Free Diaper Bag Tutorial

I love this free diaper bag tutorial. Such a great sewing DIY for baby.This is a guest tutorial courtesy of Jill Dow of Creative Seams.  You can check out all Jill’s wonderful creations at her Etsy shop.  This cloth diaper bag and matching pad can be made to match your baby’s room, or car seat cover!  Jill has sweetly offered this tutorial, so please, personal use only – do not use this pattern for mass duplication to sell.

For this project you will need:

1⅓ yard – Blue Patterned Material (Outside Pockets/Handles/Closure/Changing Pad)
⅝ yard – White Material (Inside)
1½ yard – Blue Material (Outside/Inside Pockets/Changing Pad)
1 yard – Batting (Bag Stability/Changing Pad)
4 Silver Rings
1 Silver Magnetic Snap
Coordinating Thread
Quilt Basting Spray (Not required, but makes things easier)

The free pdf pattern provided.

Sewing Essentials (pins, scissors, etc.)

Free pattern & tutorial below.

You can get a free copy of Adobe reader here. By downloading  you are agreeing to only use this pattern for personal use. Click the picture of the pattern envelope to download the .pdf !

diaper bag dowload

Step by Step Tutorial:

1. Mark and Install the Female End of the closure clasp in the center and 11¾” from the            top of the pocket material

2. Fold Pocket material in half right sides together, and stitch a ¼” seam allowance         along the 22” edge

3. Turn material inside out and iron with seam in the center

4. Using the Basting Spray attached the back of the outside material to the batting

5. Find the middle of the outside material. On the batting mark the center and 2.5” either            side.

6. Place the seam of the pocket in line with the middle of the material

7. Stitch along the lines on the batting

8. Mark 3” lines from the edges that are perpendicular to these lines and stitch from top of pocket to top of pocket

9. Mark the middle of the pocket on one side (opposite the closure) and stitch from top   of the pocket to the middle line of the bag

Making the Inside Pockets

1. Follow steps #1-8 of Making the Outside Pockets

9. Mark the middle of the pocket on one side and stitch from top of the pocket to the        middle line of the bag

Making the Handles

1. Iron the handle material in half

2. Open back up the fold

3. Fold each long edge to the middle seam and iron

4. With edges in the middle fold in half

5. Stitch ⅛” seam allowance along each edge

6. Cut 5” off each end – You will have 4 pieces that are 5” (all pieces will be used in the             handle)

 

Making the Closure Flap

1. Mark and Install the Male End of the Closure Clasp at 2¼” from edge and 1½” from     the end

2. Fold material in half right sides together and sew ¼” seam allowance around 3 out of            the 4 edges (leaving the end opposite of the clasp open.

3. Turn the material right side out and iron flat

Assembling the Bag (same for outside and inside materials)

1. Place the pockets right sides together (making sure that seams and pocket edges       align)

2. Sew a ½” seam allowance along each edge, leaving the top open

3. Press the outside seam of the bag down along the bottom of the bag and stitch from pocket seam to pocket seam (This allows the bottom of the bag to stay flat and         the bag to stay open)

4. Repeat step 3 on the other side of the bag

5. Turn the outside (blue material) of the bag so the pockets are on the outside. Leave   the Inside of the bag with the pockets facing in

Installing the Handles and Closure Flap

1. Place one 5” handle piece through the metal ring

2. Fold material in half around edge of ring

3. 5” from side seam of bag, pin upside down with 1” remaining above the bag

4. Repeat with all 5” pieces

5. Place the open end of the closure flap upside down along the outside top portion of the bag opposite the closure clasp

6. Center along the bag, with 1” remaining above the bag, pin in to place

Putting it all together

1. Place the outside of the bag in the inside of the bag with their pockets touching each            other

2. Pin along the top

3. Stitch a ½” seam allowance along the top of the bag leaving a 4” opening opposite     the closure flap (Backstitch over the handle and closure flap for extra strength          and security)

4. Remove pins and turn the bag inside out through the opening

5. Push the Inside of the bag back down into the outside of the bag (reach through the opening and make sure that the bottom and corners are laying correctly in the     bottom of the bag)

6. Stitch close the bag (I turn the opened edges and create a ¼” topstitch along the top of the bag, this also reinforces the top of the bag)

Finishing the handles

1. Place one end of the remaining handle straps through the ring, and pull 1½” through

2. Fold down ½” of the end up against the ring

3. Fold it over again

4. Stitch several forward and backward stitches ¼” from the top of the folds

5. Repeat with the other 3 rings

 

Instructions – Changing Pad

 

1. Using the basting spray attach the batting to the back side of the patterned material

2. Place the other material right side together on top of the patterned material

3. Stitch a ¼” seam allowance all the way around the edge leaving a 3” opening (trim     any extra material from the edges, leaving a ¼” seam allowance)

4. Turn the material right side out through this opening

5. Stitch close the opening by creating a ⅛” top stitch along the edge

6. Additional quilting patterns can be made to the changing pad if desired

 

Other Free Bag Patterns:

2 Comments

  1. Hi! Love your website. Could really use some help with the diaper bag. I’m stuck at part #8 (first section). Where and how does the solid blue go on? And is the female side of clasp go on the 22 inch side and that’s the side that gets stitched together? Thanks!

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