Disney Bags Tutorial

A trip to Disney World can never have to much planning or attempted organization.  (Notice I say "attempted"!)  I knew there were going to be things the kids would want throughout the park (water and Autograph Fabric...) so I decided to make my two oldest some light weight bags to carry those things in!  This way they really only would have to ask me to refill their water bottles!

Of course.. this only added to the list of things I needed to make before our trip, but... apparently I like rushing to get things done!

I started with 2 panels of fabric.  Each about 1/2 yard.  I left them folded as they were cut at the store.  Then I folded this in half lengthwise.

I then cut as pictured above.  The handle side is on the fold.  I started cutting at the top there and made the handle about 1.5 inches.  When opened up it will be about 3.  The body of the bag is about 8 inches from the bottom.  I then rounded the corner over near the bottom left on the fold side.

I used my first cut to make a pattern for my second fabric.  Make sure when you are done you have 4 pieces that look like this when opened up.

I then cut 2 pieces of batting about the same size as the bottom.  I wanted it to be a little more stable.  If I ever do this again I would cut one big piece and pad the handle too, but... I was going for light weight and NOT hot!  LOL

I then layered 2 pieces of fabric with RIGHT sides touching and placed my two battings on either side.
Fabric sandwich!  Just... don't eat it.

I then sewed a straight line up the each side.  I did this for the other fabric also, but... without batting!

The I sewed the ends of the handles together.

Then folded the bag so the curves on each side and the middles seams lined up.   Then I sewed along the bottom for each fabric piece.

Whichever fabric was going to be on the outside of the back I flipped right side out!  And... stuck in inside the other bag so that their right sides were touching.

I then lined up the handles and sewed along ONE side of the bag!  See where my hand is... I stitched the two pieces together along that WHOLE side.  Body AND handle around in a circle.

Then I flipped the bag so the outside pieces was.. outside!
You can see on the bottom where the bag is stitched?  Now... that top part I am holding...
I am going to fold each side in about 1/4 inch and pin together all the way around the handle.

Then I am going to stitch down!  I stitched again along the outside of the other one too, just so they would match.

The I zig-zagged three circles in mickey form to the front part of the bag!  Cute right?  I LOVE the Bambi material!

My kids put their pins on their bags for trading.

It worked out perfect to carry their Autograph Fabric, fabric marker and one bottle of water!

Somehow this is the best pic of my daughters bag in action.  The way she wore it, it hung sorta behind her so it wasn't in any of the pictures.

Really this bag would work for anything, but... we used it for Disney World!  They were a life save.  Except of course when Tyton accidentally left his in Pinocchio's Haus when we ate lunch and we were waiting in line in Adventure Land to see Ariel and Prince Eric.  I got a good run in the heat!  LOL