Embroidered Heart-Shaped Backpack

It's the cutesy, iconic look of candy conversation hearts, made into a wonderfully fun and functional bag.

Plus, it's sugar free!

This cozy backpack has a sturdy inside lining, zipper closure, and adjustable straps -- great for standing the wear and tear of a little sweetie on-the-go!

Supplies & Materials:

- 1/2 yard outer shell fabric

- 1/2 yard inside lining fabric

- All-purpose zipper, 18 inches

- Two 30-inch strips of 1-inch-wide nylon strapping

- Lighter

- 2 side-locks that fit 1-inch strapping

- Cut-away stabilizer

- Spray adhesive

- Air-erase pen

- Masking tape

Download Project Pattern

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- A Dots Alphabet Design Pack (2 Inch Height)

The pattern for the heart shape is split into four sections, which will print on four pieces of paper. The pattern will be used for the front and back of the backpack.

Click the link above to access the pattern PDF for this project.

Four printed paper templates labeled Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, and Section 4, each with black outline shapes and text, arranged on a brown surface.

Cut out the shapes and align the four sections as instructed on each print-out. Tape them together.

Paper pattern pieces for a heart shape, labeled Section 1, 2, 3, and 4 with tape instructions, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Cut a piece of the front outer shell fabric a bit larger than the pattern. We chose a soft, low-pile fur fabric for the outer shell.

Lay the fabric right side up, and place the pattern on top. Use an air-erase pen to mark the center of the heart. Then mark the horizontal and vertical axis lines. These lines will be used for hooping.

Hand tracing heart-shaped paper pattern divided into four labeled sections on pink fabric, on a wooden table surface.

Remove the pattern and draw lines connecting the horizontal and vertical axis marks.

Hand holding a blue fabric marker drawing vertical and horizontal lines on a light pink fabric square using a black metal ruler on a wood surface.

You can embroider any design or phrase on the backpack. We chose to merge Dot Letters together to make the phrase "Little Sweetie."

Print a full-size paper template of the design using embroidery software. Trim around the design for easier placement. Lay the template on the pattern to make sure your design will fit. Also, make sure the design will fit your hoop.

Paper pattern pieces arranged in a heart shape on a dark wood surface with a white card labeled "Little Sweetie" in pink letters centered on top.

Spray the fabric with adhesive and hoop it with cut-away stabilizer.

We added a water-soluble stabilizer topping to prevent the stitching from sinking into the plush fabric.

Hoop the stabilizer, fabric, and water-soluble topping together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.

Rectangular embroidery hoop placed on pink fabric with visible purple grid lines marked for alignment or stitching. Background is plain.

Attach the hoop to the machine, load the design, align the needle directly over the center point, and embroider the desi

Embroidery machine hoop with white fabric inside, stitching red script letters on the fabric under the needle, surrounded by sewing tools.

When the design has finished sewing, unhoop the fabric and trim away the excess stabilizer. Peel away the excess water-soluble topping.

Any small bits of topping can be easily removed by lightly wetting your fingertips and brushing the topping away.

Close-up of a hand holding orange scissors cutting white stabilizer paper off pink fabric with partially visible pink embroidered letters.

Next, cut a piece of inside lining fabric the same size as the embroidered fabric. We used a sturdy nylon for our lining.

Spray the wrong side of the lining fabric with adhesive and smooth the embroidered fabric on top, wrong sides together.

Hand holding a pink paper or fabric piece with pink embroidery reading "Little Sweetie" over a white plastic sheet on a dark wood table.

Plush fabric is difficult to mark, so it's best to mark the back side instead. Working on the embroidered side, extend the horizontal and vertical lines out to the edges of the fabric.

Hand holding a purple pen drawing a horizontal guideline across pink fabric with a ruler, above partially visible red embroidery spelling "Little".

Use those lines to mark the axis lines onto the back of the fabric.

A hand holding a purple marker is drawing along the edge of a white fabric piece on a dark wooden surface; faint text is visible on the fabric.

Draw lines by connecting the marks.

Hand holding pen marks white fabric on table using a metal ruler for measurement; fabric edges are folded and cut, with a small embroidery piece partially visible.

Draw lines by connecting the marks.

Person cutting white fabric with pink printed pattern and text "little sweetie" inside a heart shape, on a wooden surface.

To prepare the back of the pack, cut a piece of the outer shell fabric a bit larger than the pattern. Do the same with the lining fabric.

Spray the wrong side of the lining fabric with adhesive, and smooth the outer shell fabric on top, wrong sides together. Lay the pattern on the lining side, trace it, and cut out the shape.

Hand holding orange scissors cutting white fabric along a heart-shaped outline drawn in purple marker on a wooden surface.

