A hand is pulling out a silver laptop from a quilted laptop bag. The bag's fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
A look at a finished quilted laptop bag. Featured designs, printed with Fill-A-Yard, Roller Rink Checkerboard – Lilac and Roller Rink Checkerboard – Pink, both by louisemargaret

Looking for something that will keep your tech protected AND stylish? This DIY quilted laptop bag is great for all sewists from beginners to professionals, and is easily customizable from size to fabric type. Follow along below with Fritz, a member of Spoonflower’s Marketing Team, for the steps!

Fritz: Hi there! I’m Fritz from the Spoonflower Marketing Team. In this tutorial, I will be showing you how you can sew your own quilted laptop bag!

Fritz works on a laptop with the finished quilted laptop bag on the table too along with a light green coffee mug. The bag's fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Fritz works on a laptop with the finished laptop bag nearby.

With Spoonflower’s Fill-A-Yard® option, you can add multiple designs to a single yard to use for this project. I opted for two pastel checkerboard designs for the outside of my bag, with a classic black and white checkerboard for the lining. These fabric designs and more can be found within the Checkerboard collection.

Make Your Own Quilted Laptop Bag

Materials

Note: We will also be using a 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance throughout this tutorial!

Some of the materials you'll need for the quilted laptop bag tutorial, including bias tape, tape measure, scissors, snips, pins, fabric, thread and marker. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard; purple and white checkerboard; and black and white checkerboard.
Some of the materials you’ll need for this tutorial.

1. Create The Laptop Bag Pattern

First, measure the edges of your laptop (width and length) and transfer those measurements to paper. You can also put your laptop on paper and outline it with a pencil.

Add 1.5″ (4 cm) to each edge so your laptop has a bit of wiggle room when inside the finished bag (seam allowance of 1/2″ (1.27 cm) is not yet included).

A white laptop lays on a white surface. A yellow measuring tape lays on top, as if to measure the laptop's height.
Measuring your laptop.

Referencing the diagram below, place your drawing compass in the middle of one of the short ends and draw a circle from one corner to the other. This will become the pocket flap for your bag!

Cut the large rectangle (laptop pocket) and semicircle (pocket flap) to get your pattern pieces.

Diagram showing pattern pieces for laptop case

2. Cut the Outer Fabric Pieces

Pin your pattern pieces onto the fabric.

First we’ll cut out the large rectangle (the the main part of the bag). If you’re using multiple fabric designs with Fill-A-Yard like I am, position the pattern so your two prints meet in the middle of two designs. Then draw a 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance around it.

Draw another 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance on one of the short ends. Position the semicircle next to it, draw one more 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance around the curved line. Cut the pieces, making sure you cut two rectangles and two semicircles.

For your lining, fold the fabric in the middle and pin the large rectangle with one of the short ends to the folded edge. After adding seam allowance, cut the lining. You should now have one long piece that is twice the width of your rectangle pattern.

Pattern pieces laying on checkerboard fabric
Laying out the pattern pieces along the Fill-A-Yard printed fabric.
Lining pattern piece
Laying out the lining pattern piece to be cut out.

Pin the same pattern pieces onto your quilters’ batting. For the batting, we won’t add a seam allowance, as that would get in the way when sewing all the pieces together later on. Cut out the rectangle twice and the semicircle once.

Finished fabric pattern pieces: 2x rectangles outer fabric, 2x rectangles batting, 2x semicircles outer fabric, 1x semicircle batting, 1x lining.

Pattern pieces on quilt batting
The pattern pieces of your quilted laptop bag.
The fabric and batting pieces of your quilted laptop bag.

3. Topstitch the Outer Fabric and Batting

Place the batting on top of your two rectangle outer pieces and pin in place. Take the semicircle outer pieces and pin the batting inside (like a sandwich!). Make sure to center your batting pieces so that 1/2″ (1 cm) of space is left around the edge.

