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By Subhashini Narayanan on December 8, 2023
By Betsy Greer on December 5, 2023
Plus, a "love note" bonus DIY!
Small backpacks are making a comeback and if you’re looking for one of your own that’s unique and suits your personality, why not make your own mini backpack? You can use this free DIY mini backpack/rucksack pattern to create a backpack for yourself that matches your personal style or use fun printed materials to make one for your little one.
All it takes is a couple of yards of fabric (look for something durable to ensure your backpack is sturdy and can carry heavier items) and a little sewing experience to follow this simple free sewing pattern. Plus, with just a couple yards of fabric and our free sewing pattern, you can easily make one at home. Follow along as I show you how with our sturdy Dogwood Denim™ and vivid Petal Signature Cotton® Solids. ((Note: We sunset Petal Signature Solids in June 2023. However, this project will work perfectly with Petal Signature Cotton—it’s the exact same fabric and can be printed with any Spoonflower Marketplace design!)
If you’re stitching a mini backpack for your mini-me and want an extra special touch, stick around until the end for a bonus DIY you can slip in the inside pocket: surprise love notes!
While I’m using Dogwood Denim for the outer fabric of my mini backpack, you can also explore Recycled Canvas or Cypress Cotton Canvas.
My choice of interfacing is medium weight fusible fleece. Alongside the denim, it provides just enough structure and thickness for a quality bag while also remaining flexible. I’ve also used fusible foam for a more structured back side where the straps sit.
This project involves sewing multiple layers of thick fabric! Prepare in advance by purchasing a denim needle for your machine to ensure nothing gets jammed or broken and check out our denim sewing tips on the blog.
Print, tape together and cut out the Mini Backpack pattern– you should have seven pieces total to work with (A-G). Transfer these to your outer fabric, lining and preferred interfacing and cut according to the instructions labeled on each piece. Fuse the interfacing to the fabric pieces that require it.
Remember, if you’re making a mini backpack for a child, pay attention to the strap (G) measurement. Cut at the “child size” mark instead of using the whole length for adults.
Today, I’m making two backpacks! Animal Cookies by spookishdelight has a perfect pastel palette and has lived in my Spoonflower “favorites” folder for a while, and These Don’t Bug Me by selmacardoso has been on my mind since last year’s Retro Bugs Design Challenge. I’m using these designs for the outer fabric layer and pairing them with lilac and wine Petal Solids for the lining.
This finished backpack measures about 11″ (height) x 9″ (width across) x 4″ (depth).
Full layout of the Mini Backpack pattern
Take a strap piece (G) and fold one of the shorter edges in by 1/4” (1/2 cm) to form a small hem. Iron in place, then repeat on the other short side. Grab one longer edge of the fabric and fold it in once towards the middle and iron. Repeat on the other side to where the two long edges meet in the center. Fold the fabric in half with the raw edges tucked inside, iron, then clip or pin together all the way down the whole strap.
Repeat all of the above for the other strap.
Sew a straight stitch down each side of both straps about 1/4” (1/2 cm) from the edges. Set these aside for a quick moment!
Just like we did in step 1 for the straps, take your D-ring tab pieces (E) and fold the long edges in to meet the middle, then iron. Fold this in half and iron one more time.
Now feed these pieces into each of your 1” (2.5 cm) D-rings. Once in, fold the fabric tab over the flat edge of the ring to where the raw edges meet and clip to hold.
Get your straps and tabs ready! Take one of the main body pieces (A) and lay it flat right side up (design side up). Along the bottom edge, measure 2” from the sides and clip a D-Ring tab to that mark. The curve of the “D” should be facing upwards and all the raw edges of both the tab and main pieces should be aligned.
Repeat the above process, but this time along the top edge of the same main piece. Instead of measuring out 2” from the side, measure 1” from the middle point towards the left and right. Place one strap on each mark and clip down.
Sew down the straps and the tabs to the main body piece. For an extra hold, consider stitching over these parts multiple times. I then like to roll the straps up and clip them so they stay put during the rest of the sewing process.
You can find the middle point of piece A by folding it in half longways and making a small diagonal cut on the tip (I’m talking as small as you can). Then when you open it, you’ll have a small triangle as a guide! I use this method throughout the whole mini backpack sewing process to ensure I’m lining my pieces up correctly.
Remember making the straps and tabs? Let’s repeat that process! Take the top handle piece (C) and iron the short edges in 1/4″ (1/2 cm). Fold the long edges towards the middle, fold in half and iron. After sewing down each edge, bring this finished handle piece to your top gusset piece.
