Looking for a backpack that fits your 15-inch laptop perfectly and meets all your daily needs? This DIY guide will show you how to make a practical and stylish backpack from scratch! With handy front and side pockets, you’ll have space for all your essentials. Follow our step-by-step instructions, and soon, you’ll have a backpack that’s both functional and uniquely yours.
The finished measurements of this bag are approximately 11⅞″(30㎝) W × 12⅝″(32㎝) H × 4″(10㎝) D.
You may watch the full video tutorial on my Youtube channel.
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Seam allowances are 3/8″ unless otherwise specified.
Let's get started!!
To make this you will need:
◆ Main Panel
① 12⅝″ × 13¾″ (32㎝ × 35㎝) Contrast Color Fabric
③ 12⅝″ × 13¾″ (32㎝ × 35㎝) Lining
② 12⅝″ × 13¾″ (32㎝ × 35㎝) Fusible fleece
◆ Front Pocket
② 8¾″ × 7⅛″ (22㎝ × 18㎝) Outer layer
② 4¾″ × 7⅛″ (12㎝ × 18㎝) Contrast Color Fabric
② 12⅝″ × 7⅛″ (32㎝ × 18㎝) Lining
② 12⅝″ × 7⅛″ (32㎝ × 18㎝) Mid-weight woven fusible interfacing
◆ Zipper Panel
② 20½″ × 2⅝″ (52㎝ × 6.5㎝) Contrast Color Fabric
② 20½″ × 2⅝″ (52㎝ × 6.5㎝) Lining
② 20½″ × 2⅝″ (52㎝ × 6.5㎝) Fusible fleece
◆ Bottom Panel
① 25¾″ × 4¾″ (65㎝ × 12㎝) Contrast Color Fabric
① 25¾″ × 4¾″ (65㎝ × 12㎝) Lining
① 25¾″ × 4¾″ (65㎝ × 12㎝) Fusible fleece
◆ Side Pocket
② 6¾″ × 12⅝″ (17㎝ × 32㎝) Outer layer
② 6¾″ × 6″ (17㎝ × 15㎝) Mid-weight woven fusible interfacing
◆ Inside Pocket
① 7⅛″ × 14⅛″ (18㎝ × 36㎝) Lining
◆ Others
① 20″ (50㎝) Zipper
① 10″ (25㎝) Zipper
① 6″ (15㎝) Zipper
② 1⅝″ × 2″ (4㎝ × 5㎝) Contrast Color Fabric
② 1¼″ × 1⅝″ (3㎝ × 4㎝) Outer layer
② 1¼″ × 1⅝″ (3㎝ × 4㎝) Lining
① 1″ (2.5㎝) Wide Webbing Strap 91″ (230㎝)
① 1⅝″ (4㎝) Wide bias tape 99″ (250㎝)
② 1″ (2.5㎝) Ladder Lock Slider
Create a Inside Pocket
Place the piece of fabric for your pocket lining face down, right sides together over your outer piece. Draw a long rectangular box which the teeth of your zipper will fit inside. Then stitch exactly around the rectangle you just drew.
Draw another line through the center of the rectangle right across. At each end, draw a triangle from the corners to that center line. Carefully cut along the center line until your reach the triangle, and then snip into the corners, close to, but not through, your line of stitching. Turn the lining fabric through the hole you just cut and out to the back. Press the opening neatly.
Time now to place our zipper. Sewing with the front upper most, stitch around the opening to secure the zipper in place.
Fold up the pocket lining and pin along the 3 open sides. Stitch the 3 sides of the pocket lining , making sure to only sew the lining, not through the outer fabric as well.
Create a Front Pocket
Place the right sides together of the outer and contrast color fabric and sew with an allowance of about 3/8″. Open and Press them.
With assembled lining right side up, center zipper right side facing up along top edge. Place the outer layer, right side down on top. Pin in place. Using your zipper foot, sew along top edge using a 3/8″ seam allowance.
Attach the outer and lining to the other side of the zip the same way. Open out, press pieces away from and top stitch on both 1/8” away from the zipper.
Sew the Bag Strap
Cut the front pocket as the pattern.
Place the wrong sides together of the outer layer and lining and sew the edges.
Place the handle strap on the front and back of the main panel and sew. Place the shoulder strap on the back panel and sew.
Sew the Zipper panel
With assembled lining right side up, center zipper right side facing up along top edge. Place the outer layer, right side down on top. Pin in place. Using your zipper foot, sew along top edge using a 3/8″ seam allowance.
Attach the outer and lining to the other side of the zip the same way.
Open out, press pieces away from and top stitch on both 1/8” away from the zipper.
Create a Side Pocket
Fold the side pocket fabric in half and sew the bottom. Turn right side out and sew the pocket opening.
Place the side pocket on the bottom panel and sew on 3 sides.
Now sew the zipper panel and both ends of the bottom panel to make one side panel.
Assemble the Main panel and Side panel
Do this by marking the center of your main panel and the center of your side panel (these are attached to each other at this point but just fold the piece in half to find the center). Now, using your marks, start pining the bottom of your side panel around the perimeter of your bottom. Sew all the edges with an allowance of about 3/8″.
The bias tape is placed and pinned on the seam allowance, stitch up to the end. Fold the bias twice, cover the seam allowance, and sew.
YOU ARE FINISHED!
Happy sewing!