Lay the back piece of the bag lining side down. Draw a line directly down the center.

Person's right hand holding a blue marker, drawing on a pink heart-shaped fabric piece pinned on a table. A black metal ruler lies across the fabric.

Make a mark 2-1/2 inches down from the center "V".

Hand drawing a straight line with a blue marker using a black ruler on a light pink heart-shaped fabric piece on a wooden surface.

On each side of the line, mark outward 3-1/2 inches from the previous mark.

Hand holding a pen drawing a heart shape on pink fleece fabric using a metal ruler on a wooden table.

Fold each 30-inch nylon strap in half, and mark the center of the strap on the fold.

Hand holding a purple fabric marker, making a small dot on white woven strap lying on a wood-grain surface.

Lay the straps parallel with the center line. Align the center marks of the straps with the marks on the fabric. Pin the straps in place near the edges of the fabric.

Pink fabric cut in two halves of a heart shape placed side by side on a wooden surface, with two white straps pinned vertically over it.

Sew the straps to the fabric by sewing a 2-inch rectangle around the center points. Sew an "X" inside the rectangle for extra holding power.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching clear plastic zipper tape onto light pink felt fabric, showing needle, presser foot, and textured zipper tape details.

Use a lighter to lightly run a flame along the ends of the straps. Hold it just long enough to melt the loose threads.

Hand holding a blue lighter with flame close to the end of a white woven strap against a wood-grain surface background.

Roll up the straps and use masking tape to hold them in place. This will keep them out of the way during the rest of the sewing process.

Two pink felt heart-shaped pieces with scalloped edges, each with a white loop strap secured by tape on a dark wooden surface.

Cut two pieces each of outer shell and inner lining fabric to 19-3/4 x 6 inches (total of four pieces). These will be the sides of the backpack.

A hand holding orange scissors cutting along pencil lines on a piece of pale pink fabric laid flat on a wooden surface.

Spray the wrong side of the lining fabric with spray adhesive. Smooth the outer shell fabric on top, wrong sides together. Do this for both sets of fabric.

Lay the two pieces with outer shell fabric sides together.

Hand holding layered fabric pieces: a white smooth top layer and a pink fuzzy textured layer underneath, on a dark wood surface.

Sew one of the 6-inch ends on each piece together with a quarter-inch seam.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching pale pink fabric, showing the presser foot, needle, and thread in detail. Background is dark and blurred.

Lay the side fabric flat with the right side up. Mark the center of the seam, which is 3 inches from the top or bottom edge. Also, from the center point, mark out 9 inches on each side. This is where the zipper will go.

A hand using a blue marker and metal ruler to mark measurements on a white fabric strip on a dark wooden surface.

Draw a line connecting the two outer points.

Two light pink fabric strips laid flat on a dark wood surface with a metal ruler and a person's hand holding a purple marker on the right side.

Cut along the line, creating a slit in the fabric.

Cut 1/4 inch slits on each end, perpendicular to the long slit, forming a "T" shape.

Hand holding orange-handled scissors cutting through folded light pink fabric marked with a straight blue line on a dark wooden surface.

Lay the zipper under the fabric and inside the slit.

Fold each edge of the slit over 1/4 inch and pin them to each side of the zipper, along the zipper's teeth.

Close-up of a hand holding back pink fuzzy fabric to reveal a white zipper sewn into it, with a red pin near the zipper end on a wooden surface.

Using a zipper foot, sew along and around the zipper.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching light pink fuzzy fabric with white thread, with sewing pins visible under the presser foot.

Now it is time to assemble the backpack! Lay the side fabric right side up. Unzip the zipper for turning.

Close-up of a partially sewn light pink fluffy fabric strip with a white and black zipper inserted but not fully stitched, on a dark wood surface.

Lay the front (embroidered fabric) piece on the side piece, right sides together. Align the center line of the front piece with the center seam of the side piece. Allow 1/4 inch of the side piece to be above the center "V" of the front piece. Pin in place

Light pink fabric shaped like a heart with embroidered text "Little Sweetie" in darker pink thread, laid on a dark wood surface.

Starting at the center "V" of the front piece, sew a 1/4 inch seam along the heart. Sew one half of the heart at a time. Pinch and position the fabric together as you go.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching light pink fabric attached to fluffy pink material, with fabric edges slightly frayed under the needle.

To add the back piece, position the fabric as shown with the un-sewn side of the side piece laying right side up.

Pink heart-shaped fabric item, possibly a backpack, with the word "Sweetie" embroidered in pink thread on the inside flap, laid open on a wooden surface.

Lay the back piece (with straps) on the side piece, right sides together. Align the center of the back piece with the center seam of the side piece. Allow 1/4 inch of the side piece to be above the center "V" of the back piece. Pin in place.