Lay the top gusset piece (D) flat right side up. Find the center of the top gusset using the clipping method in the highlighted tip in the previous step. Take both ends of the handle piece and push them inwards so the whole thing curves upwards– like a handle! You can choose how much to push depending on preference, but mine was pushed about 1” (2.5 cm) from each side. Pin each side down, still keeping that curved shape, and sew in place only on the ends connecting the gusset and handle together.
To ensure your zipper is the perfect length for this next step, you can sew a new stopping point by adding a layer of stitches at the beginning or end. I had a 24” (61 cm) zipper laying around, so I cut 6″ (15 cm) off the end and stitched the top closed.
With the top gusset piece facing right side up, place your zipper on top of the gusset zipper-side-down with the bottom edges aligned and clip in place. Then take your top gusset (D) lining piece and place it on top of that, lining up the bottom raw edges, and move the clips to where they hold all the layers together with the zipper sandwiched in the middle.
Sew along where you clipped 1/4″ (1/2 cm) from the edge, being aware of your zipper, then flip inside out and press flat. Finish this seam by topstitching 1/4” (1/2 cm) from the zipper’s edge.
Now take your bottom gusset piece (F) and place it right sides together on top of the finished top gusset piece. Match together the shorter ends and clip in place, the bottom gusset should be a lot bigger than the top gusset so you’ll have some space between.
Flip this piece over where the inside of the top gusset is facing up and the bottom gusset you just attached is on the very bottom. Take the bottom gusset lining piece and place it on top, with short edges lined up, and clip in place– you can just lift up the clips that are already holding the bottom gusset outer piece up and slide the edges of the lining underneath.
Now you should have your lining, top gusset, and bottom gusset sandwiched together… in that order! Notice the layering of the gussets and the lining in the third photo under this step. Sew these short edges so it results in one piece.
Next, flip this piece inside out until the lining is on the inside and the outer fabric is on the outside. This will be the side of your backpack!
To secure the sides, topstitch along the seam where the top and bottom gussets meet on both ends.
Grab the lining pocket piece (B) and fold in half shortways. Clip the sides shut and sew around the edges (minus the top) with a 1/4” (1/2 cm) seam allowance, then flip it inside out. Iron the edges, then fold the top edge inside itself about 1/2” (1 cm). Iron this straight, clip in place and sew shut with a 1/4″ (1/2 cm) seam allowance until you have a clean fabric rectangle.
Place the finished pocket piece on top of one of the main body (A) lining pieces. Center it where you would like and pin in place. Sew around the edges (minus the top), and now you have a pocket!
Now it’s time to sew the main body pieces (A) to the finished gusset piece:
• Flip the gusset around to where the lining is facing the outside and lay it on its edges so it stands up. Take the main body piece that does NOT have the straps and tabs attached and place it inside the standing gusset until it lays flat at the bottom, right side up. You should have the right sides of both pieces facing the inside– clip these pieces together making your way all around the main body piece. Sew with a 1/4” (1/2 cm) seam allowance all around the edge.
• Flip it around print-side-up and use your hands to push in the gusset piece. Press it as flat as you can against the main body piece, then place a main body lining piece (A) that does NOT have the pocket on top, right sides together. Clip around the edges similar to how you did before, but this time leave a 4-5” (10-12 cm) gap at the bottom edge. Sew around the edges still leaving the gap open. When you’re done, you can put your hand inside and flip everything inside out so the raw edges are on the inside! This method is literally called “birthing.”
• When everything is flipped (and starting to look like a backpack), turn it again so the outer fabric is facing inwards. Unzip the zipper if it’s not already, this will ensure we can do our next step correctly. Place the main body piece (A) with the straps and tabs attached and place it right side down into the gusset. Clip these pieces right sides together and stitch all the way around the edge like before.
• Grab the last main body piece (A), the lining with the pocket. Flip your almost-finished bag over to where the other lining piece is facing upwards. Push everything flat, like how we did earlier for the gusset, and place the pocket lining piece pocket-side-down and clip around the edges, leaving another 4-5” gap at the bottom. This will be a bit bulky to clip and sew– just go slowly!
• “Birth” your bag one last time. It may be easier to pull out the straps first, then go from there. Again, this might be a little difficult to pull through at first because of all our layers, but slow is key. Hey, you almost have a finished mini backpack!
You might notice the bottom edges where you pulled the bag through are still raw. Take a hand sewing needle, tuck the raw edges in, and close everything up with the stitch of your choice.
