If your children have outgrown a t-shirt, pants or any other garment, do not take them to the trash... take them out! because we are going to reuse clothes to, with their fabric, make personalized fabric backpacks.

These backpacks can be used both for school and for going out to the park or going on a family outing. You can make them in various sizes, depending on the age of your child (or for you), and with more or less resistant fabrics. Let's see the step by step!

1) Prepare the materials
Take your notebook, and start taking note of all the utensils and resources that you will need to learn how to make a fabric school backpack:

To start you will need fabric. Take out those clothes that are too small for them or those that are torn or old and let them decide which of those clothes to use to make their super backpack. Try to involve them in the process from start to finish. Help them learn to make their own decisions!
You will also need laces or, if you are thinking about how to make a fabric backpack with a zipper, this other material. Perhaps you can take advantage of one that is in an old bag or pants or that you no longer use. Or another of a damaged backpack.
Lastly, don't forget scissors, sewing machine and thread. Be careful with the first two, they can be dangerous for children.
An alternative to not having to use a sewing machine (or use it as little as possible), is to take advantage of the seams that pants and shirts already have to shape the backpack (and even your homemade costumes). In this way, the sides will already be sewn, only the base and the opening in which we will place the zipper or the cord for closure will be missing.

2) Cut out the pieces
Here you will have to think carefully about what size you want to make the backpack. Depending on the age of your child or the use that is going to be given to it, it should have one size or another. When you have it clear, draw the pieces on the fabric and… let's cut!

Start with the main part, for which you will have to draw two rectangles, and then with the accessory pockets that will be smaller and will go where you prefer.

3) Sew and sing
Finally, join the pieces with the help of the sewing machine. Here it is good for the little ones to learn. But be very careful with the handling of needles, it is better that they see how an adult does it and that, little by little, they learn to handle this tool. You can do the sewing, they can do the singing!

As an important fact, when you are going to join the two rectangles of the main compartment, do it facing their visible faces and leaving the upper side open, so that later, once they are sewn, you can turn it over so that it looks professional.

If you are going to use a zipper, sew it on the side you left open. And if you are going to use cord, make a hem in the upper part through which you can put it to pull the ends and that it is closed. For the handles, you can use the same cord or straps from old backpacks or bags.

Make a custom fabric backpack
Your little one can intervene more in this process. Here what we are going to do is decorate the backpacks to taste. Let your imagination run wild!

We will try not to use scissors or a sewing machine, to make it easier to teach you how to make a fabric backpack. You can use any decorative element that comes to mind; buttons, caps, paint, pieces of cloth, key rings, dolls.

We suggest that the children themselves decide what materials to use to decorate their backpacks. And as for the design, the same; let them make their own creations and show them off proudly.

Canvas backpack with zipper
We have already talked about how to make a zippered fabric backpack, but not how to customize it. Something that children and adults like is keychains. These hang from the zippers and give a distinctive and personal touch to any backpack that we carry.

These keychains can also be made from reused material. You will only have to buy the ring or, why not, use one that you have at home. It is possible to make key chains with wood, plugs, wool... there are many ideas to develop!

Lined fabric backpack
And finally, if what you are interested in is knowing how to make a lined fabric backpack, the easiest option is to duplicate each of the pieces of fabric that you cut in step 2 and join them before sewing the pieces.

Normally, these types of backpacks are more resistant. And if your little one has to carry heavier books, this booster will come in handy.

What do you think? Eager to start making custom fabric backpacks? We encourage you to make it an activity in which children participate, and that they become echo moments that they always keep in their memory. Let's help live in a more sustainable world!