Pinning the batting layer to the flap and main body pieces of the laptop bag.
Pinning the batting layer to the fabric.
A look at the batting layers after they've been placed in between the layers for each side of the bag's flap. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
A look at the batting layers after they’ve been placed in between the layers for each side of the bag’s flap.

Now you’re ready to bring out the sewing machine and topstitch the batting to the outer fabric on each piece. The good thing about patterns like checkerboard, plaid, or stripes is that they do the job for you when it comes to topstitching—you can simply sew along the printed lines! How many stitching details you add are up to you.

Topstitching the batting to the outer fabric of the quilted laptop bag. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Topstitching the batting to the outer fabric.
Several pieces of the quilted laptop bag sit together, the batting, the top flap and the main body. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Several pieces of the quilted laptop bag sit together, the batting, the top flap and the main body.

4. Sew on the Velcro Fastener

Cut about 2″ (5 cm) of both sides of your Velcro fastener. Place one of the pieces in the middle of the top of one rectangle, and the other on the curved edge of your flap. I recommend having these Velcro pieces relatively close to the edges so that the bag closes well once everything is sewn together. On mine, the main pocket fastener is 3.25″ (8 cm) away from the edge, and 3.5″ (9 cm) for the flap.

Place these two pieces on top of each other to test that the Velcro is in the right spot before sewing, we want our bag to fasten properly!

Using a sewing machine to sew the Velcro closure to the quilted laptop bag. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Using a sewing machine to sew the Velcro closure to the bag.

5. Sew the Main Pieces Together

Now place your two quilted rectangles with the right sides (printed sides) together and pin the bottom side (the one without Velcro). Sew that edge together with a 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance. Open this sewn piece up, lay it flat printed-side up, and use an iron to press and separate the seams.

Pin the flap on top of the shorter side opposite of the Velcro rectangle, pointed inwards, Velcro-side up.

Placing the laptop bag's main pieces right sides together, pinning the short edge. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Placing the laptop bag’s main pieces right sides together, pinning the short edge.
A sewing machine is sewing white fluffy batting to fabric.
Sewing the batting to fabric.
Pinning the quilted laptop bag's top flap to the bag's main body. The fabric is pink and white checkerboard and purple and white checkerboard.
Pinning the quilted laptop bag’s top flap to the bag’s main body.

6. Add the Lining

Place the lining’s printed/right side on the printed side of the bag, so the flap is sandwiched in between. Pin off the two shorter sides and stitch together with a 1/2″ (1 cm) seam allowance.

Lining and outer fabrics together
The lining fabric and one side of the laptop bag are pinned pinned right sides together.
Pinned lining
Pinning the lining and main body right sides together.
Sewing the lining to the outer laptop bag fabric. The lining is facing wrong side up.
Sewing the lining to the outer laptop bag fabric.

Flip the whole thing inside out and iron the short end seams flat. I also added another topstitch on the flap right on the seam. Fold your bag in half on the middle seam with the lining on the inside—it should start to look like the end result!

Sew the rest of the bag together on the sides that are still open (minus the opening at the top), a few millimeters from the edge. This step ensures that your layers don’t slip around when sewing on the bias tape and everything looks cleaner in the end.

Ironing the seams flat
Ironing the short seams flat.
Topstitching the laptop bag flap
Adding a topstitching on the flap’s seam.
Pinned laptop case pieces before adding bias tape
Before sewing the sides together.
Sewing machine putting together the layers
Sewing the sides together.

7. Attach the Bias Tape

We’re almost finished! Open your bias tape and place it right side down with the edge of the tape against the edge of the bag. Fold the bias tape over the edge, pin it down on the other side, and stitch on the edge.

Bias tape pinned around laptop case
Placing your bias tape.
Bias tape sewn around laptop case
After sewing the bias tape.

Tada! Your laptop bag is now ready.

Don’t forget to tag your creations on Instagram with #Spoonflower so we can check them out! Thanks for following along!

Finished laptop bag!