Now everything should be structured together, minus the two straps dangling from the top. Take your two strap adjusters and feed one strap through each one, using the photo below for reference:
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And we want to see! Show us your work on social media with #Spoonflower.
Mini backpacks are great for kids, so why not surprise yours with a note of affirmation hidden in the inside pocket? These fabric love notes are super easy to make and we have a set available to DIY right now.
Materials:
Anna is a self-taught sewist and cosplayer of seven years who joined Spoonflower’s Brand Marketing Team in 2021. In her free time, she’s either stitching together some new products for her small business, binging some sort of animated series, or relaxing with her cat, Mina.
I made this pattern twice, once for myself following the instructions exactly, and once for my husband, making the backpack larger, and adding a front pocket/zipper.
I am a pretty experienced home sewer, and I would say that this could be a tough project for someone who hadn’t done a lot of sewing. I agree with previous commenters that separating the photos and putting them with the exact steps in the instructions would make this a lot easier… Having four photos that go with a long paragraph of instructions is hard.
I did manage, though, to follow the directions, exactly, and I was amazed at how well this turned out. Everything is self contained… No open seams, or anything. I do recommend using the fusible fleece, which makes it nice and stiff.
My husband carries his every day and gets tons of compliments on it!
Thanks for letting us know how this project turned out, Ann!
And thanks also for the feedback on the photos, we’ll keep that in mind for future tutorials.
Happy backpacking!
Betsy
Spoonflower
Your bag is very cute. My bag overall has a nice shape and looks great on the outside but incomplete because your instructions were not clear. My suggestion to you please is to put step by step instructions with adjacent pictures. I attached the straps to the wrong side so the back is my front face and I did not understand how you did the lining so I added bias to cover the raw edges, and I did not know how to add the pocket lining piece to the bag and I gave up on the project. You left me very frustrated, my bad, I guess I just don’t know how to follow directions.
Thanks for letting us know, I’m sorry for your frustration. And thanks for sharing your related suggestions.
I’ve added the Instagram Reel that accompanied this post in case it’s helpful. (You can find it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZfE4MuhnI5/.)
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
Finished this back pack for my Granddaughter. Used quite stiff interfacing so the “birthing” process, especially at the end, was a bit challenging but came out alright. I used a lot of magic clips to hold things in place while sewing. I did top stitching either side of the zipper to stop it rolling. Looks great but not sure I’ll make another one. See how it hold up to use. Thanks for the tutorial. Had to go over a few steps a few times to figure it out. Probably helped that I’ve made reversible slippers that use a similar technique.
I just logged on and read Polly’s comment dated May 5, 2023! But, I am stuck on the process at the point where the instructions begin at “Layering Everything Together”. Polly’s comment seems as if that was a stumbling point for her too. So far in the process, the bag is looking great. But, I cannot figure out how to go forward. Please help.
Hi Jo Ann!
Sorry you’re having problems with this tutorial!
Is there a certain point in the Layer Everything Together section that’s troublesome for you? Or is that entire section what you’re having problems with? The more I know about where you’re stuck, the better I can help.
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
My first bag, love the size and shape, but did struggle when putting the top and bottom gussets together….I found the photos very confusing showing the 2 different bags….. showing one bag and clearer photos would have helped. I then decided to carry on making it in my own way and it is lovely, but was difficult to work out the final lining piece…….. I will make it again once I have written down the instructions I used, as I couldn’t follow part of yours……obviously my problem, but a lovely bag.
Hi Polly!
Congrats on making your first bag!
And thanks for letting us know how we could have made this clearer, which I’ve taken note of for the future.
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
Had an epic fail with a sling bag pattern last week; your pattern is fantastic! Use it bike riding and it totally stays put on my back. Thx for taking the time to photograph/video the steps, and making it a free pattern.
Hi Suzanne!
Glad to hear that you had such a success with this pattern! Hooray!
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
Absolute LOVE this bag. Might be the best thing I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for putting the pattern out there. I will definitely be making more of these little bags.
Happy to hear that Jacqui, and thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
Hi, just wondering if this pattern has exposed seams on the inside of the bag or is binding required?
Hi Jennifer,
The finished bag will not have exposed seams on the inside. There’s a few steps at the end where you flip/birth the final pieces inside out which allows for the seams to be hidden.
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Absolutely love the simplicity of this pattern. I make the first one, printed it out at 80% scale and I love it. It is for my son who will be starting preschool soon. The size is just nice for him. Thank you Anna & Spoonflower for the great pattern.
