Embroidered Knapsack Purse

A stylish Knapsack Purse is just what you need to run errands around town or jet to fun travel destinations!

You will stay organized and keep your hands free for shopping, going to the park, or biking with your family.

It is the perfect size to use as a purse for grown ups, or as an overnight bag for kids of all ages. Just change the design and fabric to suit, and you have a wonderful, handmade gift for someone special!

A snap and drawstring closure will keep your things safe inside.

The finished size for this project is 9 (w) x 10 1/2 (h) x 7 (d) inches.

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies needed:

1/2 yard solid-colored cotton canvas fabric
1/2 yard light-weight print canvas
1 yard moiré fabric for lining
2 1/2 yards belting strap
36 inch drawstring cord
Safety pin
Snaps and snap tool or snap pliers
One drawstring cord stop
Needle and thread for hand sewing
Medium weight, cut-away stabilizer
Air-erase pen
Temporary spray adhesive

The design used in this tutorial is:

Kitty in Pisa (Redwork) - Large also available in Small

Gather Materials:

Cut an 11 x 11 1/2 inch piece of the solid-colored canvas fabric.

With your embroidery software, create paper templates of the design by printing it at full size. Cut around the design to make it manageable.

Measure 5 1/2 inches from each side to the center of the template and about 2 inches from the bottom edge of the fabric. Using an air-erase pen, poke a hole in the center of the template and mark the fabric. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points on the fabric.

Sketch on white fabric showing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a cat character wearing glasses and scarf, clouds, and ground outline, marked with center lines.

Remove the template and draw lines connecting the vertical axis points.

These lines will be used for hooping.

White fabric with a purple vertical line marked by a pen, a metal 12-inch Westcott ruler placed diagonally, on a wooden surface.

Start Embroidering:

Spray the stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric over the stabilizer.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric stretched and secured inside, fabric marked with purple grid lines and dots, placed on a wooden surface.

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

Once the design has been embroidered, carefully trim away the excess stabilizer.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a red outline of a decorative totem pole with clouds on white fabric held in a rectangular hoop.

Cut a 4 x 8 3/4 inch piece of moire fabric for the snap for the front flap closure.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and pin in place.

Hand holding a small pale pink fabric strip folded and pinned with three straight pins: blue, black, and white heads, on a brown wood grain surface.

Sew a 1/4 inch seam along the open side edge and one of the ends, leaving the other end open for turning.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching pink fabric with several straight pins inserted, focused on the needle and presser foot area.

Turn the fabric right side out and press the seams flat. Add the outer (button) snap to the finished end of the fabric about 3/4 inch from the bottom with the button facing down.

Add the other snap about 1 1/4 inch from the unfinished edge with the snap facing up.

Hand holding blue-handled snap fastener pliers, pressing snaps onto light pink fabric strip on a wooden surface. Two metal snaps attached.

For the inside lining of the flap, cut a piece of moire fabric to 11 x 11 1/2 inches.

Place the snap fabric piece in the center of the fabric along the bottom edge. Pin the closure in place. Make sure the pins are at least 1 inch from the bottom edge.

Piece of light pink fabric with a strip pinned in the center using yellow, blue, and pink-head pins. A black and silver button is sewn at each end. A Westcott ruler lies below. A hand holds the fabric on the right side. The background is a wooden surface.

Lay the embroidered fabric on top of the moire fabric, right side down. The bottom of the design will match up with the closure. Pin in place.

Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the sides and bottom edges only, leaving the the top open for turning.

Turn the flap right side out and press the seams.

Hand lifting folded white fabric with partial red embroidery over pale pink fabric, both pinned together on a dark wooden surface.

Top stitch a 1/2 inch seam around the sides and bottom edges.

Note: We added a decorative stitch in a new thread color to add interest to the flap.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching red embroidery thread on white fabric, showing a pattern outline under the machine's presser foot.

For the outer shell of the bag, cut two pieces of the print canvas to 13 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches.

Lay the pieces right sides together and pin in place. Sew a 1/2 inch seam around the sides edges and bottom edge only.

Hand holding folded square fabric with colorful polka dots on white background; visible sides show different color schemes of dots; wooden surface beneath.

With the fabric still wrong side out, square off the corners. On each of the bottom corners, align the bottom seam over the side seam, creating a triangle. Pin in place and measure in 2 1/2 inches from the outer point of the triangle, and draw a line on the fabric.

Hand holding a blue marker, drawing a line on folded fabric with pastel polka dots using a metal ruler on a wooden surface.

Sew a seam along the line on both corners.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching light-colored fabric with large, soft pastel circles in pink, green, and yellow under the needle.

Trim off the corners about 1/2 inch out from the seam.

