Easy Messenger Bags

     I am a Beehive leader in our ward, (to learn more about the Young Women organization in our church, click here. Beehives are the girls that are 12-13 years old) and Girl's Camp is coming up. The girls that haven't been to camp before needed bags for their camp scriptures - a paperback copy of the Book of Mormon - and I volunteered to make 8 of them. You know, since I'm such an... *ahem* ... amazing seamstress. Anyway, I volunteered to make them.

     I put this up here because I'm bound to lose the instructions I was given, and I'm sure I will want to make another bag like this one day. They are really easy! And they don't take very long (well, if you are only making one...) They are the perfect size to put books in, but they are also a great "purse" size.

     I want to clarify that I did not come up with this pattern. I'm not sure exactly who did, but it was given to me. I also want to clarify that I'm not very good at explaining things, so I apologize!

       

This is what the finished bag should look like. Please excuse my dark/blurry/overall very terrible photography throughout the post. It may be bad, but it gets the job done! 

Start by cutting out the fabric. The fabric that I was given was strong upholstery-like fabric, which I thought was great, but I'm sure you could use whatever kind you like. Cut a 27in x 10in rectangle, then cut triangles into the rectangle that measure about 2.5in into the fabric by 4 inches tall, like the picture above (Yes, the pattern is crinkled. My 7-month-old got ahold of it. Whoops!). The top of the triangle should start around 2 inches below the top of the fabric. For the strap, cut a rectangle 3 inches wide by 45-54 inches long, depending on how long you want it to be.

Next, iron down about 1/4-inch on both sides of the strap, then fold it in half, (hot dog style... like from elementary school. :) ) and press it.

It should look like this. Then run a seam down the whole strap, over the 1/4-inch folds.

Then iron down the top and bottom 1/4 inch of the bag part of the fabric, making sure to fold wrong side to wrong side. Sew along both of those.

After those are sewn down, fold and pin the flap part of the bag (right side to right side) like in the picture above. Bring the bottom of the fabric up to meet it, and pin.

It should look like this. Sew around the sides of the flap, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. (BE CAREFUL NOT TO SEW AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE FLAP YET! You still have to turn it right side out.) Then sew down each side of the body of the bag. Make sure to backstitch a few times on the top because that will be the opening of the bag.

After you have done that, sew a little triangle (about an inch from the seam to the point) into each of the bottom corners of the bag. Make sure you backstitch here too.

Here is another picture of that step.

Cut the corners off, leaving about 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Then turn the bag right side out. This is what the corners should look like on the outside.

Then turn the flap right side out. Use your finger or the end of a pen to poke the corners out. Sew around all of the edges, including the bottom this time.

What that should look like from the back.

Now it's time to attach the strap. Fold each end of the strap about 1/2-inch, and pin about 1/2 to 3/4-inch below the seam on the flap. Then sew back and forth a million times over the straps, and you're good to go!

You can also attach velcro or a snap to the flap and body of the bag to keep it closed, but I didn't. I think the flap is heavy enough to stay down without it.

Here are the finished bags.

     There are certain aspects of this project that we won't mention. Like how neglected my children were while I worked on it, the state of my craft room when I finished, or how much cereal was spilled by a certain 2-year-old who was trying to help. 

Ellie dumped some Golden Puffs into the playpen, because apparently Nathan needed a snack. This picture is blurry, but he was quite happy about it! They are much yummier than Cheerios, you know.

Notice the cereal stuck in her hair and the lack of pants? Hey, at least she was wearing underwear. Yeah, it was one of those days.

    If you cute little Beehives ever question whether or not somebody loves you, just remember that Sister Brubaker spent an entire day neglecting her children to make scripture bags for you. And she's not sorry.

Love,