So glad to hear you’re enjoying the pattern! If you decide to share some pictures of the finished packs on social media, tag us (@spoonflower) so we can see! 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
I love this mini backpack pattern. I am almost finished; however had difficulty with photos attached using 2 different fabrics. Just suggesting (as I sew a lot) but would be best to use same example for photos. It gave me a challenge! Instructions are great! Thanks.
Thanks so much for your comment, Cheryl! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the tutorial and pattern.
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
I just finished making two of these backpacks and am very happy with them! I was hoping to find a pattern where the lining stays in place because it’s sewn into the seams, and was so excited when I found this pattern. I used a white fabric with a bumble bee print for the lining, and black fabric with bumble bees and lady bugs drawn in yellow for the exterior. I’ll be giving these as gifts for two preschoolers, with a nature book and bug-catching accessories packed inside. For the 2nd backpack, I decided I wanted the handle of the bug net to be upright (vertical) when it’s inside, so I used two smaller zippers (both 12” and then trimmed to size) and arranged them so that each zipper opens one half of the backpack and the zipper pulls meet at the center top. It worked out great. I did find the instructions to be a but tricky once you get to the “Layer Everything Together” section — it was a lot of written steps in a row, followed by a lot of photos and videos. I’m wondering if the photos/videos might be separated so that they’re placed right after the section of written instructions that they pertain to. My sewing machine is an older model and doesn’t do well with thick layers of fabric, but I found that using a walking foot did the trick. Thanks so much for this pattern ????
Thanks so much for your feedback, Patty! Good idea about separating that large step— we will work on updating this section. Also, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pattern, hope the little ones like their new handmade backpacks! 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Are the straps long enough that this can be worn by an adult? I want this for myself
Hi Monica,
Absolutely! I created this pattern for both adults and kids to enjoy (I’m the one modeling the animal cookies backpack on the blue background for adult size reference). The full length of the strap pattern piece will fit for most adults, though for kids you’ll need to shorten (marked on the pattern).
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Anna,
I finished the backpack last night (I tried to reply to your comment below, but nothing happened when I hit ‘reply’ ????????♀️)
It’s so stinkin’ cute! The assembly was a new technique for me, as I’ve previously used a binding method with backpacks.
Is there an email where I can send photos, as I don’t use social media!
Thanks again ???? I have a feeling that I will be making more of these when others see my grandson’s backpack.
Hi Norma,
Yay! I would love to see, feel free to email me photos at [email protected]
-Anna
Presently cutting this out and prepping to sew for my grandson!
As an experienced bag maker, may I suggest the addition of the full dimensions of each pattern piece printed directly on the piece for reference – this makes it easy peasy to just cut the square and rectangle pieces! (I did tape everything together to measure the pieces, but I don’t actually need to place them on the fabric to cut)
Then, you really only need an actual pattern piece for the main body for accuracy on the curve. (Still allowing for those who wish to use pattern pieces ????)
Thanks for a cute pattern – I have other mini backpack patterns, but wanted something a little less ‘I am a cute purse backpack’, and more like “I am a 1 year old boy carrying my own stuff’ ????
Hi Norma,
Thank you so much for that suggestion! I will absolutely add pattern dimensions to the post for future readers to reference. I bet your grandson’s mini backpack will look amazing, feel free to tag Spoonflower (@spoonflower) on social media if you decide to share photos so we can see your work! 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
I am at the stage where it says to attach the bottom gusset. I have done that. So I have a top gusset and a bottom gusset. This is too small to go around the circumference of the backpack. Am I supposed to cut out 2 top gussets? Please advise.
Thanks
Josie
Hi Josie,
With the top gusset and bottom gusset attached together as one piece, it should be the right size to fit around the body of the backpack in our experience working with this pattern. Very sorry you’re experiencing sizing complications though, I would suggest at this point cutting down the main body pieces ever so slightly until you can fit the full gusset piece around the main body, if the size difference isn’t a large amount.
Based on your feedback and other’s, I think I have a good excuse to make another mini backpack and see what updates I can add to the instructions and media in this post. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Love this size, I am up to putting it all together. I got the main part in. I can’t figure out the 1st lining piece. I read someone had the same issue. Do you happen to have a video of the last procedures.
Hi Donna,
Currently there is no video for this step apart from the video-like GIFs, but I do have plans to make another mini backpack soon so I can add some updates to this post based on your feedback and other’s. I will consider more video since I realize the step with the lining pieces is pretty hefty– thanks so much for your comment!
