With school starting soon, you might have fun getting inspired for the new season with a custom, vintage-inspired gym bag. With a jacket and a few belts from Goodwill you will have something original and functional in no time.
What you’ll need:
-Jacket with long zipper and good interior and exterior pockets
-2 D-ring belts for handles and shoulder strap
-Extra fabric or another bag from Goodwill to make the circular ends of the gym bag
-Compass, ruler, scissorsStep 1. Cut off arms and collar to make the coat more rectangular and easier to manage.
Step 2: Cut off the back of the jacket at the side seams, just inside of the armhole (so that you have a rectangular piece with the lining extending slightly past the outside.
Step 3. Cut the front portion of the jacket either just outside of the armhole, or near the zipper. (I cut near the zipper on one side, to make a skinnier bag that would fit into a locker. The other side I cut just outside of the armhole). Your front and back pieces should now both be rectangles.
Step 4. Stitch the front to the back piece. If your jacket has a lining, make sure not to sew the lining to it. You will stitch this down later.
HANDLES
Step 5. After removing the belt buckle, cut the belt into equal pieces and sew down the ends with a zig-zag stich.
POCKETS
Step 6: Use a seam ripper to remove any pockets that are in the way. Reposition those pockets to be more functional. I centered mine under the handle (just pin and sew down where the old seams used to be).
BAG DESIGN
I used more t-shirt scraps to style the bag. Consider using bold, simple shapes for easier application. Cut out shapes, pin to bag, and stitch.
Once you finish the surface work. Sew the lining pieces together on the inside of the bag (make sure not to catch the outer fabric).
Step 7: Prep the fabric you will use for the ends of your bag. You may have enough leftover jacket fabric, but I decided to use another bag for contrast. Use something fairly stiff to give the bag structure. I found a bag that also had elastic mesh pockets that I could use later. I removed all of these pockets and straps and cut the bag at the sides, so it would be easier to use in the next step.
Step 8: Now determine the size of the circles you need to cut for the ends of your bag. Remember high school geometry?
Circumference =2* 3.14* radius
Measure the total length of your bag from zipper to zipper + 1 inch of seam allowance. This is your circumference.
For me: 24.5 inches total length +1 inch (seam allowance) = 25.5 inches in circumference.
Just divide 25.5 by (2*3.14) and you will have the radius you need for your end pieces.
4.11 = Radius
Take a compass and line it up on a ruler to your radius length. Draw two circles of this radius on your end fabric.
For decoration and added function: I used the mesh I took off the blue bag with t-shirt scraps to make a design for a water bottle holder on the ends of the bag. Sew all shapes to the mesh first and then sew the mesh to the end, making sure to leave the top edge open.
Step 9: Place about two inches of extra belt material through each of your D rings (from the belt you used for the handles). Sew onto the top of each circle ½ in. from the top (the shoulder strap will attach here).
Step 10: Sew everything together. Pin one end to the bag with right sides together making sure the D-ring is on the inside and not caught in the seam. I find that hand sewing the seam before using a sewing machine makes the process much easier.
Repeat the same step with the opposite side, just make sure you close the zipper as far as possible and baste it shut before sewing on the end.
Final step: Attach the shoulder strap. You could use a shoulder strap from another bag or use another belt. Remove the buckle and run the ends of the belt through each D ring and sew in place with a zig-zag stich (across the dotted red line).
Now you’ve got a great locker ready gym bag for school! With outside pockets for wet clothes and a water bottle and inside pockets for money and smaller items, you’ll have everything covered. Make up your own designs and show them off as you get back into the school spirit.