Close-up of hands using orange scissors to cut fabric with pink, green, and white polka dots, placed on a wood surface.

For the inner shell, cut two pieces of the moire fabric to 13 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches.

Lay the pieces right sides together and pin in place. Sew the inner shell together, as you did the outer shell, and create the squared corners.

Hand holding up corner of a white woven fabric pinned at four corners with colored sewing pins on a wooden surface.

Turn the outer shell right side out and insert the inner shell, aligning the squared corners together.

Pin the layers together around the middle of the outer shell. Tack the corners of the outer and inner shells together with a needle and thread.

Hand holding open a partially sewn fabric piece with colorful polka dot exterior and pink striped interior lining on a wooden table.

Cut two 33 inch lengths of the belting. (Or make these shorter, depending on the wearer). Add to the back of the bag as shown.

Mark and measure 3 inches from the top of the bag, 7 1/2 inches from the bottom seam, and about 3 inches in from the side seams.

Wrap the raw ends under and pin the straps in place. Be sure to pin the straps through the back layers only.

Polka dot fabric panel with pink straps pinned on a table, appearing to be assembled into a knapsack or purse. Background is wood grain.

Sew the four ends of the strap by sewing a 1 inch square with an "x" through it.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching pink fabric with a white backing, pinned with a blue-headed pin, over a multicolored polka dot cloth.

Turn the top edges of the outer and inner shell inside 1/2 inch and press in place.

Close-up of fabric bag with colorful polka dots and pink straps being pressed with a silver iron on a white surface.

Add the flap by laying the bag strap side up and inserting 1 inch of the unfinished edge in between the outer and inner shells. Pin in place.

Sew the flap in place by sewing a seam right along the top edge of the outer shell.

Embroidered knapsack purse with a white flap showing red line art of a girl sitting and the Leaning Tower of Pisa behind her; purse fabric has a colorful polka dot pattern.

Add the handle to the back side of the bag by cutting a 13 inch length of the belt strap.

Turn the ends of the strap under 1/2 inch and pin the ends about 4 inches from each of the side seams and 1 inch from the top edge of the outer shell. Pin the ends of the strap in place and sew a 1 inch square with an "x" through it.

Embroidered cream-colored fabric purse with pink handles, featuring a pink outline embroidery of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, next to a ruler for scale, placed on a colorful polka dot fabric background.

To prepare a "pocket" for the drawstring, cut a piece of the canvas to 23 1/2 x 2 inches.

Turn the ends over 1/2 inch and sew a 1/4 inch seam to finish the ends.

Close-up of white fabric being stitched by a sewing machine needle and presser foot, with thread running through the needle and fabric layers under stitching.

Turn the long side over 1/2 inch on each side, and press in place.

Close-up of an iron pressing a folded strip of fabric with stitching on a white ironing board cover.

Add the pocket, pressed edges down, around the upper edges of the bag, starting and stopping about 1 inch from the center of the front. Pin in place.

Close-up of white fabric with multicolored polka dots pinned with sewing pins to a light pink textured fabric background, held by a hand.

Continue to pin in place around the back of the bag, covering the bag's handle.

Sew a seam along the top and bottom of the pocket.

Partially sewn fabric knapsack with pink woven straps and multicolored polka dot fabric in red, green, pink, yellow. Pins hold pieces together.

Pin one end of the drawstring to a safety pin and thread the cord through the pocket.

Close-up of a hand threading a white drawstring through the top hem of a fabric bag with multicolored polka dots and a pink strap on a wooden surface.

Remove the safety pin and thread the ends through the cord stop. Pull the cords to close the top of the knapsack.

Close-up of a hand adjusting a white drawstring with a clear plastic toggle on a multicolored polka-dot fabric bag with a pink strap and beige lining.

Cut a 3 1/2 inch x 2 inch piece of the moire fabric for the loop portion of the snap closure.

First fold the long edges together lengthwise and then fold in half lengthwise again. Sew a seam along the sides of both long edges.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching pink pleated fabric with a zigzag stitch. The needle is engaged with the fabric under the presser foot.

Lay the hoop horizontally on the front of the knapsack about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom center. Pin in place. Fold the ends of the loop under 1/4 inch and sew the ends of the loop in place.

Hand holding white fabric with multicolored oval dots, securing a pink tab with a green pin on the fabric. Another pink tab with a button lies nearby.

Get Inspired:

It's a snap! This Knapsack Purse ready for anything, so take it wherever you may roam!

Small fabric knapsack purse with pink straps and front pocket, multicolored polka dot body, and flap featuring red embroidery of a cat leaning on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Pink text above and below reads "Knapsack Purse" on a light green background.