Beach Sling Bag

Guess what?  In less than 2 weeks we are headed to Hawaii on vacation!  This month's Project Run and Play theme of a reversible sling bag helped me decide that the kids would definitely need beach bags for this trip.

I followed the free Reversible Sling Bag pattern from SugarBee Crafts pretty closely, only making a few adaptations in order to incorporate the materials that I was using--reusable shopping bags and towels from the 100Y store!  I spent 400 yen on materials, which is a little over $3.  If I'd been in the states, I would have looked for some thrifted towels that were a little more substantial, but this did the trick.

The supplies

The microfiber towel I used for the contrast on the lining had stripes, but I liked this description better ;)

"A soft towel with the feeling that the touch is very sufficient."

I have been wanting to make a towel-lined bag for a long time, and since this easy bag consists of an outer and a lining, I went for it.

I'm experimenting with putting in a jump so that more posts appear on my main page--read the rest after you click, and let me know if you love/hate having a jump!



While it is technically reversible, my fabric choices make a lot more sense as an outer and a lining.

Still cute, I guess!

The printed shopping bag I bought had a zip-top, so I used part of the zipper to create a pocket in the contrast stripe on the bag pattern.  It actually creates a double pocket, with an opening behind the zipper pouch pocket.

The little zipper pocket would be perfect for some pocket money!

I added a pocket in the same place in the lining, making a cozy microfiber towel pocket in there.

The sunscreen is tucked into the inner towel pocket.

One shopping bag didn't provide enough material to make the full length of the handle, so I patched in some pieces from the bag I used to make the contrast stripe.   I did the same with the towel lining, but I added some batting to the center part of the handle so it would be padded.  My handle still wasn't quite as long as the original pattern, but Little Sister is a petite 5-year-old so the size is actually perfect for her!

The backside of the bag--no pocket on this contrast stripe.

With these materials, the topstitching was a must.  I was nervous about pressing the material so the topstitching held it in place nicely.  I love that the sand will brush right off of the outside of this bag, and it should be easy to wash.  You can also use the towel lining to dry your hands, wipe your sunglass lenses, or get rid of a few crumbs.

Beach ready!

She loves it, and now she'll be able to tote her own towel, water, snacks, sunglasses, and sunscreen to the beach or pool!  Hooray for less things for me to carry!  The Boy's bag is up next, and it will be more of a drawstring backpack style but I'll be doing the towel lining on his as well!