-on), you can conjure up a face for the bear in no time at all.
You can also use buttons or come up with something completely new. It is entirely up to your imagination how you add a cute face to the children's bag. Give it a try.
Sewing a children's bag: Supplies
In addition to the fabric for the exterior and lining, you will also need the following:
- Vlieseline H640 and Vlieseline H250* (only for thin fabrics)
- Zipper* approx. 25 cm with matching pull
- 2 eyelets* 8-11mm diameter
- if necessary, Prym Vario Tool*
- Cord for the strap* or similar (must fit through the eyelets)
- matching sewing thread*
- Pins*
- Fabric clips*
- if necessary, corner & edge shaper* for shaping bag corners
- if necessary, fabric marker*
- Fabric scissors*
- Embroidery scissors*
- Iron*
- Ironing board*
- Sewing machine
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