For the moment though, I can try to provide more written help: After you’ve sewn the first outer main body piece to the gusset, flip your project where the lining fabrics are facing outside and the printed side on the inside (see first image in that bunch under the Layering Everything Together step). You’re then going to squish the whole gusset piece (this should be standing upwards with the outer main body piece flat on your table/work surface) until it fits inside the size of the outer main body. Hold this down as you place a lining main body piece (the one without the pocket) on top, and carefully clip the edges of the lining piece to the edges of the outer main piece until you have a bunch of gusset fabric sandwiched in between outer and lining pieces (see image 3 under the same step with the purple lining). Sew around the edges where you clipped, BUT make sure to leave a 4-5 inch gap at the bottom, since you’ll then need to reach inside and flip the project inside out before moving on to the next layering steps (the other main body piece, and then a final lining piece).
Please let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
I am still a little confused about the bottom gusset. Could you share the dimensions of the final pattern piece? Thanks, I am looking forward to making this for my grandson!
Hi Sally,
The dimensions of the bottom gusset pattern piece should be roughly 22 x 5″. Happy to answer any more questions to help with clarity!
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Hello! I did a quick read of pattern and instructions. What are the finished dimensions of this mini backpack, please? Did I miss that information? Would a full-size folder fit within? Thank you!
Hi Karen, great question!
This mini backpack is about 11 inches tall, 9 inches wide and 4 inches deep, unfortunately a little tight for full-sized folders or other supplies meant to hold 8.5 x 11 papers. Could be used for smaller supplies though, like composition books or stationary. 🙂
-Anna
Spoonflower
Thank you for a fantastic free pattern and tutorial I made this for my daughter who absolutely loves it now to make one for my son these are going to come in handy for when we go on holiday to hold their bits for on the plane . Was written well and easy to follow, the picture tutorial parts where a big help. Thank you
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for your comment, so glad you enjoyed the tutorial! I definitely agree that these are perfect little travel bags. 🙂
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Hi there cant wait to finish my packpack but i cant seem to figure out how and where to sew the main body lining on. I am lost on the second step of Part 9. thanks for any help
Hi Amber,
The second set of photos/GIFs under step 9 show how to attach the first part of the main body lining. After you have your gusset and first part of the main body outer fabric attached together (shown in the first set of photos under step 9) you will place this on your working space where the main body is laying flat and the gusset edges are sticking up. You’re going to push the gusset piece flat until it fits inside the edges of the main body outer piece, then you’ll place a main body lining piece over what you just squished and clip around the edges to keep it inside. Then, sew around the edges just like how you sewed the main body outer piece and gusset together from before, however this time leave roughly a 4-5 inch gap at the bottom so you can pull everything inside out for the next step.
Hope that makes sense, sorry for any confusion! Happy to add further details if you have more questions.
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Thank you for this wonderful pattern! I bought some canvas fabric, but the color wasn’t what i thought it would be. This backpack would be perfect for the fabric! I do have a question. I just cut out the pattern pieces, is hard to attach n/n and o/o, are these also pattern pieces? I don’t see them in the tutorial? I’m a little confused about that part.
Hi there,
N/N and O/O are both part of pattern piece F, the bottom gusset, along with M/M. I have updated step 1 of this tutorial with an image of the whole pattern spread out, hope this helps!
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Great project! It was a bit complicated so my first backpack became \’practice\’. But my second one turned out great! I added quilting and embroidery to the front panel. I would post a photo if I could…
Hi Kitty,
The first backpack I made taught me a lot as well, practice definitely makes perfect with this project!
I love that you added those extra details to the front– if you’re on social media, you can always tag us (@spoonflower) in your project photos so we can check them out!
Crafty regards,
Anna
Spoonflower
Okay, there it is now. Thank you!
These instructions and photos are great! Question:
I’m trying to figure out when and how the bottom gusset lining is attached. What have I missed? Thanks!
Hi Barbara,
The bottom gusset lining can be seen in step 7 and should be attached behind the finished top gusset piece after you clip on the bottom gusset outer fabric.
I just updated this post and added more details to step 7 that should explain the bottom gusset lining piece more. Hope that helps, but let me know if you have any more questions!
Happy sewing,
Anna
Spoonflower
Thank you so much for the free pattern. I’ve printed out the pattern, is there a way to print out the instructions?
Hi Traci,
You can print out this blog post by going to File->Print at the top of your web browser and select the pages that show the instructions.
Happy sewing!
Anna
Spoonflower
I am a self taught sewist too. These videos are awesome!
Thank you, Paige! Self-taught for the win!
-Anna
Spoonflower