Make a backpack from oilcloth

I like to use a backpack instead of a purse. If I have to bend down unexpectedly, my purse comes crashing down off my shoulder, so not only am I trying to contain my errant toddler, I am trying to pick up all the stuff that fell out of my purse. Backpacks keep your hands free, thus making it easier to defend yourself if you need to, or if you need your hands for anything else.

To solve the problem of finding a backpack that is pretty enough to hold all the essentials that you would normally carry in a purse, you can make a backpack from oil cloth. U-handblog's tutorial tells you where to find the oilcloth and how to sew with it, how to sew the drawstring casing in the bag lining, how to sew a flat base into the bag, and how to sew an adjustable fabric strap.

The tutorial is super-easy to follow, and really does solve the problem of finding a neat backpack. You can even make one for each of your kids: I don't know one kid who doesn't like to drag their backpack through every mud puddle they can find. With an oilcloth backpack, all you will have to do is wipe it clean.

Source