DIY Father’s Day Gifts: Men’s Travel Bag

This Father’s Day, surprise that special guy in your life with a unique gift that will last for years and make a useful addition to his collection of travel gear. This DIY travel bag is relatively easy to make if you have all of the right materials, and you can customize this gift for your loved one as much as you’d like.

Supplies You’ll Need for This Sewing Machine Craft

Here’s what you’ll need to make a DIY men’s travel bag:

• Two 16”x21” rectangular pieces of duck cloth, lining fabric, and Shape Flex Interfacing

• Two 21” long and one 8.5” long leather pieces, ½” wide

• One metal zipper 20” long

• Sewing machine with Zipper and Teflon feet

• Thick needle

• Heavy and standard threads

• Fabric glue

• Binder clips

Now you’re ready to get started!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Attach Shape Flex Interfacing pieces to the wrong side of your bag lining pieces. Pin the zipper’s right side to the outer bag piece’s right side and pin the zipper’s wrong side to the lining piece’s right side. Attach the zipper foot to your sewing machine with the needle to the left by four clicks.

Place the combined piece you just created toward the feed dogs, stitch, and repeat for the zipper’s other side.

Press seam allowances away from your zipper and lay out your sewn piece with the zipper in the center. Apply fabric glue to the wrong side of your 21” leather pieces. Glue them to the bag’s right side about half an inch under the zipper’s center. Use your binding clips to secure the ends.

Put your leather needle and heavy thread in your sewing machine and attach your non-stick foot with a four mm stitch length. Topstitch along each leather piece’s long edge and repeat for the bag’s other side.

Connect the two outside pieces with right sides facing each other and stitch alongside the bottom seam. Then, with the two lining pieces touching and right sides facing, stitch alongside the seam on the bottom with a four-inch opening in the seam’s center. Use your iron to press open the seam allowances.

Stitch the bag's side seams up to the leather accent pieces. Once you’re done, lay the bag out flat and sew up the side seam portion between the leather accents.

Get All Your Crafting Materials at GoldStar Tool

Make this Father’s Day special with great sewing machine DIY craft ideas from GoldStar Tool.