Learn how to make a sturdy fabric bag for prams with our easy guide. Use it as a nursery bag, and later as a regular tote!

11/15/2023

Today, we'll walk you through making a sturdy nursery bag for baby prams using canvas fabric. Canvas is great because it's tough and lasts long. In this easy-to-follow guide, we showcase a video and pattern by Laura @latieta2574 to make two unique bag designs. She'll show you each step to turn the canvas into a handy pram bag. The best part? When the baby outgrows the pram, you can still use this bag for everyday use.

Getting to Know the Designer: @latieta2574

The easy steps we’re sharing come from Laura. She became an aunt and wanted to feel close to her new nephew, who lived far away. So, she started sewing. One phone call telling her she was going to be an aunt changed everything. She realized her family was 1,599 miles (or 2,574 km) away. Wanting to prepare for her nephew's arrival, she began sewing things for him. It helped her feel closer to her far-away family.

How to sew a Nursery Bag for a Pram 

This sewing project to make a fabric bag is an easy-intermediate level. All the measurements are given in the video. Furthermore, the pattern has been designed, so the bag can be hung and removed from the pram handlebar with ease. In addition to the generous size of the bag, the design also includes:

• A front pocket

• Two side pockets, ideal for carrying a baby bottle, formula milk, a bottle of water or an umbrella, for example.

• Three inside pockets (one large and two small).

Materials:

To make this fabric bag, you need the following materials and sewing tools:

Exterior fabric: 39 3/8” (1 m) of easy to wash, resistant and hard wearing fabric like our Tropical See canvas fabric

Lining fabric: 39 3/8” (1 m) of recycled canvas fabric in a matching colour to the exterior fabric

39 3/8” (1 m) of wadding or foam

1 x 15 3/4″ (40 cm) zip

122” (310 cm) of 1 1/8” (3 cm) wide bag tape for the straps and the pram handlebar loops

15 3/4″ (40 cm) of 3/4″ (2 cm) wide Velcro for the pram handlebar loops

2 carabiner clips for bags and bag packs

2 D rings in the corresponding size to the carabiner clips

12 5/8” (32 cm) of 3/8” (1 cm) wide elastic for the sides of the pockets

Sewing yarn in a colour that matches the fabric

Basic sewing tools:

Fabric scissors

Sewing machine

Measuring tape

Pins

Iron

Sewing the fabric nursery bag for a pram in 10 steps

Here is a guide for sewing a fabric bag for a pram in 10 steps. You also have the video-tutorial where you can see the instructions in more detail.

Cut out the pieces of the bag

1. Cut out all the pieces that make up the fabric bag. You will need the following sized pieces (all the measurements are also given in the video):

• Front & back: 2 pieces of the exterior canvas: 17 3/8” x 14 1/8” (44 cm x 36 cm), 2 pieces of wadding: 17 3/8” x 14 1/8” (44 cm x 36 cm) and 2 pieces of lining: 17 3/8” x 14 1/8” (44 cm x 36 cm)

• Front pocket: 1 piece of exterior canvas: 7 7/8” x 7 7/8” (20 cm x 20 cm) and 1 piece of exterior canvas: 7 7/8” x 7 7/8” (20 cm x 20 cm)

• Base: 1 piece of exterior canvas 17 3/8” x 6 3/4” (44 cm x 17 cm) and 1 piece of lining fabric: 17 3/8” x 6 3/4” (44 cm x 17 cm)

• Sides: 1 piece of exterior canvas 14 1/8” x 6 3/4” (36 cm x 17 cm), 1 piece of wadding: 14 1/8” x 6 3/4” (36 cm x 17 cm) and 1 piece of lining fabric: 14 1/8” x 6 3/4” (36 cm x 17 cm)

• Side pocket: 1 piece of exterior canvas: 10 1/4″ x 6 3/4″ (26 cm x 17 cm) and 1 piece of lining fabric: 10 1/4″ x 6 3/4″ (26 cm x 17 cm)

• Inside pocket: 1 piece of lining fabric:  15 3/4″ x 7 7/8” (40 cm x 20 cm) and 1 piece of lining fabric: 15 3/4″ x 11 3/4” (40 cm x 30 cm)

• Zip guard strips: 2 pieces of lining fabric: 16 1/8” x 3 1/8” (41 cm x 8 cm)

Sewing the exterior pieces of the nursery bag

2. Pad the exterior pieces with the wadding or foam: to do this, work a row of stitching (and an overlock or zigzag stitch around the edges) around the 4 sides of each exterior piece with the wadding: front, back, base and sides.

3. Next, sew on the exterior front pocket (with the right sides of the fabric facing together), placing it in the centre of the exterior front piece. Sew on the straps that will be 55 1/8” (140 cm) long. Also sew the straps onto the exterior back piece.

4. Sew on the side pockets (with the right sides of the fabric facing together) with the upper elastic pieces measuring 6 1/4″ (16 cm) long, and join them to the side pieces. Repeat the same step with the other side pocket.

5. Join all the pieces to form the exterior bag (front, back, sides and base) with a straight machine stitch.

Sewing the lining pieces of the nursery bag for a pram

6. Also, sew the inner pockets to the front and back lining pieces. Next, take all the lining pieces and sew them to the base, but leaving an opening at one side of the base to turn the bag out to the right side.

How to sew the zip

7. Without closing all the bag lining, mount the zip with the zip guard pieces in the outer fabric. Sew the front and back lining pieces to the side lining pieces.

8. Cut a strip of bag tape measuring 5 1/2″ (14 cm) long and place a D ring in the middle. Place the tape in the middle of one side of the bag. Repeat the same step at the other side of the bag. Match the exterior bag to the bag lining, with the right sides facing together, and sew around the whole contour.

9. Next, turn the bag out to the right side through the opening that was left in the base of the lining, and then sew the opening closed. Reinforce the seam around the whole of the upper edge. The fabric bag part in now finished.

Make the Velcro loops to hang the bag from the pram handlebar

10. To finish, how to sew a nursery bag for a pram, cut 2 strips of bag tape, each one measuring 7 7/8” (20 cm) long, and sew a corresponding piece of Velcro onto each piece of tape. Attach the carabiner clips to these Velcro tapes to make two loops, so you can now hang the bag on the pram handlebar.

It’s ready! You have just finished sewing a practical fabric nursery bag for a pram. Now you can get organized and carry everything you need for your baby in the bag. Remember that you can also customize your bag with decorative details or add more inside pockets if you wish. Have fun and enjoy your new sewing project!

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