I have got something SUPER fun to share with you today!
Let me introduce the KIDS TRAVEL PACK!!!
Why do I ‘sound’ (use your imagination) so excited? Because this WORKS! Yep. Child-tested, child-approved! Well, at least in the age 4-11 range (my test group was limited to my four daughters). This little pack holds a whole LOT of fun in a small package, and I’m going to share how to make your own SUPER quick. Are you with me?! Let’s get started!
The Players:
1 – 9″X 9″ piece of fabric*
1 – 9″ X 9″ piece of coordinating (or wacky mismatched) fabric*
1 – 9″ X 9″ piece of quilt batting*
1 – 8″ piece of ribbon
1 – 5″ piece of wide elastic (optional)
1 – 3″ piece of skinny elastic or a hair elastic
1 button
Coordinating thread & Pins
8-10 snack-sized ziplock baggies
*If you don’t want to sew your own cover, just buy a cute pot holder and use that instead. You can skip ahead to where we start sewing the baggies (Step 7) and follow along from there 🙂
1. Iron your fabric pieces so they look as fabulous as you are! Take out the fabric you’ll be using on the inside of your pack and turn it RIGHT side up. Now, pin your wide elastic with one end in the middle of the fabric, the other end sticking out the side slightly, and about 2/3 of the way up the fabric. Didn’t get my muddled description? Just look at the picture 🙂 This is to make a little holder for a pad of paper. If you don’t want this, just skip this step (and the next one).
2. Stitch along the side of the elastic that is sitting in the center of your fabric, like so:
3. Place your two pieces of fabric RIGHT sides together, then place the quilt bat on TOP. Pin all three together.
4. Stitch along the edges, leaving an opening a couple of inches long ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE AS YOUR WIDE ELASTIC SIDE so you can turn it right-side out again. Leave the opening in the center of that side, as well. This is where we will be adding the little loop for the latch. Trim the edges and clip off the corners (being careful NOT to cut through the stitches).
5. Flip it right side out and now you’ll see your little elastic loop all stitched in and ready to hold a notepad! All we have to do is fix that ugly hole we left.
6.Before we stitch up the hole, though, we are going to insert our hair elastic or loop the skinny elastic and stick it in the hole, leaving a small loop sticking out. Pin it in place, being sure to neatly tuck in the edges of the fabric, then top stitch around all four sides of the pack.
7. You basically just made your own pot holder with an elastic loop and a notepad holder. Voila! Oh, right..there is more. Let’s continue! Gather your little snack baggies and start layering them – one on the left, then one on the right – with the sides that open toward the edges of the pad.
8. When you have all of the baggies in place, add the ribbon over top. You can tape or pin them in place. They are slippery little suckers! The tape is easily removed afterward. Bias tape works great for this, as well, if you don’t have wide enough ribbon. My ribbon, here, wasn’t quite wide enough, actually. But, it still worked 🙂
9. Straight stitch along all four edges of the ribbon, being careful to keep the baggies from slipping out. This is going to secure the baggies into your pack!
9. Remove the pins or tape and fold the pack in half. You are ready to hand stitch a cute button on the front of the pack. Stitch it on opposite the small elastic loop so it can latch it closed, like below!
Now, fill the little travel pack with bits of fun that will keep the kiddos busy when they have to sit for a while! Some ideas are:
Small pens or pencils
Crayons
Stickers
Fruit snacks
Notepad
Mini toys
Playing cards
Small puzzle
Chapstick
Eraser
iPod and ear buds
A worm
(just checking whether you were still paying attention)
You get the idea! This can be adapted for any child’s age – and hey, I even have one that I keep in the car with things like matches, needle and thread, extra buttons, gum, small candle, ear plugs…whatever. LOVE IT! You can add a pocket on the outside for their sunglasses, add some ruffles, some flowers – make it yours! In the end, it accomplishes it’s purpose very well. Keep those kids busy and keep it contained!
What are you going to put in yours?
For even more fun ideas for these fun pot-holder-style packets, check out one of our FAVORITE blogs, Eighteen25! They’ll show you how you can stay PREPARED with one of these little babies in your purse!
Betsy says
Very neat idea! I might use freezer bags for a little sturdier result… must try 🙂
Jennifer Juniper says
I love how you can have one for every purpose! First aid, restaurants, travel supplies! Great idea 🙂
Shelley says
A-Mazing! What a great functional little bag!
Missy says
So cute, Bobbi! I need to break out the sewing machine and make one of these. They would make fun gifts for the cousins for Christmas.
Emily Dixon says
genius! I must try this!
Monica says
This is super cute! I remember the one from eighteen25 …love that one too! 🙂
tanya says
love love love this! my daughter just this morning was wanting a small sewing project(she is 8) for some friends who are moving away. we are gonna jump this asap!!
Wani says
I love this! I have a few potholders that I got for a project that went unfinished. This will be the perfect way to use them! Thanks!
Anne says
Someone made one of these into a diaper bag first aid kit for me when my son was born. Best shower gift ever!!
Antwan Whittle says
I cannot thank you enough for the article.
Joanna says
These are adorable! Love them!
kristen says
I just made two of these. Getting ready for a car ride! Thank you for posting clear directions and great pictures. My kids kept trying to sneak out of their rooms for a peek of what i was making!!!! I can’t what for them to see them!
Bobbi says
Yay! I just know the kids are going to have so much fun with them. I hope you’ll take some pics and leave a link so we can see them! Thanks for popping by!
Casey says
If you want the option to replace the baggies, it might also work to hot glue a report binding spine in place for sewing the bags to the fabric. (The kind with just thin clear plastic cover and a thin plastic spine that slides down over the cover clamping your report into it. These are usually 3 for a dollar.) It will be important to keep the clear cover plastic in order to buffer when sliding the new bags in, just as you would use this for a report.