DIY Library Bag (from a $5 Ikea slipcover!)

Our library trips have become more than our favorite bag can handle. Also... we lost it. So it really was time for a new library bag, whether we liked it or not. And thank goodness for that because now we have a bigger, better bag!

Plenty of room for books!

Plus pockets on the outside for bookmarks and summer reading program cards.

And nice long straps for holding it over my shoulder (while wrangling a certain one-year-old who goes all floppy-fish when he's unhappy).

And here's the best part - I made this bag from a chair slipcover I found in the as-is section at ikea for $5! I always dig through the bins looking for any kind of fabric item I can use for sewing (and any stray curtains for a good price) and this time I came across a fun navy & white stripe slipcover. It's for a dining chair (although I think a couch cushion cover could work!), but with one look at it I thought "hmmm. The top half looks like a bag..."

So I started by cutting the top section off. See? Basically a bag already! Fold down the top 1/4" then 1/2" and sew along the inside fold.

Then (just like my favorite bag) I cut two squares from the leftover fabric. I did a rolled hem along the top and bottom edges and stitched along the inside fold.

I centered a pocket on each side and sewed around the sides and bottom of the pocket. Be careful not to sew through the back layer of the bag.

Then I took a long piece of 1.5" cotton webbing (I love this one because it's soft and not stiff like a lot of webbings) and started one end at the bottom of the bag. I ran it up (make sure you cover the edge of the pocket) made a handle loop at the top, and ran back down the other side of the pocket.  Then I flipped the bag over and continued running the handle up that side to make the other handle, and back down to where I started.

I sewed along both sides of the webbing to attach the strap.

Head to the library and fill it up! But it's also a great size to pack for the beach or the park.

I enlisted a certain 6-year-old to help me get a photos...

... and his little shadow could have no peace until he had a turn.

Next time you're at Ikea, don't forget to check the fabric bins! You never know what you'll find!