Messenger Bag Tutorials - DIY Messenger Bag Collection

 Messenger Bags:  I love them, but can never seem to find the right one in the right color and material in the right price range.  Messenger Bags are wonderful accessories.  Their demographic spectrum spans the full range from seniors to young adults to the kiddos.  I'm sharing my personal favorites in this collection. 

The Weekend Designer is incredible.  This is a blogger that knows fashion and shares his knowledge with those of us fortunate enough to find his site.

Ecolution Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Push The Envelope - Messenger Bag by Weekend Designer

 Zaaberry posts some really cute bags.  Try this one if you're looking for a special bag to make for your special child.

Kids Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

 

Kids Messenger Bag by Zaaberry

I fell in love with the braided belt strap when I first saw this Messenger Bag on Pinterest.

Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Braided Belt Messenger Bag by Cold Hands Warm Heart

I had to share this Messenger Bag, Lunch Bag, and Backpack collection of bags by Me Sew Crazy.  As I said in the Kids Backpack Tutorials - Adorable DIY Backpack Collection post, she is one of my favorite bloggers and designers.

Circle Backpack, Messenger Bag, and Lunch Bag Tutorials on Pinterest

Circle Bags: Backpack, Messenger Bag, and Lunch Bag by Me Sew Crazy

What could be easier than a Messenger Bag made from a pillowcase?  I think this would be a great bag for a beginning seamstress.

Pillowcase Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Pillowcover To Messenger Bag by living with punks

Make it and love it hit a home run with this convertible Messenger Bag.  The perfect blend of fashion and function for moms with little ones.

  

Convertible Messenger Stroller Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

 

2 in 1 Messenger Stroller Bag by make it and love it

 New Green Mama posted an excellent tutorial with lots of details and photos.  She makes this bag look easy.  I love the fact that it is reversible.

Reversible Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

 

 

Reversible Messenger Bag by New Green Mama

Stash Books has a wonderful Messenger Bag designed especially for traveling with kids.  They offer a great tutorial, free pattern, and different versions of the bag to fit different ages and sizes of kids.

Travel Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Travel  Messenger Bag by Stash Books

 A very detailed tutorial with step by step photos is given for this Messenger Bag by BLUEBIRDBABY.  Using a solid color with an accent trim, you could make several in different colors to match different outfits.

Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Messenger Bag by BLUEBIRDBABY

The Basic Messenger Bag by mmmcrafts is simple and straightforward.  She doesn't give the tutorial for the design on the flap.  However, if you're not a beginning seamstress, I bet you could come up with several ideas based on looking at these designs.

Basic Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Basic Messenger Bag by mmmcrafts

Did somebody say Decoupage?  Decoupage on a Messenger Bag?  I'm in!!  I love this one by Honestly..., and it is a NO - SEW version!

Decoupage Floral Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

Decoupage Floral Bag by Honestly...

I had to include one more Messenger Bag for the mommies and the babies.  This Messenger Bag is designed to be a diaper bag!

 Messenger Diaper Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

 

Messenger Diaper Bag by Gluesticks 

I pinned this upcycle Messenger Bag on Pinterest long ago.  It is made from a pair of cargo pants!

Messenger Bag Tutorial on Pinterest

 

Messenger Bag From Cargo Pants by Wonderwoman Creations

I hope you enjoy this collection. I truly admire the creative genius behind these designs.  Please let me know if you decide to make one!

Mess Kit Tutorial - Dollar Store DIY

Ever thought about making a simple Mess Kit to use for camping?  I made this one for YW Camp.  I learned to make them years ago as a teenager.  They work great.  I wanted to share a quick tutorial so you could make one, too.  FYI this is a great project for a beginning seamstress.  It is very simple.

 

DIY Mess Kit

All the materials for constructing and filling the Mess Kit are available at Dollar Tree.  

Supplies

• Plastic Mug with snap-on lid
• Two Dish Towels
• Pie Plate
• Fork, Knife, and Spoon
• Shoestring
• Scissors
• Sewing machine and thread (for machine sewing) or Needle and Thread (for hand sewing) 

Mess Kit contents

 Directions

1. Cut one dishtowel in half so that you have two squares instead of one rectangle.  Stitch across cut edges to prevent them from unraveling.

2. Fold over, wrong sides together, one and one fourth inch across the long edge of the other dishtowel and stitch to create a one inch casing for your drawstring.

3. Fold dishtowel in half, right sides together, matching seam casings, and stitch around two sides, leaving casing side open.  Do not stitch through the casing.

4. Turn dishtowel right side out.

5. Pin a safety pin to the end of your shoestring.  Insert the safety pin into the casing.  Pull the safety pin and shoestring through the casing until you have shoestring extending from both sides.

6. Remove safety pin.

7. Even out the shoestring so there is an equal amount extending from each side.  Stitch the shoestring to the casing near the center of the shoestring.

8. Tie one or two knots near the end of the shoestring.  This will make it easy to hang up on a tree or a hook.  

Mess Kit contents

Usage Instructions

Use one of the matching two square dishtowels as a napkin.  The other can be used as a placemat.  After using the Mess Kit, wash the dishes using one of them as a dishrag to help clean your dishes.  Then place the dishes and the dry dishrag inside the mess kit and hang from a tree or post to dry.  Hang wet dishrag separately and return to Mess Kit when dry.

Pie plate, mug, utensils, napkin and placemat/dishrag easily fit in bag.

I already had the sewing machine, scissors, and shoestring.  The other supplies cost about five dollars at Dollar Tree.

Mess Kit with all contents inside.

Everything fits neatly inside.  It is just a little difficult to make photos when you have a big puppy dog that wants some attention.  Bruno is the alpha male amongst our dogs.  He is not easily dissuaded.

Bruno just wanted to play.

 
I hope you have fun making your own Mess Kit.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the tutorial.

This tutorial is shared at:

Cutesy Crafts: An Oldie but a Goodie #13 

Diana Rambles Pin Me Linky Party #25 

Gunny Sack Link Party #60 

Craft-O-Maniac Monday 

Skip to my Lou Made by You Monday 

Sew Can Do Craftastic Monday Link Party 

You are invited to visit the link parties and see all the wonderful posts.

Big Tex Burns - Texas State Fair Landmark Gone Forever

Twitter pic by John McKibben

State Fair of Texas Icon Big Tex Goes Up in Smoke

It is a sad day for fans of Big Tex, the Texas-sized talking cowboy statue that greeted patrons on the Texas State Fair Midway for decades.  How could they possibly replace this beloved TSF icon?

I grew up in Dallas and attended public schools there.  Every year students got a free pass to the fair and even a special school holiday so we could attend during the week.  We always looked forward to seeing Big Tex on the midway talking to everyone, welcoming them to the fair.  This is a sad day.

However, the photo is incredible.  It is less than two weeks before Halloween. The frightening, fiery image looks like it belongs in a State Fair Halloween movie.